Zicatela Surf Spot
Playa Zicatela, Mexico
Where is Zicatela?
Zicatela is a beach break / sandbar near Playa Zicatela in Mexico. Best season: May – October. Level: Advanced to Expert. GPS: 15.8469, -97.0550.
About This Break
Playa Zicatela is the legendary Mexican Pipeline, one of the most powerful beach breaks on Earth and the defining wave of Puerto Escondido. A deep offshore trench helps focus long-period southern swell onto Zicatela's shallow sandbars, producing extraordinarily thick, fast and hollow left- and right-hand barrels. The principal waves include Far Bar, the famous left farther offshore, and Carmelita's, the signature right. During major summer swells wave faces can occasionally reach an extraordinary 40–60 feet.
Despite breaking over sand, Zicatela is emphatically not a forgiving beach break. Strong currents, relentless impact zones, inescapable rips and board-breaking duck dives make serious conditions the domain of advanced-to-professional barrel riders. Surfline rates the spot Perfect / World Class, with a heavy crowd and intimidating, highly skilled lineup.
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Spot Characteristics
Local Knowledge
Heavy
Extreme wave power • severe hold-downs • strong currents • inescapable rips • difficult paddle-outs • board-breaking duck dives • heavy shorebreak • rapidly escalating consequences with size • highly experienced lineup. Surfline specifically warns about the strong currents, rips and board-snapping power even though the bottom is predominantly sand.
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