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IS IT JUST WAVES YOU RIDE, OR DO YOU PADDLE ON THE FLAT TOO? Because of all the mountains that run along this coast, there are a lot of rivers, and we’ ve been exploring those a bit, but again, there’ s so much here it’ s almost too daunting even to begin. There’ s a tradition of doing‘ descensos’ or descents of the rivers here, and that’ s fun to do in canoes, shooting the rapids. We’ ve not done it on SUPs yet, though.
LOS LOCOS BEACH maybe come back. But at this point, none of us wants to come back any time soon. I’ m not sure if we’ ll stay forever in Suances, but the kids are very settled now in their schools, and I haven’ t quite got there myself with the language yet …
You come from a windsurfing background but tend to SUP surf these days. What are the local conditions like? I’ ve got to know the local breaks very well. There’ s a river mouth right that breaks on a sandbar, another good right tucked under the cliff when the swell gets big. San Vicente is a long beach break with really reliable A-frame waves and an amazing backdrop of snow-capped mountains. The closest beach to me is Tagle, which is heavy and scary, and I’ m almost always the only one out. But really, I’ ve barely scratched the surface. We’ ve got a van with a roof tent, and quite often we go off in that and park up at some other beach somewhere on the north coast, and pretty much everywhere has something amazing to offer. The water’ s warm, the locals are friendly, and when you’ ve had enough, the food is incredible.
Do you miss windsurfing, or do you still get out occasionally? I do miss windsurfing, and particularly the community around it, which doesn’ t quite exist in other surf-based sports. I’ ve been a couple of times, but on my own. And while I’ ll happily surf alone, and think how lucky I am to get all these waves to myself, somehow with windsurfing it just feels lonely and a bit pointless. As the kids get older and we can leave them alone a bit more, I realise I’ ll have to travel to windsurfing spots to keep my eye in. At least the Spanish will be useful in Fuerte.
A little birdy tells me you’ re already wing foiling but are fancying some SUP foil action. Any truth in this? Yes, ish. I can get up and go along, but can’ t gybe it.
If so, what appeals about SUP foiling? I’ m thinking it’ s like wing foil, but I don’ t have to learn to gybe?! More seriously, a few people are doing it. One guy who started winging when I did sort of gave it up but took up SUP foil and is now getting some very nice rides. So I’ m a bit jealous. If enough people buy the next book so it has a good launch, I’ m going to reward myself with a SUP foil board( I realised I can use the same foil I have for the wing).
Is it just foiling in waves, or are you thinking about downwind SUP foiling as well? That’ s one thing you can’ t do here very easily. The beaches aren’ t that big, and travelling from one beach to another would be very dangerous with gnarly cliffs between them if something goes wrong.
As someone who was heavily involved in the watersports, what’ s your general opinion as someone now looking on from afar? I guess one thing comparing it to what I do now is that with a book, you read it and then read the next one, so I’ m kept in work. But with a decent board or SUP, it can last for decades. And maybe the new ones are a bit better, but the old one kinda still works fine. I have a brand new Starboard Spice