Silverback is one of the bigwave surf spots in the Republic of Panama. It is unknown for many around the world and even Panamanians. Its a peak with not that long of a ride. However, it can give you a long adrenaline rush. Check Matt Archbold enjoying this LONG adrenaline ride. I will see if I find some Silverback pictures to post. None of this footage is mine. However, I think its good footage and good surf.
Silverback Pictures
Mariato
Mariato is one of my favorite spots in the Republic of Panama. Why? Because people are clean, friendly, hardworking and humble. Once you are at mariato, there is always a good vibe. As a matter of fact, some villages like Malena are so into religion and being good people that there is no beer, cigarettes or human "auto clickiti" destructive products.
Last dry season I spent months out there working on my farm. I had a great experience exploring around other farms, view, beaches and actually found some really good surf breaks! According to my family's history, Mariato was a shrimp farm owned by a single family. Most people there are ex workers of this shrimp farms. Even before them, there were Spanish conquerors who had taken over on this place and thats why my great grandmother lived there. She had green eyes, white skin and a very refined face. People keep telling me that I am a "Gringo" or "European" but the truth is my roots are from Spain and the Mariato region.
It is cool to see picture of this place 70 years ago. I will make an effort to scan them and post them here. My grandmother's stories about this place are pretty good. She said she used to take a boat from Puerto Mutis in Santiago, passing by all those little Islands (Governadora, Cebaco, Isla Verde, etc) bordering by Cerro La Hoya, then passing by Cambutal, Venado and going back into Agua Dulce. Then she would jump on a horse and took 4 days to get to Panama City! its freaking crazy! She said she had the first car in town and her father used to charge 10 cents a ride!
Mariato will always be my favorite option to live outside Panama City, not just for its people, enviroment, ocean views but also for my roots! The most famous spot is playa mariato which is where Mrs. Martina, Luz Delia and YiYo live and where the surf is (This is for sale). If anyone interested I will let them know. Them three of them operate a fishing operation and distribution like most people around there. Among every single beach I have ever seen in the Republic of Panama, this region is the most hard core for fishing. These guys are true fishermen. When it comes down to fishing, these guys take off at 7 pm with single engine pangas, no radio, no GPS, no radar, no fish finder, no nothing, they just go! when they come back, they have all the fish in the world with or without waves!
I truly dont like taking shots of the playa Mariato surf break, the wave is too mellow for me. This is the type of wave you want to ride on a longboard if you suffer from arthritis. Its very soft and lack of power.
Hope you enjoyed the surf photos from mariato.
Santa Catalina Surf
Santa Catalina Surf in Panama could be one of the best waves in Central America and the world. The wave has power, it builds up quickly and has enough wall to fool even the best surfers. The wall is very long, it makes you think that it will close out but the truth is, is so perfect you will only experience a fast train down the line!
Among every single wave in Panama, the Santa Catalina surf experience is the most professional. At the same time, is the one the scares me the most when it comes down to take water shots. To start with, the surf break is a 20 min paddle with a surfboard to get to the peak. Without a surf board could be a 30 min swim. Once you are out there without anything to float on, it a bit sketchy.
As a retired surfer, I could say that the perspective of water movement is different than a water shot photographer's. When you take watershots you are mostly looking at the movement in rewind. Besides from this you worry about both "under currents and upper currents". Another interesting thing is, since you have to be in the impact zone to take the best shots you might find waves like Santa Catlina where the lip literally hits the rock directly underwater. There is no space to duck and not get pounded at certain tides. In some occasions, I have taken shots at low tide and have found my self at knee high dephts waiting to get hit by an 8 ft set on rocks. Its sketchy out there.
I always have good memories of this wave and not too good ones on the main land. Its a love and hate relationship about this place. Ever since I stepped in Catalina for the first time 9 years ago I found other people's problems. Seems like every single beachfront property owner in this place has problems among each other with the classic property ownership. Who owns this? and every single one goes, ME! Its enough material to write a good book.
My advise is to stay at "El Oasis Surf Camp" owned by great people and old friends David and Silvia. The service is great, the food is good, you are across a river from soap opera and in the middle of other surf spots. If you need to reserve the Oasis you can count on me and send me an email.
Leaving behind the drama, I will now post some NOT SO GOOD shots of this epic wave! I am still practicing to get "The Shots".
Hope you enjoyed the Santa Catalina Surfing Shots.
