Bird's Eye view of surfers practicing for the big one at La Boca in Concón, Chile.
It’s summer in the southern hemisphere and surfers practice their skills all along the Chilean coast. Concón’s La Boca beach (where the Aconcagua River meets the Pacific Ocean) is a popular place for beginning surfers to learn before trying their hand at the larger, world-class waves in Pichilemu and elsewhere.
Be sure to wear a wet suit–and just blame the frigid waters on the Humboldt Current that makes its way up the Chilean coastline from the deep south close to Antarctica.
If the water’s not your thing, ride a horse, or better yet, buzz over by air in one of these colorful little parachute-planes!
Cachando Chile: Reflections on Chilean Culture 
Thank you Margaret. That’s very sweet of you. Allow me to be a real pain in the xxx. I had great teachers in Chile. one of them told us that the ocean’s temperature basically does not change. It remaind pretty much constant. What does change though is our body temperature when we enter the water. This is a heck of a lot more information that you care to have, I’m sure. I love your blog and hope you keep it up for years to come.
I get tremendous pleasure out of it.
Thanks again.
My pleasure John!
Not sure what you’re getting at about water temperatures, but it is absolutely true that the Humboldt Current has a major (and very important) effect on the water off Chile’s coastline and the weather on the mainland.
I’m sure there must be some variation between summer and winter, but it always seems to me that that temperature must be just above 0ºC!
What our teacher was trying to tell us was that the ocean temperature varies only by a fraction of a degree C, alluding to what bathers say when they come out of the water … “the water is great, or it is so cold”. Except for minute variations, it’s the same throughout the year. Oh yes, it does have a tremendous effect on Chile’s coastline and the weather on the mainland.
I would love to try a parachute plane!
Yeah, John, I’m not buying it! That water is damn cold!
You know I’m both stubborn and curious, so I was checking for something that talks about water temps in Chile and found this:
Water temperature: 21C/79F (Jan-March) and 15C/61F (July-Sept)
from this Scuba Diving site: http://www.scubadviser.com/Scuba-diving-destinations/-Destinations/South-America/Chile
So, about 6º difference between summer and winter…
Kathleen’s Dominican Republic, on the other hand, has:
Water temperature: Jan to March–24C/75F and June to October–28C/82F
Now THAT’s more LIKE it!
What else what one can expect from you? Of course you are going not going to buy it. And that is great part of my attraction towards your blog. I don’t know that it would be good idea for us to meet when I am Chile. The neighbours may end up having to call “los pacos”. LOL
Keep it up Margaret. It makes the juices flow, 🙂
Woops! Meant to say “of course you are not going to buy it”.
You know, as a child I went for years with my family to Concón in the summer. The sea water was cold, of course, but, since I had not bathed in any other ocean, I thought that all sea water must be like that, so I was perfectly satisfied with it… The innocence of childhood!
Those temps seem generous to me. A marine biologist friend of mine who worked in Las Cruces told me the water was cooler than that. And I definitely feel the difference between say, Las Cruces and Maitencillo. One I get in up to my ankles, and the other one I can make it to my calves. Give me the tepid Atlantic any day!
Here in the south, you can enjoy the sea for hours! After 3 seconds, you can´t feel your legs, after five you can´t feel your arms, and then you start seeing funny things and lights, and fishes start talking to you.
@John-hahha- thanks, and let’s keep the pacos out of this!
@Raúl- ah! the innocence of childhood!
@Eileen- yes, I also thought the temps were high. It always feel bone numbingly COLD to me! And while we’re at it, don’t just give me just any old Atlantic shore–make my water Caribbean please!
@Marmo- you are absolutely right! As long as you’re happy with blue lips and constantly chattering teeth, the south Pacific is a great place to swim!
En Concón me he servido pastel de jaiba y varios mariscos que son una delicia,me encantan los mariscos de chile son los mejores.VIVACHILE.
Visit “La Gatita”, totally unmissable. Ask for Marmo & Marmotita´s favorite, also known as “Salmón en salsa margarita” (filete de salmón a la plancha, bañado en salsa blanca con locos, choritos, machas y camarones) mmmm!