Tag Archives: surfing

Surfing in Saint Martin: My Favorite Spots

July 23, 2021American University of the Caribbean, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Nature, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, UncategorizedSaint Martin, Sint Maarten, surfingbreanamjohnson@gmail.com

Today marks the first day of the Tokyo Olympics! And that means the first year of Olympic surfing has begun. Woot woot! Surfing is probably my favorite sport, both to watch and to do. So I’m pretty stoked at the idea of seeing this become an Olympic sport.

Lest you think I’m some super cool surfing fiend, let me add a quick disclaimer: I am not great at surfing. Yes, I got up on my first try. Yes, I walked from my apartment to the beach with my board under my arm like a boss on the regular. Yes, I managed to figure it out on my own without a surf lesson. But as you can see in the photos, my board was the size of a tiny whale. And, as you will never, ever see in the embarrassing Go Pro videos Ben took, my form was less the stellar.

Yeah, maybe I should have taken those surf lessons…

While we lived in Sint Maarten, Ben and I went surfing with friends. A lot. In surfing season, it was at least once a week, despite the demands of being a med student at American University of the Caribbean.

*Loading up Matt’s island jeep with our boards*

Although Sint Maarten isn’t famous for its surfing, it does have some good surf spots, and we managed to find all the good ones (and a few very dangerous places, which I will not share. We are probably lucky to be alive). Here are some of our favorites!

Mullet Bay

Mullet Bay Beach was a five-minute walk from home. Yes, I know– we were living the dream. For real. Especially since I still haven’t found a beach I like better than Mullet, with its surfing, snorkeling, cliff-jumping, sunbathing, swimming, sailing, kayaking, skim boarding, and fishing opportunities. I definitely miss it, now that we live in the desert!

Surfing Mullet Bay is only good in the winter months, when the surf is choppy. Other times of the year, it’s smooth as glass– perfect for scoping out the parrotfish, cuttlefish, and blue tangs that live in the reef.

Surfing here makes me a little bit nervous because it’s close to the beach and tons of people way better than me pack together and compete for the same waves. If it was busy, I’d usually just look on and take photos. It’s a great place to watch, since you can see surfers close-up from the beach or the rocks.

Plum Bay Beach

Our favorite beach to surf is Plum Bay Beach in the lowlands on the French side. It’s popular but not too busy, meaning I had a chance at catching some waves most of the time, even if there were a couple of other people there. You do have to swim out a bit, and getting past the smaller breaks to the surfing-sized waves was tough with my bigger board. But the rides were pretty long, and the waves are just the right size for me!

Our friend Jake lived in the neighborhood next Plum Bay. Jake’s from Hawaii, and he’s incredible to watch. He helped us improve a lot. And may have kept me from crashing into rocks and dying a few times.

Le Galion

Le Galion in French Saint-Martin is by far the most popular surf spot in Saint Martin. Even though Hurricane Irma demolished the beach in 2017, the surf shop, SXM Surf Club, is still there. Actually, when we went back in 2019, it was the only business still there. Gone were the colorful umbrellas, burger shop, and paddleboard rentals. I don’t know if anything else has been rebuilt (comment if you know!), but just the surfing is worth a visit.

SXM Surf Club rents boards, offers affordable rides out to the break, and gives lessons. We never took a lesson, but the instructors were so nice and sometimes volunteered tips for free when we were out at the same time as them. I think if we go back, I might take a lesson for the fun of it! We did pay to ride the ferry out a few times, but usually we just gritted our teeth and made the 20-minute swim out on our own.

This spot is usually pretty busy, but it’s also huge, and people tend to be nicer about taking turns and letting slow newbies have a shot at the waves. Which is a really good for me. I only ever slammed into one person on a packed afternoon (oops). If you bring your own board when SXM surf club is not taking people out and opt to take the long swim, you’ll have more waves to yourself.

Guana Bay

Ben only surfed Guana Bay once with Matt and Jake, and I just watched. The waves break right on the beach, and it didn’t seem like a good day to break my neck. If you’re really good and have a smaller board, it looks like a fun place to go. I prefer the Guana Bay Hike on the other side of the hill– takes you right to gorgeous tide pools!

Petit Cayes

I’m not sure I’d necessarily recommend Petit Cayes for surfing, but Ben and Matt did go a couple of times. The concept is cool. You have to drive all the way up to the northern part of French Saint Martin, past Pinel Island, and park at Grandes Cayes. Then you hike around the mountain, with its stunning views of Tintamarre Island and beautiful geological features; crunch over thousands of washed-up coral skeletons; and find yourself on the most stunning, pristine white-sand beach you have ever laid eyes on.

