Tres Palmas, Rincón, Puerto Rico: Commonwealth’s “Wave Protection Program”

What you may know is that waves on the east coast don’t always suck. In fact they can rival Pipe. Yes, I said Pipe. Tres Palmas is a wave that can make that claim. It’s a slab of water that is focused and tripped in a Blacks-esque way (large volume of water from open oceans, funneled towards a reef and jacks in a unique way). Unlike Blacks, Tres Palmas breaks on some of the healthiest Elkhorn coral in the Caribbean. This region is one of the few areas that this particular kind of coral is thriving. The fact that it causes the large masses of water to form a heaving wave is a nice little bonus. You may also know Rincón, home to Tres Palmas, is the go-to spot for much of the east coast. Before you smirk like a good, cynical Californian… last time I checked, the east coast was the gross winner for creating more world champions than any other region. Maybe we should start looking at where they practice a little more closely.

What you might not know is that Elkhorn is listed as a “threatened species.” Or that five years ago Surfrider Foundation decided to increase its commitment to Tres Palmas, Rincón and the surrounding areas because we saw it much the same as many see the north shore of Oahu. It’s relatively unspoiled yet it could flip towards heavy development without committed, local activism. Fast-forward to today and Tres Palmas, the actual wave, is protected by state law – Ley de la Reserva Marina Tres Palms de Rincón. Name a few other waves with that distinction, the list isn’t long, there is only one other on the globe -- Bells in Oz. Even with this insane level of protection things aren’t all good, as the local development is throwing off silt that is slowly killing the famed and protected reefs. And so getting “The State” to protect something isn’t a guarantee for success. Our work continues on.