After an exhausting visit to Quito (sarcasm), Gina & I headed to the coast for some beach time at Montanita, Ecuador, a tiny little surfing community. I had hoped to take some surfing lessons. And then I saw the waves. Massive. We agreed we’d never seen surfing like this before. We called it extreme surfing. This was no chill sport. These local dudes were badasses doing & landing 360 spins with their boards on a steady lineup of massive waves. Waves so massive there were red flags vividly waving on the beach warning swimmers yet despite that, the lifeguard crew kept really busy all day long fighting these massive waves & ensuing undertow to rescue people who were panicking after being swept out. I think the record was 3 rescues in one hour. So we decided this wasn’t a place for beginner surfers but boy did we have a blast watching in awe as these guys attacked with their boards. 
There’s another side to this tiny little surfing mecca. It seems to be a party destination for South Americans as clubs raged til the early morning & spilled out onto the tiny little streets, quite charming by day. As a result, people sleep til noon, had breakfast & then hit the beach by 3pm. G&I sampled the crazy fiesta one night but generally, we stuck to the quiet charming beachside restos serving fantastic fresh seafood, cold beers & live music & had the beach largely to ourselves until mid-afternoon. 



Video of beach scene (pay attention to surfer at end)

https://youtu.be/QnNHlVubmGM