Taino Divers, Rincon to Anasco Public Beach Wed. Dec. 30th, 2009

ART:  My friend Lincoln is on his way from San Juan to meet me for a downwind leg of our paddle around the island. I had plenty of time to prepare due to his wonderfully accurate GPS system he swears by.

LINCOLN:  O.K., this is how it breaks down on my end.

   Me:  Yo Art, in Aquada. 

   Art:  Yo what's going on!  You're right around the corner, brotha.

   Link:  You know it!  Hey, what's the name of the next road I need to take? I think it's... Oh wait, no     worries, I'll just plug in my GPS from here.  My girl will do me right.  (I call my GPS my girfriend because of the female voice that speaks from the magical grey box and tells you where to turn and where to go.  Art hates the thing.) 

   Art:  No! Don't use your GPS.  I hate that thing.

   Link:  No worries, man.  My lady hasn't done me wrong so far.  Be there in a few.

   Art:  OK, but if you have that bitch talking when you get here I'm throwing her out the window.

   Link:  Roger that, brotha. 

Fast Forward two hours later.  I'm lost in the middle of the mountains, nowhere near Rincon and somewhat close to Mayaguez.  Wind up in a little mountain town of Las Marias.  When I ask the local bar owner if I'm close to Rincon he smiles, shakes his head, and says, "You used your GPS didn't you.  Happens like that here.  For some reason people end up here lost all the time because they listen to their GPS."

I nod, laugh, look at the map and realize just how wrong my girlfriend has done me.

  PUTA!

Why didn't I just go with the map before?  Because I love my girl and figured she was just shooting me to some great shortcut.  Again, here I am, two hours later.  Beautiful Country Though.  My bad Art.

ART:  The swell has dropped substantially from yesterday an the wind is howling around 25 knots all day, so we scrap playing in the waves and while I wait for Lincoln, Izzy and Frank from Taino Divers help me plot a downwind course from their shop to the public beach in Anasco 6 and a half miles away. Lincoln finally arrives after a short 2 hour detour through the hills of Mayaguez. We launch and paddle right along the coast the whole way stopping off at various beaches to either rest, meet and play with the locals, or chill out and drink cold Medallas at upscale beachside resorts depending on whose perspective you take. Long story short, I paddled to the car we dropped off in Anasco, and Lincoln supported me for 80 % of the way.

LINCOLN:  Just a quick note here.  Yeah, I had a blast.  Little worn from my detour.  As we begin our paddle the conditions are perfect- wind at our back, calm seas, and sun a shining.  I initially feel like I could go forever.  And then reality sets in.  Wait, what's going on here?  My knees are shaking and where did these dizzy spells come from?  Art asks me if I'm OK and that if we need to turn around that now is the time to decide.  No man, I wanna keep going, but damn never figured this would be so tough.  How are you doing?

Art smiles.  He hasn't even broken a sweat.  I watch him paddle just ahead and suddenly realize just how good of shape he's in.  This is Lincoln's fifth time on a PaddleBoard.  Art- Going on four years.  He's one of the best in the biz and I suddenly hate and love the bastard all at the same time. 

"Let's keep going, dude.  I can handle it.  Just don't laugh at me when I break it down to paddling the rest of the ways on my knees.  Oh wait, check that, I'm switching to my butt now.  Beautiful country though.  My bad Art."

And thank god we kept going.  What a blast.  SEE VIDEO BELOW- ENOUGH SAID.

ART:  Lots of smiles and laughs on the backend of the paddle which means it worked itself out just the way it was supposed to . My good friend Ron sums it up simply, "there is the plan, and then there is what happens."  What a fun two days. Incredible waves, old friends, new friends and lots of laughs. Thanks to Eduardo for the beds, Carson, Dennis, Izzy, Frank and everyone at Taino divers for food, friendship  and laughs, and Pablo for his Ron Barrilito goodies and support and stories. The beach where I pulled up in Anasco is stunningly gorgeous. The only negative was being reminded of how terrible the poor stray animals of Puerto Rico are treated. Breaks your heart, what a shame and disgrace.

Tres Palmas, Rincon Tuesday December 29 2009

ART:  Worked the midnight shift at the airport, and after checking out the waves rolling through Caballos from the control tower, a trip out West was  a no brainer. Got off work at 7a.m. and hurried home, loaded up the car with all the essentials for 3 days and was at Taino Divers in Rincon by 11a.m. When I pulled up , Carson, Ernie and Bryan were coming in from a fun morning paddle at Tres Palmas. Some of the prettiest and bigger waves I have seen in a while. 12 -15 foot faces with an occasional set in the 18 -20 foot range. Caught 6 waves, four being the biggest, prettiest waves that I have caught on a paddleboard. Within the first hour , I saw half a dozen boards snapped in two. The scene the whole day was pretty impressive. Wilderness in Aguadilla was as big, clean and perfect as it gets. Got out of the water at 3:30, a bite to eat at Shipwrecks and off to my friend Eduardo's guesthouse ,Sandy Beach Surf Camp or as Ron Barrilito Pablo calls  it, Villa Kandui.

LINCOLN:  Checked out Art's Photos, just too many great ones to post all through this one.  Check out this short video with music to truly get a feel.  This is the way we'll be rockin' for now on as we share our words/photos/videos and adventures with all.  And everyone is invited to come along anytime.  Yessss!