Surfing Los Lobos with Mencia Adventure Sailing

December 2nd, 4:00 a.m. The trip got off to a chaotic start: a late taxi, failed check-in, and a one hundred euro extra charge to Ryanair, but luckily just in time for our flight to Lanzarote.

There's a strong swell on the way. Forecasts suggest 2.5 to 3 meters with a 15-second swell. I'm not afraid of the surf. I am afraid of the boat, though. Because we're going sailing. And I have absolutely no experience with that. What I do know for sure is that I get seasick quite easily. So, I'm taking my first pill, as recommended by the pharmacist. Excited seems like an understatement.

Landing on Lanzarote

Lanzarote is the easternmost of the Canary Islands. It's one vast volcanic landscape. In the 1700s and 1800s, eruptions buried several villages under a sea of lava. And that's exactly how the island looks today. There aren't any trees or greenery to be seen. Mostly pitch-black lava rock. It resembles a lunar landscape, dotted here and there with white, square houses, seemingly scattered haphazardly, covering the coast.

After a soft landing, we take a taxi to Playa Blanca, where we meet Robin and Sammy from Mencia Adventure Sailing . After a quick ride to the sounds of local reggaeton artists, we immediately lug our board bags onto the dock, where we've arranged to meet our captain. Before we know it, we're getting a visit from the harbormaster. Apparently, a pontoon in a marina isn't a place for board bags (or surfers), and we're kindly but firmly asked to leave the dock.

Luckily, the Mencia suddenly sails into the harbor. I'm a complete novice when it comes to boats, but I can't help but be impressed. We quickly hoist our luggage aboard while Sammy takes over from the grumpy Spanish harbormaster.

What immediately struck me: a sailboat is one big collection of ropes, winches, hooks, knots, cables, and obstacles, and a tiny house at sea. No matter how big Mencia is, there was no place to unpack the board bags in a calm and organized way. No spacious villa in Imsouane, but still very cool!

We immediately sailed out of the harbor. You could immediately feel the boat bobbing up and down with the waves. My stomach remained calm for now, but my head was already starting to spin a little. No sailor's legs, that much was clear.

Hoist the sails for Los Lobos

No time to waste, so we're off right away. Course? Isla de Lobos, the tiny island between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Sailing seems a stark contrast to a passive taxi ride: releasing ropes, tensioning, winching… Our anchor tattoos really come into their own here. Sailor for life!

After a good hour of sailing (a sailboat like this goes about 10 km/h), we anchor a good 100 meters from the point of Los Lobos. The predicted large swell hasn't arrived yet, but small waves are already breaking and mechanically folding around the jutting rock. The wind is northeast. On Isla de Lobos, a mountain rises out of the water, partially blocking and funneling the wind. The wind circles around the mountain and then blows perfectly offshore.

The waves rolled nicely, with the occasional nice wall. But small waves also mean little water, and the bottom is a volcanic reef. Sharp and jagged.

It's striking that with this swell direction, the first section is very slow, but then you're surprised by a section that suddenly accelerates and pulls you back. I was tempted once. I surfed too far and ended up in ankle-deep water on the reef. Stay calm and don't get caught out a second time.

Sammy wasn't so lucky. She fell backward and landed on the reef. The result? A torn wetsuit and a gaping wound. Sails hoisted, and off to the doctor in Corralejo for a stitch or five, and above all, a serious verdict: no more surfing for the next few days, and a nice swell was just around the corner.

Corralejo: pizza, live music and sleeping on a rocking boat

The forced doctor's visit gave T-man and I the chance to stroll around Corralejo. Every cloud has a silver lining, right? Mencia dropped anchor, and we sailed ashore in the dinghy under the moonlight.

Corralejo is a cozy place: live music, great musicians, and packed terraces. And it's home to the third-best pizzeria in all of Spain, because for geography novices, the Canary Islands are Spanish territory off the African coast. T-man had no choice. The menu features a spicy calzone called Calzone Timanfire. That's going to be a hit, no doubt about it.