Since few people make the long trek to Petit Cayes, it’s free of trash and crowds and feels like you just discovered a desert island. On the horizon, the thin line of Anguilla peers up from the waves. It’s a wonderful place just to sit and think.

The waves here were too big for swimming every time we went, so Ben and Matt decided to try to surf there. The reason I say I don’t recommend it is that the current is pretty strong and Ben felt like it might not be a great idea to make it a regular surf spot.

Cupecoy

Cupecoy is another beach that we could walk to. A few times, we walked there and I stayed up on the cliffs while Ben went down to surf. We also paddled there from Mullet once when the beach was busy– for fun, and to avoid having to walk through the nude beachgoers.

I think Cupecoy is really scary because the wave break right into a rocky outcropping. I didn’t feel confident in my ability to steer my orca-sized surfboard well enough to stay alive, so even when I went out, I preferred to sit behind the break and watch the sunset. After all, what’s better than watching the sun dip below the Caribbean Sea?

It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since I’ve been surfing! Ben went with SXM Surf Club when we visited the island in 2019, but not me. Next time we’re in Sint Maarten, I’ll definitely go! For now, I’ll be happy getting to watch the best of the best compete for gold in Tokyo. Go USA!

And now, for your entertainment, a sneaky photo of Ben walking into American University of the Caribbean with a surfboard so he could run straight to the beach after class:

4 Reasons Why Le Galion Beach Should Be Your Caribbean Favorite

October 8, 2016American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Nature, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, Spouses Organization, Third Culture Kids, Uncategorizedadventures, American University of the Caribbean, AUC, beach, Caribbean, cultural, culture, Expat, family, International, Island, kids, medical school, nature, ocean, overseas, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, sports, st martin, St. Maarten, st. martin, surfing, SXM, TCK, travel, vacationbreanamjohnson@gmail.com

It’s a mystery to me that Le Galion Bay Beach, Saint Martin isn’t more popular. It really has everything you could ask for in a beach, minus the gigantic hotels and resorts that have commercialized so many of Saint Martin’s other nice beaches. Come with me and my friends to learn why Le Galion Beach should be your favorite!

1. It’s family friendly. Yesterday, I took four boys of varying ages to Le Galion Beach. We met up with several of our friends (some intentional meetings, others a happy happenstance), and everyone was happy and had a great time. I wasn’t the least bit concerned to watch a four-year-old in the water– it’s so shallow for so far that you can’t possibly get in over your head very fast. There’s a lot of clean, white sand that is perfect for building sand castles, too.

2. There’s no better place for water sports on the entire island. “But, wait,” you island veterans cry, “What about Orient Bay?” Well, maybe, if you want to spend a bajillion dollars for rentals. Orient Bay, just down the road from Le Galion, has dozens of vendors, while Galion only has two. However, Galion’s are far cheaper. Tropical Wave offers a larger variety of rentals (including beach chairs and umbrellas for those whose favorite water sport is napping on the beach), but SXM Surf Club (AKA Windy Reef) has better options for surfers and also offers a boat ride to the waves. Both are good options, it just depends what you want to do.

There are a lot of good options at Le Galion, including a swimming pool right in the ocean and a dive platform. We usually opt for surfing. The waves break pretty far from shore, which is nice because that means the beach is always calm. The paddle out to the waves is about 20 minutes, but you can catch the boat from SXM Surf Club that leaves twice a day. It’s only $5 per person, and board rentals aren’t too much, either. I think you can rent a board for the afternoon for about $10. Correct me if I’m wrong. We always take our own boards.

St Martin Supsquatch Surfing at Le Galion Beach – $59.00
from: Viator

You can also rent a stand-up paddleboard from Tropical Wave. A few months ago at Orient, I paid about $20 for a half hour. That’s a little on the expensive side even for Orient, but contrast that with the $20 I paid to rent two paddleboards for an hour at Le Galion. The older kids and teens got their fill of paddling around the bay. Again, I wasn’t worried about them because the water is so shallow. Even if they were prone to panic in deep water, they would be fine at Le Galion.

