Sinaloa, Mexico

With expectations of perfect, peeling, private waves, we headed off to Patole, Sinaloa, Mexico.

It had been awhile since we had a legit surf trip, and we’re not getting any younger… I had heard of Sinaloa Surf Adventure (SSA) with their 800+ private acres and a perfect left-hand point and decided it was time. SSA is booked all season due to loyal/returning clientele, since we had nine guys they offered to open up the camp a week earlier than usual. We took the gamble of going the last week of March, which is before the dependable surf season, risking windy conditions and being too early for a healthy southern swell.

We landed in Mazatlan, went through a painless customs check and were greeted by Israel and Jorge from SSA. The hour-long bus trip to camp went quickly as our newly reunited crew eagerly caught up with one another. We arrived and unloaded, soaking in the sprawling camp and fabulous location. Each of us had our own individual room complete with two double beds, bathroom, surf racks, purified drinking water, stocked refrigerator, etc. The rooms were great, much, much better than I expected from a surf camp.

The surf forecast did not look good, but there was a possible bump later in the week so we scheduled excursions for the first few days of the trip. Dave from SSA told us about some “world class” bass fishing at El Salto lake. Most of us are very into fishing, while bass fishing was nobody’s passion we were dying to give it a shot. El Salto was about 45 minutes from the ranch. We were taken to El Salto Lodge, where we were promptly sent out – two to a boat (Jof and Seddy didn’t participate, not sure what they did alone at the ranch that day?). It was a blast, the boats were fast, the guides were great and we caught ~20 fish per person. It was a full 14 hour day with a two hour rest around noon including a great lunch with beers and margaritas, all for $200/pp.

Our next outing was a visit to Naty’s “chicken” farm, followed by the Los Osuna tequila factory, concluding with dinner in El Quelite. We hopped into the SSA van and 30 minutes later arrived to Naty’s gated farm, Rancho Osuna. Sprinkled over acres of rolling hills were little teepee-type shelters, each occupied by a leashed rooster. Turns out “chicken” meant rooster. Naty raises, trains and sells fighting cocks and as it turns out, he is quite famous. We were treated to a tour of the entire facility, we saw baby chicks, prime fighters, specialized training coops, fighting weapons and a stack of trophies from his own victories. We also experienced a quick cock fight demonstration (with “boots” on their talons to avoid injury).

On to the tequila factory… Los Osuna. We traveled to the tequila factory, the drive in featured rows and rows of blue agave plants, finally giving way to the distillery. We were met by an older man who asked us to kindly tip the tour guide. He then spun around and asked us to follow him for the tour – as he would be our guide. We walked through the Osuna facility and learned about the tequila-making process. Along the way we saw retired, antiquated tools and machinery that had been used since 1876. At the end of the tour we tasted their fine tequilas. Blanco, Repasado and Anejo, along with some flavored specialities. We tipped the guide and purchased a bottle or two each on the way out. Very yummy.

Off to dinner in the authentico town of El Quelite. We dined at an outstanding restaurant, El Meson de los Laureanos. Tons of local flavor and flare in both the town and restaurant. Jorge recommended lengua de res en salsa roja…. when in Rome. The meal and drinks for ten was less than $200 USD. The owner visited our table to chat, the service was outstanding and the environment was perfect. Make sure to experience the restroom if you visit!

We had a few days remaining and hopes were high that the swell might fill in. Late Wednesday, with two full days remaining, the wind picked up and ran around 30-40 knots for the duration of the trip. It was hard to tell if any swell did arrive due to the wind chop. Our surf trip was great, but not for waves. Justin and Wyatt spent some time in the water out of pure desperation, just to get wet. We spent the remaining days fishing, eating, drinking and catching up with each other on family and life in general – the important stuff.

The crew at SSA was outstanding. Jorge, Eddie, Israel, Naty, etc. Highly recommended.

Thanks for another great trip boys. Until next year….