Then my eyes widened: I'd gotten up too early, traveled too long, sailed, surfed... Although the boat rocked quite a bit that night, I slept like a baby. I was starting to get used to it. Bring on those sailor legs!

Life aboard Mencia

To make time for an evening surf session, we'd thrown everything into the living room like wild men upon arrival, without properly unloading our luggage or organizing it in the cupboards. Three days later, it was still there. Surfer life, charming chaos perfectly suited to a tiny house at sea.

The boat in brief:

↳ Cabin (forecabin): two beds with their feet facing each other. Subtle bromance.
↳ Kitchen (apparently called a galley on board): practical, with a stove that moves with you, so pots always remain horizontal. Never seen one before, very impressed.
↳ Living room : living space, storage space and a bit of chaos all at once (our fault!!)
↳ WC : manual, pumps, ready

Life on board demands simplicity: sea, swell, wind, waves, depth measurements… The rest is practically nonexistent. It's wonderful, though. I haven't opened my laptop for four days.

Lobos, swell is coming.

Before first light, we hoisted the sails and set course for Isla de Lobos again. According to Surfline, the swell had slowed down a bit; initially forecast around noon, now only towards evening.

We drop anchor. The waves are indeed still small and quite busy with locals who keep claiming priority. It's still annoying. We catch a few set waves, but the rising tide makes the waves increasingly flat. High time for a break on board.

I'm sitting in Mencia's galley when I see T-man sitting on the deck. His mustache contrasts sharply with the color of his face. A dull gray. The self-proclaimed sailor in T-man was having a hard time. Seasick, despite our anchor tattoos. We sought calmer waters in the next bay, which offered protection from the swell from the north. A little recovery, a wait, and hoping the predicted swell arrives before dark.

Because we're now anchored in the next bay, and T-man's dull gray color prevents us from immediately returning to the point, we have to move by dinghy. That means paddling our mini-rubber boat for 20 minutes against the wind and swell to the point of Los Lobos. An adventure in itself. The swell had picked up a bit, but not as much as I'd hoped. My batteries were draining fast. Due to two surgeries (surfer's ear, you know), my fitness wasn't up to par. Every wave made paddling back harder and harder. Exit my arms. I was out of luck.

Towards the end of the session, the swell finally broke through. T-man and Robin kept catching wave after wave, but my tank was already empty. In pitch darkness, but under the light of the full moon, we sailed back to Mencia in the dinghy. We ate, made plans for the next day, and slept. We rubbed our feet with T-man in the cabin.

Broken.

Los Lobos on fire.

5:40 a.m. The alarm goes off. Dark circles under my eyes, I really didn't sleep well this time because of the swell. Coffee, banana, and gingerbread for some energy. T-man looks like a living wreck. Wetsuits on.
With a Petzl on my head, we're sailing back to Lobos in the dinghy. Big waves, strong offshore wind, pitch black, and a huge swell. We're sailing by feel and can barely see where we are. The swell feels surreal. It can't get much more exciting than this for me, but the sea gives and takes, as an old sailor's saying goes. And this time we're rewarded. The promised swell has arrived.

There was only one catamaran at the spot, which had delivered a single surfer on a board clearly too small for this swell. The peak is ours! A sort of surf taxi runs from Corralejo to Lobos and back. The ETA for the first boat at the point is normally 7:15 a.m. So we have the break to ourselves for 30 minutes. After every wave, I paddle back as quickly as possible. Giving it my all.

T-man, as usual, was the wave magnet. I immediately grabbed a set too. One more. Back. One more. The first taxi boat arrives, but without any locals. The lineup remains surprisingly quiet.

Two and a half hours of heavy winds with a strong offshore wind of 4 Bft. The last section was a racetrack: all or nothing. The occasional bit of shampoo: not completely in the barrel, but a lip that washes your head.

Lots of euphoria and exciting stories on the way back in the boat, because that's what we're good at. And then... pancakes with baked apples and cinnamon. Sammy knows how to treat hungry surfers (thank you)! A person doesn't need much more. After a nap, we head back for one last session. For character.

