Domes

Looking at Dome's Beach from El Faro Park

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Updates in Rincon and Beyond

This is the first post in awhile, but I do plan on more regular updates.  I've been busy with a website called SurfWestPR.com that is a "online guide to surfing Western Puerto Rico".  After being here more than a year, I realize how much this town and especially the "gringo" population, but certainly not only them, rely on tourism for their livelihood.  Whether they have vacation rentals or a catering company or surf school, the majority of their business is tourists and the past few years have been difficult ones as the number of people coming to Puerto Rico and the amount they spend have been representative of the economy as a whole; cautious spending and lots of job losses.

I also realize not a lot of businesses here are represented on the internet and after reading so many articles about how the future of travel starts with www, it makes sense to gather some of these businesses in one spot online. The great surfing is the most unique thing about this part of the island and definitely its biggest attraction, but it isn't limited to Rincon.  Isabela and Aguadilla have amazing surf spots as proved by the success of the recent Rip Curl Live Search at Middles Beach in Isabela.  So businesses can buy a listing and be found and travelers can know where to rent a board or surf in Aguadilla or Isabela.  Helpful to both, I hope.

Meanwhile, in Rincon Surfrider has a new Chair, he is Jim Crotty a surf photographer based in Aguada who has been active with Surfrider Rincon for some time.  Wes Merten, the previous Chair did a great job, steering  the Rincon Chapter to being ratified in November.  I look forward to working with Jim and the rest of the Surfrider Executive Committee in the coming months.  Remember Surfrider has its monthly meeting the first Thursday of every month at 7pm at Club Nautico at the Black Eagle Marina in Rincon and everyone is invited.
The surf season started off great with  a few nice swells early and the beaches at Maria's and Domes jumping with energy as locals and out of towners took advantage of the great waves, warm water and stoked vibes running through the town.  Someone told me he felt Maria's is like the battery of Rincon, it is where the energy comes from and the surfers feed off it and send it back on shore to everyone else and I get that now, the surf, the sunsets, Calypso and Playa Marias at this time of the year, there's no where else I'd rather be.