BajaNomad

Bad Surf Landing at Los Cerritos Today

monoloco - 11-30-2009 at 08:17 PM

I was at Los Cerritos today when a 12' tin boat with 3 people broached and flipped upside down in the shore break. Nobody was injured but fishing gear and fish were lost and and the motor was flooded. I wish I would have had a video camera it would have been a good how not to do a surf landing video.

BajaGringo - 11-30-2009 at 10:58 PM

I have done a lot of surf take offs / landings and they really are not for the novice - especially in areas with bigger waves, strong currents and rocks. You have to know your boat, the beach terrain / rocks, wave patterns and keep the majority of the load weight forward on take offs and in the middle for landings. Very important to have some patience between the waves and don't be bashful on the throttle when it is the moment to "hit it".

I saw a good link once with some great tips / video on how to do it and will post it if I can find it again.



[Edited on 12-1-2009 by BajaGringo]

monoloco - 12-1-2009 at 07:39 AM

So far I have done hundreds of them at Los Cerritos with no incidents. One of the most important things is to have a good motor, the worst thing that can happen is to have it die on you half way through the surf. The guys yesterday were doing fine until right at the end, they didn't slow down and stay on the back side of the white water but went over it and broached.

stulege - 12-4-2009 at 04:40 PM

La Bocana on the Pacific side has the best beach launch in the Baja....low or high tide....

dtutko1 - 12-5-2009 at 08:20 AM

There sure is some nice fishing just a few miles or so out of Los Cerritos. Always seems to be good for a dorado or two. It 's important to have experience on the surfline. Besides being a surfer in my younger days, I spent several days watching the fishing boats at Punta Lobos before I tried lanching at Los Cerritos. It's also important to have a radio to keep in touch with other fishers in case of a emergency. We're responsible for our own safety.
Don

monoloco - 12-5-2009 at 02:23 PM

It's pretty spectacular to watch those pangueros come in at Punta Lobos when there is a big swell. Many times I have seen them airborne when they hit that berm.