About surfboards and Panama

[yonishara]

Hello guys,
My name Yoni and I'm planing to go on a long surf trip in Central America stating in Panama(panama city).
I searched the Internet non-stop for quite some time and I couldn't find where to buy a good shortboard or 2.
The reason I don't want to bring my board to Panama is because it won't work, and of course to avoid paying the huge fee on the airports.
Has anyone been there and found a good/new decent price boards there or is it just plane luck getting a good one?
Should I change the starting point of my trip because of this problem?
**I found 2 shapers in Panama but their prices are not to my taste(550+ dollars).
Any other information about Panama would be accepted with gratitude .

[Aqualife]

Hi,
Panama is a bad place to buy boards. There is one local shaper in Panama City and that's it. The prices sound about right. Other than that you will depend on what local surfers have left behind which is hit and miss at best. I would not risk it to be honest. People approached us all the time (locals and tourists) whether we would sell our boards to them - that's how scarce they are.
Costa Rica and Mexico are the best places to buy boards and they are plenty around.
Nicaragua and El Salvador are really hard for sourcing boards as well.

If you want to start in Panama, you will need to buy a board off the shaper in Panama City or an ex-tourist - keep in mind - most people start in Panama and work their way up the coast, they are not many that just go to Panama and then drop their boards.

There are thousands of surfers just going to CR from the US/Canada for 1-2 weeks and then leaving their boards behind but not Panama.

Santa Catalina is shear impossible to get a board. In the season you might be lucky in Bocas but then again it's a long way to go and then not being able to surf.

Also bring extra leashes, wax, ding repair kit, fins, everything else you might need...

Good luck. It's a great place - you just need to bring your equipment.

[yonishara]

Thanks for the reply.
I knew Panama is going to be a mission, thanks for confirming it.
I already been to Costa Rica and it's a surfboard goldmine, so I guess i'll just come back, and maybe skip Panama and just continue up the coast.
I have another idea in my mind tell me if it's good.
If i'm going on on long trip and it's best if I come with a quiver(cause board break), and the best place to buy a good quiver is California, right?
So maybe going from California down to Costa Rica or Panama is the best option.
I've never been to the states, and I wonder how are the surfboard prices is there, I have the impression that is the best the world.
I'm a pretty veteran surfer so I don't mind going to Mexico and Puerto Escondido first.
So where should I first land to get geared up for the long trip?US?Mexico?or perhaps Costa Rica?

[Aqualife]

Hi,
I live in Australia, so I can't help you with board prices in the US. I have been to California and Board prices seemed cheap compared to OZ.
Where are you traveling from?
You will have to pay airline excess luggage fees, depending in airline, either per board or per boardbag and it can get quite expensive (but worth it if you are going for longer).
Where you start your trip is up to you and also the time of the year.
I did multiple trips to just 1-2 countries in Central America but I also 1 trip from Panama all the way to Mexico overland. If you do that, then the dry season (Nov-April) is probably the best time to travel. June-Sept brings bigger swells but it's really hard to get around in some places. However, that's also when Puerto Escondido is best. I saw more broken boards there than anywhere and you will also need completely different boards than anywhere else to surf that. So you need to sit down and may your trip, see which countries you want visit and check surf season/monsoon. You might also like a place and hang around for 1-2 months because you get attached to a particular wave. So not enough information to really help. More research. I took 3 boards, spent 5 months on the long trip and left with none, all snapped and repaired multiple times and then given to local kids before leaving for good karma

You could also overland the whole lot and cross over the border from California into Baja and then make your way down and end up in Panama, depending on your time frame..... No airline board charges that way and the 1st class buses are pretty good and stop everywhere.

[yonishara]

I live and travel from Israel.
Done my research and I'm pretty locked on a good airline which also offers free surfboard bag(British Airways).
I'll definitely travel this summer, so I have to ask where is it hard to get around this season?
I guess I'll buy my gun is puerto then haha
The US-MEX boarder plan sound neat,I'll definitely consider that.

You don't understand how lucky you are that you live in such a wave-rich coast of Australia, god I envy you.
Thanks again of course

[Aqualife]

Hi,
This summer meaning now. It is already July and summer after all in the Northern Hemisphere. May be start north to south then. Once you have booked and you know where you starting your trip, how long for and an approximate route, post it here and I can send you some tips and links
Take care.