Central America Surf Schools

Adventure Sports Tours Surf School

Countries:  Nicaragua / El Salvador

Our surf schools in Central America region offer the perfect surfing holiday.   The combinations of location, accommodations, warm waters, great weather, perfect waves and professional surf instruction will provide you a perfect vacation with memories that will last a lifetime.

Our packages are designed for you to have a fantastic surfing holiday with no worries. We couple surfing, excellent local foods, sightseeing, and above all a relaxing environment……….  All you have to do is get your plane ticket and let AST do all the rest.

We offer a practical surfing course for the beginner or intermediate surfer. Our friendly instructors are available whenever you are, there are no set times, this is your vacation and we are ready when you are.

Beginners Season:  November – March

Instruction can take place at one of the many breaks in front of our camps, but the surf school is also completely mobile. This means that instructions can be held at other breaks depending on the students ability, the most suitable spot up or down the coast, and daily surf conditions.

Student will learn about:

-          Safety and Ocean Awareness

-          How Waves and Swell are Created

-          Tide Changes and Conditions

-          Seasons

-          Paddling

-          Wave Riding

-          Priority Rules

-          All other information needed for our guests to become a Waterman

Surf Instructions are in small groups, with a ratio of 1 instructor to 3 students maximum.  This way our guests receive absolute attention in and out of the water furthering their skills.  All our surf instructors are well experienced with more than 5 years of surf teaching/training and overall ocean experience that exceeds 10 years.

Packages Include:

-          ALL TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM YOUR ARRIVAL AIRPORT

-          OCEANFRONT ACCOMMODATIONS

-          PRIVATE BATHROOMS

-          AIR CONDITIONED ROOMS

-          THREE MEALS PER DAY + SNACKS

-          3 HOURS OF SURF INSTRUCTION PER DAY

-          PROFESSIONAL RESIDENT SURF INSTRUCTORS

-          ALL EQUIPMENT: SURFBOARDS, LEASHES, RASH GUARDS AND WAX

-          EXCLUSIVE 4X4 VEHICLES WITH A/C

-          LOCAL CITY TOURS, SHOPPING, NIGHTLIFE AND PHOTO JOURNALISM

-          WIRELESS INTERNET

-          UNLIMITED BOTTLED WATER

-          SHORE FISHING GEAR AT MOST LOCATIONS

-          BOAT TRIPS OR ESTUARY TOURS WHERE AVAILABLE

What to Bring:

-          10 T-SHIRTS

-          3 PAIR OF BOARD SHORTS

-          3 PAIR SHORTS

-          1 PAIR OF LONG PANTS

-          INSECT REPELLENT

-          SUN BLOCK FOR FACE AND BODY

-          TOILETRIES

-          CAMERA, EXTRA BATTERIES AND CHARGERS

-          SURFBOARD(IF YOU LIKE TO RIDE YOUR OWN BOARD)

-          CELL PHONE, IF NEEDED

-          LAPTOP, IF NEEDED

-          FLIP FLOPS AND SHOES

-          LIGHT JACKET OR HOODIE

Surf Packages:

El Salvador:  Punta Roca

Guests	5 Days	7 Days	10 Days
1	$1040.00	$1400.00	$1950.00
2	$780.00	$1100.00	$1500.00
3+	$710.00	$950.00	$1350.00

El Salvador:  Las Flores

Guests	5 Days	7 Days	10 Days
1	$1125.00	$1550.00	$2150.00
2	$875.00	$1175.00	$1650.00
3+	$750.00	$1000.00	$1400.00

Nicaragua:   La Barra / Puerto Sandino

Guests	5 Days	7 Days	10 Days
1-2	$1000.00	$1350.00	$1800.00
3	$950.00	$1200.00	$1550.00
4+	$800.00	$1100.00	$1500.00

Nicaragua:  San Juan Del Sur

Guests	5 Days	7 Days	10 Days
1-2	$1320.00	$1780.00	$2195.00
3	$1250.00	$1680.00	$2045.00
4+	$1095.00	$1430.00	$1945.00

For booking information please contact:

Adventure Sports Tours

1617 S. Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite F

Redondo Beach, CA. 90277

310-424-3530

info@astadventures.com

www.astadventures.com

EL SALVADOR WAS VOTED BY LONELY PLANET AS ONE OF THE TOP 10 COUNTRIES TO VISIT IN 2010!!