Los Lobos - the last session

The swell was now really peaking. It was striking: almost everyone was on shortboards, while we opted for mid-lengths. It was very difficult for average Joe surfers like us to get away with short boards on the big waves. As a result, everyone else was 30 to 50 meters lower than us. The three of us had the peak to ourselves. T-man and Robin were going all out. I tried to keep up. What a session! I barely managed to get back into the dinghy.

Back to Playa Blanca

Under clear skies and accompanied by the full moon, we immediately set course for Lanzarote after surfing. Mencia sailed close to the wind while Sammy prepared a delicious curry below deck. Upon arrival, Mencia dropped anchor just outside the harbor of Playa Blanca, my final destination. The next morning was quick, and at 7:00 a.m. the dinghy dropped me off at the harbor, ready to take the taxi to the airport.

The day after

Alone on the quay, waiting for the taxi, I saw Mencia weigh anchor for the last time. One last surf session and a full day of competitive sailing separated T-man from his return to Belgium. It was going to be a beautiful day. The swell was just enough for a final morning session, after which Mencia set course for Arrecife under full sail. Eight hours of non-stop sailing later, T-man finally set foot on shore. His last stop? From what I've heard, he was dropped off at the Jolly Roger sailor's café. With a polished gold earring, he regaled us with sailor's tales until the early hours. Ship ahoy, and certainly a sailor's tattoo richer…

Robin and Sammy from Mencia Adventure Sailing, you were awesome. WHAT AN EPIC TRIP!

Good to know (for surfing with the Mencia)

• Want to go surfing and sailing (or another adventure) yourself? All information is available from Mencia Adventure Sailing .

• Falling out of the boat is dangerous. A sailboat doesn't turn around easily. According to Sammy and Robin, it never happens. Except with T-man. There, it actually happened three times. So, it is possible.

• Not for everyone: sailing isn't a 5-star Club Med experience. It's adventurous, intense, and pure.

• Surfing counts as a shower, don't expect a fancy bathroom with a bathrobe and hairdryer.

• Fuerteventura = strong wind. The translation is literally "strong wind"

• Besides surfing, Sammy and Robin organize plenty of other adventures. For example, they'll soon be sailing to Antarctica with Seppe Smits for splitboarding. You can follow Mencia on Instagram .

• Seasickness: take good pills, but don't take R-Calm if you want to surf, it will make you drowsy.

• Working a little during the trip? Not recommended! I barely opened the computer: too tired and way too much exercise.

• I brought too many clothes: I lived in my pajama pants for three days. Back to basics.

Which surf quiver came along?

A big swell. So we opted for some extra volume. There's not a lot of room on a sailboat, so two boards per person! So, which boards did we take?

PUKAS Magnetic 6.8: Streamlined mid-length with refined rails. The board has a classic look but a modern layout. Because the Magnetic is slightly narrower than your average mid-length, it easily slides from edge to edge. It's a twin fin, which means instant speed!

PUKAS / Mc. Tavish Rayo Verde 7.2: Like the Pukas Magnetic, it's also mid-length, and like the Magnetic, it has a slightly narrower outline. The Rayo Verde is a round pin, with a fully pulled-in tail and 50/50 rails. The twin fins are reinforced with a channel for stability when needed. A lively step-up for bigger days. Fast launch, fast surfing, and very maneuverable!

PUKAS Axel Lorentz Lady Twin 7.4: a mid-length board with very refined rails and channels in the bottom. The outline is slightly rounder with plenty of volume in the nose and a round pin tail. Another twin fin, the channels provide acceleration and hold when the board is up to speed. Think of a third fin, but without drag. With this board, you can easily surf double overhead and, despite its length, you can also easily hit the lip.

Firewire Slater Designs Houdini 6.8: a true minigun for the better waves in the lightweight Firewire construction. It also easily handles hollow waves. Quad setup for maximum drive and hold. Shaped by Tokoro and Kelly's go-to board when Cloudbreak is really on fire. This board stayed on the boat as a backup the whole time.

Final words about the Mencia surf trip

What are the chances of booking months in advance and getting exactly the right swell, wind and timing three days later?

Very small.

We are lucky.

Surf, eat, sleep, repeat.

Preferably on Mencia.