Pavones Surf Cr
Pavones Surf is one of the most epic in America. As a matter of fact is one of the longest lefts in Latin America and truly a surfer's dream. I had been there 10 years ago and one more time last year. It was a regular week for me, some work to be finished with Panama's tourism and then received a call from my friends letting me know that the swell of the year was going to hit. Stoked about it, I took a 4 hour bus ride to meet with some friends at Santiago and jump into the "smurf ride" to drive out to playa pavones in Costa Rica.
Before I keep writing more about my trip, it is important to note that playa pavones was once part of my native country "Panama". In 1921 there was a small battle "Coto War" in between Costa Rica and Panama. Hector Zuniga Mora was the leader of this war claiming the "real" limits in between Panama and Costa Rica. Apparently Panama had won the war but since Panama has been managed by the U.S. since the early 1900's, Mr. White "Banana Company owner" decided to mediate and stop the war giving the land to Costa Rica. He could do it because of personal corporate interests with the U.S government. Thank you Mr. White for giving away one of the most epic surf breaks in the Planet! Later on the famous Dan Fowlie purchased the area and started developing it! Here is a cool video of this epic spot.
Ok, keeping up with the trip. We got there on a Friday night and looked for some hotels in Pavones. Since it was the swell of the year, everything was full. We found some pavones lodging at $10 per head a night. It was not bad but when you are done with a 5 hour surf session under the sunny days and long rides you wanna have the bathroom to your self / shower for hours to cool off. Unfortunately we were sharing 1 bathroom / 1 toilet among 5 rooms!
On Saturday, waves were picking up, 6ft to 8ft sets. The Pavones point was grinding at low tide, long long long lefts and plenty of happy people. It was time for me to measure where and how to get into this break and take some pictures of Pavones. The wave is so long that it was hard to decide where to start. I tried the inside area at first but the current was strong and in not time I was all the way in the bay. Walked out again and went as far as I could and just fought the current for hours and hours waiting for people to start creating magic. Most people were truly just racing the sections, little tricks and turns but in the end everything worked out, did therapy for my broken back and took some fun pavones pictures this day. Eventually I met cool people from different regions of the world (Italy, Israel, Hawaii and US). It is important to mention that 90% of the people I met there flew into Panama and then headed out to Pavones. They mentioned that its cheaper to fly into Panama than Costa Rica and that it takes less time in better roads to drive from Panama than Costa Rica. I will post a surf package (Chiriqui Panama / Pavones) soon on my new website www.panamatravelagent.blogspot.com.
Guy making sure the Nitro is in correctly.
Robert and I
Street to the Break from Lodging
The Line Up
This dude was going so fast he almost fly off
American who has been living here for 16 years I hear.
My new ripper friend Ingrid "Dean's Wife" from Hawaii
The coolest and most functional tent setup ever seen!
This is Mateo's car, pure style! he is also a photographer, dude if you see this, please send me your contact, I lost the paper where I wrote this, e mail me (fidelp11@gmail.com).
My new friend Dean "Ingrid's Husband" ripping
Breakfast of Champions!
The soccer field / Helipad
Lodging in Pavones
The Pizzeria at Pavones
A hotel I will be using on my 2010 packages to Pavones
If any thing you wanna write send to fidelp11@gmail.com
First bus out to Santiago
Endless Summer Panama
Endless Summer Panama is what I have recently have been experiencing on this small region of the planet. Im sure a lot of people ask them selves, where the hell is Panama? or they might think of Panama as an indian tribe area with "The Panama Canal". I cannot generalize about this but what I can really assure is that Panama has an Endless summer.
I will now give you reasons off top of my mind why:
1) Panama has 50% sun 50% rain year round. December to March is full sun all day! Offshore too all day.
2) Panama is a 360 day vacation, there is surf and parties every day of the year. And if there there is non I could make a few quick calls and arrange one for you (I dont party much).
3) Panama has the shape of an "S" so there is swell exposure on every direction of your compass.
4) There are two oceans at 1 hour away from each other so if there is no swell on the Pacific then you go to the Atlantic.
5) If it rains it will be for not more than 5 hours. Thank god for 12 hours of sun! rain will not kill you here "only if thunders" and after its gone its only oil to be ridden.