This may not be the first place that comes to your mind when you're thinking of where to go on vacation, and that's exactly why you should be!

Why is this tiny country a great vacation destination in Central America? Let me tell you why…

Here we enjoy warm sunny days, sandy beaches, great food and the people are hospitable, warm and friendly.

So what makes it different than other Central America destinations you ask?

… The only thing you won’t find here is the masses of tourists you find in other Central American vacation spots!

Tourism of El Salvador is growing, but it's not yet an over crowded destination so now is a good time to take advantage of this before the rest of the world discovers it!

Great weather - it's always sunny, beautiful sandy beaches where you can do whatever you want - swim, surf, dive, sunbathe, and the food is super delicious like pupusas, sopa de mondondo, nuegados, yum, it's so good. And of course we also get to see our relatives and friends.

What makes El Salvador a great destination?

Great weather all year round

Is not over-crowded by tourists yet

Central American beaches at its best

Endless fun and exciting things to do and see

Delicious food to enjoy all day long

Less expensive than other popular destinations in Central America

Excellent options for accommodations

Salvadorian beaches are becoming very popular among the surfing world. The weather is excellent, the waves and point breaks are awesome and are considered to be some of the best in Central America.

We’re surfers, we really enjoy to surf the waves effortlessly. Are you a surfer? What do you like about surfing there?

But there’s more to this beautiful country than beaches, there are many towering volcanoes and mountains to hike, ancient Mayan ruins to visit and beautiful tropical forests with many exotic creatures.

We love these tropical forests, the animals and flora we can see are just amazing. You know you can spot the Torogóz (El Salvador's national bird) in El Boquerón – it’s a really cool looking bird!

The capital city of San Salvador is one of the most modern in Central America.

And of course, we can't forget about doing some vacation shopping! San Salvador is great for this, you can visit Metro Centro which is the largest shopping center in all of Central America!

In San Salvador, you can do just about anything you like; from museums to parks to night life – it’s all here!

We always try to speak with other tourists and time and time again, I hear that one of the things they enjoy the most is the people!

Salvadorians are known for their hospitality and warm, smiling faces. Being hospitable and having a positive attitude is a very strong part of our culture which many people enjoy.

So AST invite you to explore beautiful El Salvador with us while we unravel all the reasons why you should definitely consider discovering this beautiful country as a new destination in Central America.

By Lonely Planet

:Punta Roca, El Sunzal" El Salvador Surfing

“PUNTA ROCA”

By far the best right hand point break in El Salvador, followed closely by Las Flores, Punta Mango and El Sunzal. Punta Roca, La Punta or the point has hollow tubing sections breaking onto shallow, black boulders. It needs strong South Southwest Hemi swells above 4 feet to break from the point, but it holds up to Double to Triple Over Head surf.  Length, perfection, consistancy are only a few of the adjectives you can entitle this break with rides of over 400 yards on a very good day. After a fairly negotiated take off set on your feet and get ready to glide and speed like never before.  Any board built for speed and maneuverability will suit perfect the speed of Punta Roca.

It gets crowded  from time to time with a growing population of locals, expats and travelers alike, but well worth the effort  it takes to get out there and snag a set wave you´ll be telling everybody for years. “Adventure Sports Tours” works to make your staying in La Libertad, El Salvador the most comfortable posible and access you to the surf in the most effortless possible way.