St Martin Stand-Up Paddleboard Lesson – $49.99
from: Viator

Kite surfing and windsurfing are both available, too. I believe the windsurfing is available from SXM Surf Club. I can’t remember the name of the man who runs the kite surfing, but I do know his wife has a little art gallery on Old Street in Philipsburg. I doubt that is helpful to you, but if you’re desperate to try it, you can go grab a business card from the gallery and give him a call. It’s probably cheaper than the cost of doing it through Viator, but I’ll include a like here in case you would rather go to a website to book than wander through downtown.

St Martin Kitesurfing Lesson – $168.19
from: Viator

There’s also a thing called canoe surfing that you can do at Le Galion. I’m not sure if you can just show up and do it, or if you have to book ahead on Viator. Obviously, I haven’t done it yet, but it looks like fun!

St Martin Canoe Surfing at Le Galion Beach – $69.99
from: Viator

Like I said, I just rented a couple of paddle boards. I managed to entertain seven people with them. Paddleboarding is probably my favorite thing to do on the water. The kids like it, too! These two little ones thought it was a pirate ship.

Ray and the Kings had a great time paddling around the bay. They took turns with the boards and a couple of snorkel masks that I brought along. Stashing a few snorkel masks is always a good idea in Saint Martin, especially with older kids and teens!

3. Cool Wildlife. When I asked Big King if he saw anything interesting while snorkeling, he replied, “girls.” Of course girls are more interesting than fish to a 14-year-year-old boy, but fortunately the kids saw some pretty cool animals, too. They even saw a sting ray! The bay is carpeted by both sand and sea grass, so there are plenty of underwater animals to observe. The birds and land animals are cool, too. Head down the beach away from all the people, and you’ll find an untamed stretch of sand and bush that is home to many species of birds, lizards, and anything else you can imagine.

4. The People. I’m not just saying this because I went to Le Galion with a bunch of people I like and ran into a bunch of other people I like. The social atmosphere of Le Galion Beach is pretty chill and friendly. It tends to be filled with local families rather than tourists or expats, so you get a whole different vibe that is pretty nice. The kids in our group made friends with kid from other groups, which was lots of fun for them. Also people generally have more clothes on here than they do at other beaches on the French side– always a plus.

So there you have it. That’s why Le Galion should be your favorite Saint Martin beach. If this article doesn’t convince you, surely a trip to the beach can! If you want to go with me, I’m always up for chilling at Le Galion. Just make sure we bring a few kids along to make it that much more fun.

Dreams of Tomorrow

February 18, 2016American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, Spouses Organization, Third Culture Kids, UncategorizedCaribbean, discontentment, doctor, Expat, future, hope, International Travel, Med school, medical school, moving, sunset, surfing, TCK, Third Culture Kid, tomorrow, travel, USA, wanderlust, worldbreanamjohnson@gmail.com

I believe that every bad quality can become something positive. Stubborn people know how to stand their ground. Argumentative people make great lawyers. Messy kids grow up to be creative adults.

I always thought I was discontent. My parents gave me the opportunity to travel the United States (the plan is to visit every state before we die; I still have ten to go). Every time we went somewhere, I’d leave begging my dad from the back seat, “Can’t we just move here? Why can’t we live here? Wouldn’t it be cool to live by Such and Such National Park? Wouldn’t it be cool to get RAIN sometimes? The baseball team here is so much better than the Diamondbacks! Can we move here? Why not?” There was nothing wrong with living in Phoenix. I had a great house and a great community. I just wanted something… different. I thought I was ridiculously discontent, and I probably was. It was something I had to pray about and work through. But maybe the root of my interest in moving somewhere else wasn’t really a contentment problem. Maybe the root of it all was my wanderlust, and I just didn’t know how to productively channel it yet.

I still feel that wanderlust. I still feel restless and look forward to going somewhere new. According to my college psychology textbooks, I’m going to outgrow it in about five years. Despite what the experts say, I doubt that it will ever leave me. I’ve tasted the expat life, and I don’t know if I can ever go back and put down roots. Even here, on the tropical island of Saint Martin, I feel a restlessness. I want to peek behind the curtain and find out what comes next. I want to sell stuff, pack, and move again. I want to discover someplace new.

Some of my most breathtaking moments are sunsets after surfing. I like to paddle out away from the waves, sit on my board, and watch the golden highlights play over the azure surface of the water. I love to watch the blue sky turn slowly cotton-candy pink, reflecting in pastel colors on the waves. Yesterday, as I watched the sun set behind the hills of the island, I couldn’t help but realize how lucky I am to be able to experience such a moment. I felt like God was painting a watercolor masterpiece just for me. How many times will I surf at sunset over our two years here? Fifty, maybe? A hundred? I wonder what it will be like to say goodbye to these tropical evenings.

