Jackie George is my new best female friend. Last November I got a random email from her saying she was a lifeguard, raft guide, and enthusiastic surfer looking for a couple weeks of work in Central America. She had just graduated from Humboldt State and was planning to take a big trip through Nicaragua and Costa Rica and wanted to pick up some extra money along the way. I happened to be on a road trip through Northern California at the time and met up with her for a few minutes over-looking the Humboldt surf spot called Camel Rock. My boyfriend Kim and I had slept in our truck the night before and showed up around 9am with coffee looking disheveled. Jackie was in her wetsuit, having already surfed, all bubbly smiling happy energy and I knew right away that she would be a perfect addition to our commune in Nicaragua! She started out with two weeks in January and after that I was determined to do whatever I could to not let her leave! Fortunately, it worked and she stayed the whole season and has agreed to come back in Fall. Stoked!
Everyone who meets her absolutely loves her. She is a gorgeous free-spirit with infectious positive energy who can smile through anything. You’ll love hanging out with her. Check out this video and you’ll see what I mean…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg6TEFkuy6Q]
Tag: Jackie George
Jackie Talks About Why El Salvador is So Awesome
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDrYv4tjyhg]
Jackie George is one of the awesome instructors at Amigas Surf Retreats. She’s 23 years old from San Clemente, CA. She’s a stylish cruisey regular-footer who fell in love with the long rights of Las Flores on her first trip to El Salvador and is super excited about heading back in October. Join Jackie and Amigas Oct 13-20 and 21-28.
Nicaragua to El Salvador by Boat
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCmZtbnpCrk]
After a couple years of doing retreats in Northern Nicaragua, there were a list of Suave Dulce alumni who wanted to do another trip but this time see a different place. I went to Southern El Salvador for the first time in September of 2011 and had an awesome time surfing Las Flores and Punta Mango. I figured it would be a great place to bring a group of ladies who already knew how to surf, but that wanted to improve their skills on some really good waves.
Of course, one of the benefits of retreats in Nicaragua is the wide range of surfboards available. We have a huge selection of boards from little wide 5’4″ fishes to big long 9’6″ super tankers. Airlines charge ridiculous rates to travel with boards these days, so it just wasn’t feasible to bring a solid quiver by plane.
The last time I went to El Salvador in Feb 2012 I flew, and was dismayed by the long travel time to go a relatively short distance. 3 hours from Coco Loco to Managua, a couple hours spent waiting for a quick 45 min flight to San Salvador, then another 2.5 hours in the car from the airport to El Cuco. With the taxi ridess included, it ends up costing 8 hours and close to $500 per person!
By boat, it was a much more pleasant experience. Just 1.5 hours by car from Coco Loco to Potosi, then a nice lunch at a hotel while someone else does the passport paperwork, we loaded a little boat for a 2 hour ride with a gorgeous view, then another passport stamp on the other side followed by a 1 hour ride to El Cuco. Grand total: 5 hours and $350 total! Plus all the boards you can fit on a boat!
I will never fly between El Sal and Nica again!
: )
New Surf Instructor – Meet Jackie George
Jackie George is hanging out with Suave Dulce and ready to become your new favorite amiga! She learned to surf as a kid at San Onofre, growing up in the wave rich town of San Clemente, CA. After graduating high school, she moved up to the cold waters of Northern CA to attend college at Humboldt State, partly to be closer to her namesake “Aunt Jackie”, an awesome woman living solo on 300 acres in the woods who has made friends with wild stallions and eats daily out of her organic garden.
Jackie has worked as a lifeguard in San Clemente and a rafting guide in NorCal, but is loving her current job in Northern Nicaragua. She is always smiling and laughing. She can cross-step to the nose, and crank a bottom turn on a green twin-fin.
Come down and surf with us!