EL SUNZAL/ EL TUNCO

El Sunzal is another World class right hand point break, long and lined up, which seems to have waves every single day and handle any size of surf.  Classic rocky point with waves breaking deep in an open area creating more than one quality take off spots and 400 + yards rides on good conecting days. Sunzal the most Longboard friendly and less intense surf than Punta Roca or Punta Mango makes it very good for all levels of surfing, from beguineers to experts. Easy long paddle, because of the channel, gives you the time to apreciate this wave walling up for hundreds of yards and when riding your legs can get tired easily. Possibly the most popular spot after Punta Roca, with a wider variety of surfers, including: Women, Beginners, Experts and body boarders. A much slower wave than Punta Roca, a board with a little more volume is advisable if you are a shortboarder.  It can get crowded, especially on weekends an hollydays but, just like Punta Roca, it is a must surf if you are in La Libertad, El Salvador.

AST guarantees top of the line guided surf trips for you to collect one of this Salvadorian gems.

"Safety for Traveling Surfers in El Salvador"

Traveling to El Salvador with AST

El Salvador, though one of the world's smaller countries, holds numerous elements of the rest of the Central American region - in miniature. Its proponents claim that the country's ancient Maya sites, volcanoes, jungles, and beaches rival those of its neighbors, while the hospitality of its people is unmatched anywhere in the world. And because of its size, every attraction is easily accessible.

El Salvador's government has focused on developing it's tourism industry which has grown drastically over recent years. Last year tourism accounted for 4.6% of El Salvador's GDP where 10 years ago, it was only at 0.4%. Most tourists are seeking out El Salvador's beaches or nightlife. Surfing has been gaining popularity in recent years as more surfers visit the coast of La Libertad and the east side of the country, finding emptier surf lineups when compared with other countries. Also, the use of the US Dollar as currency and short direct flights from most US cities make the country very easy to visit from the US.

If you’re interested in traveling to El Salvador, safety is probably your biggest concern. The country has a fairly recent history of conflict and violence. But the civil war has ended. Is El Salvador’s lingering reputation deserved?

The easiest answer? No and yes. Most of El Salvador is safer than ever before. However, some areas are safer than others. And certain parts of the country are more (and less) safe than the rest.

While various Central America travel guides, the U.S. Consulate, and “the word on the street” tend to differ, all agree that a level of street smarts is the key to staying safe in El Salvador. Much of it boils down to common sense. If you avoid situations that could put you in obvious danger—like walking alone in a dodgy neighborhood at night—the odds are definitely in your favor for a secure and unforgettable Central America vacation. 

Traveling with AST, you’ll get, Hassle free trips, without language problems, public transports, surfboard transportation, etc. It is all organized, from your arrival to the airport to your stat in comfortable and clean accommodation, good meals, transport to the beaches, and the best you get is all the local knowledge about surfing and safety.

When traveling with AST, someone will be at the airport to meet you, regardless of what time you arrive, your beds will be ready, your food will be ready, clean rooms, proper toilets! "The best local surf guides" in the area that will advise you where to go surf and when, What tides, what winds, where to go in and out of the water, etc. They will take you to that magical place that you would never in the world find on your own or would take ages to do so, wasting your precious time!

Artical by Jorge Menjivar
AST Owner Central America

El Salvador review by Swell Magnet

Surfers are constantly in search of new adventure, uncharted coastline, warm waters, consistent swells, and uncrowded line-ups. El Salvador offersall of these things, but anyone who travels to this tiny, Central American country will soon realize that the waves are uncrowded for a reason.
 

In El Salvador the tube is the safest place to be.

When we arrived we made friends with the only other gringos at the airport — two Midwest girls who were volunteering for the Peace Corps. They had been in El Salvador for over six months and flatly informed us that during our visit we could expect to be robbed by gun or knife and get diarrhea from the food/water. This wasn’t the reassurance we were hoping for. Booking a trip to ES raised a few eyebrows with friends and family with reactions ranging from "Are you insane?" (Family) to "Should be good waves" (Friends). It turns out that friends and family were both right. Not to sound cliché but El Salvador is a land of contrasts. The country is filled with natural beauty and tremendous poverty. The people and country have been getting kicked around between a 12 year civil war, Hurricane Mitch, a devastating Earthquake, and record drought this year. Considering half of the population lives below the poverty line the people are guarded, suspicious and armed (the wealthier have guns, the poor carry big machetes).
When considering El Salvador as a surf trip destination one must consider the pros and cons:

Pros: Surf, Cost
Cons: Safety, Food, Nightlife
 

No crowd!!!

