An Extraordinary Surf Trip to Nicaragua (x2)

After three days of small waves, a lot of Tonas and Flor de Cana, the beaches emptied out and some really fun waves started to come through. This spot was empty for four hours. Photo: Greg Heine

A few nights we surfed through the sunset until it was dark. Fun waves, just a few guys out. Photo: Greg Heine

Early morning drainer at the point with nobody out just yet. Photo: Greg Heine

Floating an evening section only a few feet from super shallow reef. Photo: Greg Heine

Another empty left with nobody out. Photo: Greg Heine

Regular footers don't have many options at this spot. Pull in, establish a good line and hope for the best. Photo: Greg Heine

Another good day coming to an end. Photo: Greg Heine

We arrived to a pretty small South swell and a couple thousand locals on the beach. We arrived for the tail end of "Semana Santa" which is pretty much like Easter, except a week long, and with a whole lot more booze. Photo: Greg Heine

Nice, long-period swell greeted by offshores every morning. Photo: Greg Heine

Even though I'm a regular footer, I really do appreciate this wave. Only accessible by boat, it peels for a couple hundred yards leaving everyone with burning legs by the end of the ride and quite the paddle back to the takeoff. Photo: Greg Heine

As with most places on the Pacific, Nicaragua has great sunsets, often without the hordes of tourists snapping pictures with their iPads. Photo: Greg Heine

An unknown Brazilian locked in at the river mouth. Photo: Greg Heine

Leaving this was not easy. Right out front, the left was draining. Photo: Greg Heine

While there were a bunch of solid waves within walking distance, we took the truck out a few times for some 4x4 exploration and found some pretty fun waves. Photo: Greg Heine

A few days the wind stayed offshore or light enough to get a fun evening session in. Unidentified Brazilian getting a good right on the left point out front. Photo: Greg Heine

My friend Tom putting his new board on rail at the beachbreak around the point. Photo: Greg Heine

When the tides weren't working for the points and reefs, most everyone was posted up in their hammocks. Nobody bothered with the beachbreak, and my friend and I surfed it every day with nobody out. Photo: Greg Heine

We stopped in León one afternoon to check out the city and one of the oldest churches in Central America. Photo: Greg Heine

I love the mellow crowds in the region we stayed. Maybe 20 surfers in the whole area, but a whole lot of local dogs clogging the beaches. Photo: Greg Heine

This is a local Nicaraguan boy named Jorge. Unfortunately, he was born deaf and cannot hear or speak, but he loves the water and is actually a pretty good surfer. He likes throwing up the shaka and has his own hand signs for cutbacks and tubes. Photo: Greg Heine