Surfing Zicatela, the Mexican Pipeline

Zicatela is a sand-bottom beach break of lefts and rights spread along roughly 3 km of beach, and the waves gain size and power as you move up the beach from La Punta. Straight south swells make it peaky; southwest swells tend to produce longer rights. It needs a solid groundswell to break properly and holds far more than most beach breaks: in summer it is seldom smaller than head high, and major swells produce faces of 6 m (20 ft) and more.

The season runs from about April to October, usually peaking from June to August. Several guides favour mid to high tide. Surf at dawn, because a light north-east offshore usually gives way to an onshore sea breeze by about 10–11 am. On an average day most waves close out, so wave selection is everything. Expect strong rips, heavy hold-downs, a shorebreak that snaps boards and a crowded, competitive lineup on mid-sized swells. Big days are for experts with jet-ski safety only.

Zicatela faces south-west, which makes the morning the classic session for cameras: the sun rises behind the town, lights the wave faces straight on and, while the offshore is still blowing, spray peels back off the lips. From late morning the wind usually turns onshore, and in summer the midday light is high and flat. Late afternoon turns the scene around, with the sun over the sea for backlit barrels and silhouettes; in winter it sets almost straight out from the beach.

Work from the sand in front of the main peaks with 300–600 mm (full-frame equivalent), because the waves break well out and barrels need tight framing; a 70–200 mm is enough for wide scenes on big days. Photographers routinely shoot here on swell days and during contests. Water shooting is only for experienced water photographers on moderate days: the closeouts and rips are unforgiving, and this is no place to learn.

Zicatela runs along the south-eastern side of Puerto Escondido, about 10 minutes by taxi from the airport (PXM). Hotels, cafés and surf shops line the road behind the northern half of the beach, so most visitors simply walk down to the sand. It is not a swimming beach: the rips are strong at any size, and there are lifeguard posts along the sand. Board rental and repairs are easy to find nearby.