Pros:
SURF — El Salvador may be the smallest country in Central America (about the size of Connecticut) but has miles of south-facing coastline that seems designed for surf. Numerous world-class point breaks dot the coast but most surfers congregate to those closest to the capital city San Salvador. The most striking part of the breaks was not the shape or consistency (both great) but the lack of crowds. At the peak hour (8:00 AM) there were less than 15 guys in the water and by 9:00 it was often just me and my friends. There are a handul of local surfers who are aggressive and try to dominate the peak and a few aggro spongers, but compared to So Cal it's more like a ghost town. After a solid morning session we would paddle out (wind normally isn’t a factor) to have the point to ourselves. We’d ask ourselves "How many surfers would be out on 4’-6’ Rincon? 100? Here we are all by our lonesome letting perfect 4’ rights roll by because they aren’t set waves." Of course now that we are home, fighting over 2’ slop in the South Bay we are kicking ourselves for letting any of those waves pass by unridden.
 

Armed and dangerous

First let me preface this segment by not only recommending, but insisting you see El Salvador under the care of a professional guide. Our group never came into harms way, but if you're stupid or careless there is serious danger around every corner. On our adventure we surfed only 3 breaks. The first being Los Flores, which is just North of a small town called El Cuco. Although considered a point break the bottom is mostly sand and the wave is very forgiving. This spot works best on a low tide and can dish up some long, fun right handers. If you're not on it early, be advised, you will be overrun by a small army of El Salvadorian Groms. While they are nice, affable kids, they become annoying surprisingly fast. I recommend taking a panga (from the beach at Los Flores) to Punta Mango, which is a 20 minute boat ride to the North. This secluded spot offers up a much higher quality wave that reels across a cobblestone reef (much like San Miguel, North of Ensenada). This wave 

2 bucks for eggs and beer after a good sesh

is steeper and faster than Los Flores and offers up some barrel opportunities if you're looking for them. We surfed there 3 days in a row and on the most crowded day, there were 7 of us out there. Mind you there were 5 of us on the boat. We scored perfect wave after perfect wave, uncontested, unmolested and the water was 85 degrees. It really seemed like heaven on earth.

Lastly we voted to go check out La Libertad (The famous point that was filmed in Big Wednesday) and stay there for the last 5 days of our trip. The drive from Las Flores to Libertad is about 3 1/2 hours and well worth the haul. Upon arrival you feel as if you've reached some sort civilized world again (even though it's a 3rd world). Upon reaching the point there are several restaurants and hotels to choose from. The wave itself was phenomenal. Every day was glassy, overhead, hollow and absolutely perfect. The crowds were never even a factor, in fact on several occasions guys from our group would get 2 hour, afternoon solo sessions. We're talking a world class point break all to yourself. I can't promise the same for everyone but if you watch the point all day a window of uncrowded opportunity will most likely arise. Logging 6 hours or more of water time was commonplace. Afterward cold cervesa's and a big meal at Bob's were on tap. There is no night life so enjoy your day and party with your bros at night. Definitely bring a couple of good books with you. If you are a hardcore surfer, this trip is for you. Hook up with your buddies and set up a trip but leave the wife and kids in the states.
 

This is just the inside!

COST — The most expensive part of a trip to El Salvador is the plane flight. For those considering a trip to This is a common scenario on the roads of El Salvador ES I’d recommend hiring a guide. There are many advantages to a guide service:
* They take care of transportation (from airport pick up to drop off)
* They know the different breaks and when they’ll be best
* They speak the language and know the locals
* They can handle your lodging needs

The disadvantages of a surf guide are that they cost $ (although not much) and it means you’ll have another surfer in the line up (hopefully not a wave hog).
As for companies offering surf guides Elporto.com highly recommends using the newly founded Punta Roca tours which is run by an American named Bob Rotherman. Bob has owned and operated Punat Roca restaurant/ hotel for 30 years now and aside from being a solid, honest guy is an accomplished surfer and knows El Salvador like the back of his hand. Contact Bob if you're interested in booking a trip. He'll put you on the waves and protect you like a mother hen. We've been there and are sincere when we say this guy is the best!
contact Punta Roca
 

