The Western coastal town of Rincón, Puerto Rico is considered one of the top surfing spots in the world. As a winter time destination, swells have been known to reach 25' high rivaling the famed North Shore in Oahu. Although similar to the Pacific surfing hot spot, the Atlantic version was relatively unheard of until the 1968 World Surfing Championship was held at Domes beach where the above images were shot. The quality of the surf became apparent outside of the local population and gave rise to several great destinations along the Western coast including Rincón. With its laid back vibe, consistently good waves, and a surf culture permeating all walks of life, it's the perfect destination on the Atlantic Ocean.
Travel to Puerto Rico earlier this year took me to Rincón where I spent some time profiling Ramse Morales, a local surf legend who is highly regarded as one of the best. Everyone I asked pointed me in his direction as the local to connect with for all things surfing. Ramse quickly became a great friend and was more than gracious with his time in front of the camera, whether on the board or in his beach dwelling apartment (home of a wide selection of his many custom boards). At one point I even took a lesson myself with the local legend. Check out his site, see if you can find the five shot series of yours truly riding waves for the first time ever!
Enjoy a little slice of Rincón through the point of view of a true local. If you find yourself heading to Puerto Rico, a trip to the west coast as well as a lesson from Ramse would no doubt be highly recommended. The Surf's great nearly 24x7, 365 days a year...
Remember to check out the accompanying motion piece in our next post to get an even more in depth view of surf life on the Caribbean Pipeline. It was a really interesting shoot including some underwater filming which I look forward to sharing.