There are many other reasons why this country feels like summer year round, cops are flexible if you speed or flexible in general, you are free to do anything you want really, outside of the city there is not even cellphone signal so once you are out of the city you might find your self like back in the days, no internet, no blackberry or I phone so check the swell forecast quickly and go enjoy the endless summer panama offers. Its year rounds surf in warm water waves of all types. Here is a flash gallery for you guys to enjoy of the past year traveling around Panama. These are only Panamanian people and spots in exeption of my loving mermaid from Kauai who is always a pleasure to have around.
Panama Surf Travel - Playon 2009
A few weeks back I got a call from Mr. Peter Novey from EL REVOLVER suggested we took a trip to a place where surf dreams can come true. What am I talking about? crystal clear barrels, no one out, golden sand, no one out, warm water, no one out, gated piece of land, no one out...
We showed up, scored, did it again every weekend for a month and all of a sudden thanks to facebook, we found a crowd, yes, I Fu!#R up! Social media can make this happen but the truth is, the gated property was opened as there is a house being built so they need trucks to go in and out as well as giving the opportunity for others to do the same. Oh well... Life is like a box of chocolate!
After a short drive on the new corridor we got to the spot and went driectly to the point, surf, shoot some photos and enjoy the day. Not much to say about this spot, somewhere in this blog you will find some old stuff from 2007. Just look for Playon Panama surf spot.
Surf Travel Panama
When it comes down to think about the best surf travel destinations in the world, most people will immediately think "Fiji, Tavarua, Indo, Australia, Hawaii, etc". Recently I had the pleasure to receive the visit of my loving Hawaiian mermaid who motivated me to take off on the road saying, "we are going places!" and show her a bit about my beautiful country. My intentions were to equivalently show that some parts of Panama are as beautiful as she is and that there was no need to go to any Fiji, Tavarua, etc at the moment. We totally scored!
I had planned to explore this remote region in the NE of Panama "San Blas Panama Surf" a few years back, but the truth is, Panama has great surf year round so why waste time when there is a swell? We can still get to uncrowded spots at 1 hour from home. Growing up in the central Northern coast "Colon" I expected to find swell in the NE of that same coast. However, it was expensive to fly out, is far by land, roads were and still are in bad conditions, drug traffic and people said "its sharky out there". It seems like it could be, the place is by the continental shelf but, every ocean has sharks right? Bocas del Toro is out there with some sharks’ right? Drug traffic is not looking for you, they are looking to get from point A to point B, and offroading can be fun after 3 cases of beer right? Somehow I ended up with maritime charts from the 60's in 2006 and while sending a fax "doing N2 in the toilet" I started to analyze the chart around that region, looking at reefs, depths, directions and it all made sense.
For many Panamanians was and still hard to believe because of onshore winds, but the truth is, the intensity of swell can always "reach around" and get good winds. Months ago after a night of partying I decided to knock on some friends windows and head out to check it out without thinking much "a few beers on me to be honest", we found the treasure! I had been holding my self from posting this but the truth is... its not easy to find this spot when you have over 300 islands in San Blas, there are no outboad engines to take you on a regular basis and you have to paddle about 40 minutes to get there from shore.
This last trip was very special to share with my two old friends Sasha (the russian), Jay (the salad tosser) and my loving mermaid Amie Gaines. We had a great camping trip and Pocahontas canoe ride around paradise.
Here are some shots of our own surf travel panama dream.
Yes, with beers in our hands!
Beer run...
The main ride the drops you in no where.
Getting the fire ready, thank me salad tossers for the wood!
Amie's new friend! Auuu Auuuu!!!!
Tossers...
Waking up!
New Day in Paradise!
Getting our ride ready!
Bottled Water, Snorkeling gear, mermaid and my friend's beat up boards! we are ready...
15 min break for the paddlers, thanks guys, cayuco masters!
"2 paddles, 2 cayuco masters, 1 bailer and me feeling like pocahontas"
The Treasure
Mermaid Drop
Mermaid Duck Dive
Humm...
Salad Snap!
Wave, Snorkel, Board, Paddle... hum?
Jay looking for the "Tiburon Salchicha" anchor got stuck...
Is this a mermaid or what?
'
Doing what he does best! M.P.L "Making People Laugh"
The end of the surf travel Panama.
Note: If anyone is intersted to take a profesional tour to this new break please visit
http://www.PanamaSanBlas.blogspot.com or write me to fidelp11@gmail.com
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