Do you want to know the truth? I’m OK with knowing that this won’t last for the rest of my life. I’m OK knowing that I’ll have to sell my board in a few months. I don’t mind that I probably will never live on an island again. I’m OK with a limited number of ocean sunsets. I can’t imagine a more wonderful place to live than Saint Martin, and I love being here. But there’s so much more out there to discover. I want to spend as many days as possible watching the sun set over the waves while I live here, but I also want to watch it set over the buildings of Prague someday. I want to stargaze from the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I want to reach the top of Kilimanjaro. I want to ride a train in Toronto with my friends and a whole passel of Little League boys. I want to go to a K-Pop concert, a Sydney opera, and a Broadway show. I want to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef.

In a year and a half, Ben’s medical school basic science classes will end and we’ll move again, this time for his clinical rotations. According to those who have gone before, we have virtually zero control over where we go, and we won’t know where we’re going until it’s almost time to leave. We could be moving states every month or so for two years. You know what? I think I’m OK with that. I might even be looking forward to it. There’s so much to experience in this great big world of ours, and I’m ready to take it on.

This is the Life!

January 29, 2016American University of the Caribbean, AUC, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Nature, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, Third Culture Kids, Uncategorizedadventures, American University of the Caribbean, AUC, car, Caribbean, driving, International, Island, jeep, le galion, Med school, medical school, patisserie, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, st martin, St. Maarten, student, surf, surf board, surfing, travelbreanamjohnson@gmail.com

Island jeep, surfboards, tropical French countryside. This is the Caribbean life, and we love living it.

Most days are filled with studying for my husband, Ben and his friend Matt. They work hard at medical school, and were both selected as teacher’s assistants in Anatomy for good grades. Their life mainly consists of flashcards, lectures, and tests. But there are days, the best days, when they have a free afternoon.

This is one of those days. As we usually do when Ben and Matt have a break, we wax down our surfboards and get ready to ride the waves.

We’re rolling down the road with the Caribbean trade winds tousling our hair. Matt’s new (make that old– really, really old) jeep is topless, and I’m amazed to realize how much more I notice without walls and windows to restrict my view of the sights around me. I’m feeling a little squished in the back seat with the surfboards taking up most of the space, but there’s no way to feel claustrophobic in this open jeep. I cling to the side for dear life and lean out of the car a little, enjoying the breeze and the floral scents around me. I jump back a little as a motorcyclist, breaking the world record for the longest wheelie ever held, goes zipping by us on the center line.

I look behind me, where the wall of foaming water is raging toward me. I feel a little vulnerable way out here in the middle of the water on my board, but my nervousness turns to adrenaline as I face front and paddle like a maniac. I feel the foam first, hear the roar of energized water, and then I’m shooting forward like a rocket. I gather my wits and push myself up to my feet. I balance myself and smile. The reef below me seems to rush below my board. The wave slows suddenly, and the board drops away beneath my feet. I’m plunged into the warm tropical waters below, and I come up coughing and gasping and ready for more.

I’m in the back seat of the jeep again. It’s a terrifying yet exhilarating experience, sitting in this little island car with no seat belt and barely any seat, for that matter. But I love it. Up the road we go– people, houses, and animals seem to fly by. Ben and Matt joke that driving here is like a video game; you have to dodge the pedestrians, potholes, cars and animals that jump out in front of you at every turn. I watch as the scenery around us changes. We go through the hills, where the goats and cows chew lazily, watching the flurry of human activity on the road. We go past little houses, painted powder blue and pink with neat, white trim. We zip through Grand Case, where women in bright dresses and men with dreads chat in French on the porches of stores and cafes. We crawl through the traffic of Marigot, inching past quaint 19th-century storefronts. Ahead, we’ll pass the oceanfront neighborhoods of the rich and famous.

I bite into the heavenly sweetness of a peach brioche. Stopping at Seraphina’s, our favorite French patisserie, is a surf day tradition for the three of us. Ben and Matt opted for chocolate twists, their usual favorite. We watch the boats on Marigot’s docks bob up and down in the water. In the distance, Anguilla’s long coastline hides the horizon, where the sun will soon set on our afternoon of freedom.

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