Rush hour

CONS:
Safety — On any surf trip be it Mexico, Indonesia or Central America it pays to be cautious and keep a low profile. ES is no exception and not a good place to bring the wife & family or for getting hammered and acting reckless. There is no room for the ugly American here,

The NRA would love El Salvador because every hotel, store, bar, restaurant, bank*, etc, is guarded by a shotgun or M16 wielding hombre. As one surfer in our group noticed on the first day "Everyone in this country is packing!" They are armed for a reason, robbery and theft are common everywhere we visited. La Libertad has the added hazzard of the best local surfers who have traded in their boards for crack pipes and now harass/rob surfers on their way to the main break.
As in any third world country the greatest safety risk can be found on the roads. Everyone in ES drives faster than they should, passes on hills and blind curves, and no one wears a seat belt. Add to this the fact that almost every road is two-lane and the road is used for every type of transportation: cars, trucks, carts (horse and human drawn), pedestrians, dogs, and large groups of cattle. Somehow our driver managed to keep us accident-free despite the mandatory beers before/during and after driving.

*Expect a pat-down search before entering banks
 

Twos a crowd

FOOD — Don’t plan to dine on Double-Doubles or burritos in ES. Depending on which surf spot you are staying at, your dinner options may be limited to the hotel restaurant or whatever energy bars you brought with you from the US. The most common national dish is "pupusas" which resemble two very thick tortillas enclosed over a mixture of beans, cheese and meat (usually pork) and fried. Our two culinary recommendations are:

1. Punta Roca (La Libertad) — This water-front restaurant is run by an American (Bob) and his son Jimmy. Not only do they offer the best view of the right bay break, they serve great food at surfer prices. There is a long list of food a surfer to El Salvador should avoid, (shellfish, lettuce, cabbage, and most of all the water) but we felt safe eating everything at Bob’s.

2. Sonja — This mother of many ninos cooks at the south end of Playa Los Flores from her shack/home on the beach. Her beans, eggs, rice and tortillas breakfasts were heaven after a three-hour surf session (and only $2 per plate).
Overall we ate well but cautiously. A fellow surfer from another group tried the oysters and spent two days surfing the porcelain throne.

NIGHTLIFE — San Salvador is the only nightlife you’ll see and only with a guide. If you value your wallet and health you won’t go out after dark and most of the surf spots don’t have bars or discotechas anyway. Gringos are known to visit San Salvador’s cultural center "Lips." Imagine the Jet-Strip silicone-free on a discount price night.

Bottom line — In a way El Salvador’s greatest weaknesses are its greatest strengths. If El Salvador was as safe to visit as Salt Lake City it would be overrun with surfers from FLA, TX, NC, and of course CA. Because there are only a handful of accessible surf spots and they are all point breaks — the country can’t handle a large crowd of surfers. Playa Hermosa in Costa Rica (a beachbreak can probably handle more surfers than all of the main breaks in El Salvador combined. From everything we experienced, our guess is it will take years before this pristine surf locale will be at risk of overcrowding by gringo surfers. This country will remain a semi-secret for those surfers willing to deal with sketchy security for quality point break surf. El Salvador has some great surf for those willing to deal with the negatives listed above.
 
Essentials to bring:
Sunscreen — Lots of it, the sun is very strong and your surfing won’t be limited to dawn patrols. I’d also pack a rash guard and possibly a water-hat for those who like three session days.
ReefWalkers — They may give you a weird feel on the board and make you look like a dork but they’ll save you feet from many barnacle-encrusted rock walks in and out of the surf.
Playing cards & tunebox — Your non-surf hours will be spent napping, eating and drinking in your hotel room. Its good to have something to break up the boredom.
Candy and surf stickers — Ninos are everywhere and its good karma to make them happy. Bring a bag of Starbursts or something that is easy to hand out and won’t melt.

Story by Eric Rasmussen and Mike Durand