Surfing Guerrero, by Bill Cooksey

Troncones, located just twenty-five minutes to the north of Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo should be your first stop in your quest for Pacific juice. This three-mile stretch of coastline offers the wandering surfer a variety of choices depending on swell direction and time of year. In the spring and summer the Troncones beach break has a very different look to it than in the fall and winter months. Spring and summer are south swell months, characterised by waves generated from storms in the southern hemisphere. The Troncones beach break faces southwest, so waves out of true south will hit the beach at a nice angle, creating a peeling and thick wave that comes out of deep water and launches into a hollow left freight train to the beach. In the summer it usually has size to it and one must be choosy as to which wave to stroke into. If the swell direction switches more to the southwest then things become dicey, as the surf is hitting the beach almost perpendicular to the coast. If you put it down on paper you will see the waves have no choice but to close out or break all at once. Luckily this happens only on occasions. Wintertime, north swells are the name of the game. North swells are waves generated from storms located off northern California. Often times these waves will be peaks offering both rights and lefts to surf. The Troncones beach break is known for its power but at the same time can be playful and user friendly. It is a perfect venue for the beginner as well as advanced surfers. If you want to learn how to surf then look to Troncones.

Let's move a little farther north to a river mouth break just a mile from a resort called Playa Kandahar. This river mouth break is subject to the same conditions as Troncones, though more susceptible to wind, and can either be very playful or closed out according to swell directions and conditions. It can have a built-up sandbar formed by the river. This sandbar can produce rights and lefts and is usually a little softer break allowing surfers of all levels to enjoy themselves. Access however is difficult; one can get there by car but must be aware of the tides and sand conditions.

Moving further north you will find Saladitas, a world class longboard paradise! This wave is a long left point often times breaking hundreds of yards with not a drop of water out of place. It is fast becoming world renowned for its perfection attracting surfers from all walks of life. The wave is considered soft compared to other breaks. (Soft is the term used to describe how hard the wave breaks and is directly related to how powerful it is.) Saladitas is perfect for beginners to practice in but it can get crowded. If you are just starting out, I recommend you take one or two lessons first in Troncones to prepare yourself. Once you've got the hang of catching waves on your own and you have control of your board then you are ready to surf Saladitas. Although known as a longboard wave the wave is also rippable on a shortboard. When there is size and the tide is going low the wave starts to show power and speed. The paddle out is longer than most beaches, and when you finally arrive at the line-up you will find several choices to catch the wave. Advanced surfers tend to take off farther over to the left. Here you will find a nice easy takeoff, once you catch the wave it is better to stay high on the wave instead of dropping to the bottom - start pumping across the face immediately because what looks like an easy wall can suddenly become a bowl that is hard to make. If you are in the slot you will make that section where you can then pull a hard roundhouse back into the white water. Set yourself up right and you can do another roundhouse off the lip and back into the face heading left. Now you find yourself at the inside section. This section stands up and can become fairly hollow at times. Once again, stay high and start pumping, then drop down into the trough and set yourself up for another roundhouse into the lip. You can do this same series of manoeuvres all the way to the beach when there is size. The only drawback is that you have to paddle all the way back out again.

Let's move further north to The Ranch. This left point is more suited for shortboarders but is frequented by a few longboarders. The wave breaks closer to the beach than Saladitas and is great for taking videos. The takeoff is a clean drop but try to stay high if you want to surf the entire wave. Look up performance wave in the dictionary and you will see a picture of The Ranch. Often times it will peel forever and on south swells it can provide the lucky surfer with plenty of speed to put his board to the test. The Ranch also has a right than can get good with the right swell direction. The left likes a south to southwest swell and the right likes a west to north swell. When facing the ocean walk south about a mile and you will find a river mouth, here the rights peel long and sometimes hollow. The Ranch is a great place to spend the day, one can surf till the wind blows it out then have lunch at one of two restaurants located on the beach.