olas chicas

waves today are 4.5 feet, down from 6 feet yesterday. wave heights have been lower than normal in peru since december. people have been blaming less nasty weather in the southern pacific, and high pressure systems. anyway, when waves are low, you can always surf makaja, which sits on the right side of the rosa nautica muelle in lima. you have to paddle in deep for the best break, about 15-20 yards past the end of the jetty. when it's big, makaja is a lot of fun, nicely formed and long, but the paddle can be a chore unless you resort to little tricks. i tend to paddle out hugging the boulders because there is a always a channel there and you can avoid the whitewater. i think it saves you about 75 percent of the energy you'd otherwise spend paddling straight out. the other place to surf when it's small in lima, if you want to just practice quick pop ups and bottom turns before the waves close out, is a place called punta roquitas. it sits just north of pampilla on the costa verde. anyway, peru normally has about 10 or 11 months a year of high, consistent waves, from around 6-9 feet. people tell me that is epic. sometimes i read blogs about surfing in california and people say things like "fun 1-3 foot surf," which surprises me. many peruvians won't even step into the water if it's below 5 feet.