My first post on the Enviromental board - Sosua Beach

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El Tigre

El Tigre de DR1 - Moderator
Jan 23, 2003
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Hello All.

I figured I needed to post this here since my question is environment related.

I am from Santiago. I lived in the DR all the way up to the late 80s. I remember as a boy going to sosua. Back in those days sosua was known for it's VERY HIGH WAVES. I even remember the waves reaching the shops that stand there today. Also remember how so many people used to drown often due to the strongness (not sure if you can measure waves with this word) of the waves/tide.

Now-a-days it is a totally different story.

I have been visiting sosua quite frequently these days (last 3 to 5 years). On my last trip as I was sitting at the beach chair sun bathing a question dawned on me.

What happened to those ferocious waves? Those waves that used to knock the heck out of you???

Is this something that can be explained/answered?

Thanks so much all. Any info is appreciated as I would like to know how this works.
 
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Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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El Tigre, I see no-one has come back to you on this one yet. To be sure, I am stumped also. The bay in Sosua has always looked mostly calm to me in the time that I've been here, so, I don't know what happened to the waves that you remember.
 
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El Tigre

El Tigre de DR1 - Moderator
Jan 23, 2003
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Yeah.

It's so strange Chris and Marco.

The bay is always calm when I'm there. Only in stormy conditions the waves get rough.

But back in those days the sea in the bay was ferocious.

I took a boat ride the last time I was there and a guy showed me a beach that was supposedly made by the ocean. I'll see if I can find a photo and post it.
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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My first DR visit was in '83 to Sosua. No waves then, either.
 
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sweetdbt

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Sep 17, 2004
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How old were you when you made those trips as a boy? If I recall from a post Rocky made a while back, there is more than one beach in the Sosua area. The one we all know now as Sosua beach is famous for being very tranquil, and thus excellent for swimming and snorkeling. Perhaps it was one of the other beaches you visited as a child. Also, Cabarete and it's big waves are not far away.
 
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Celt202

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May 22, 2004
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El Tigre said:
Also remember how so many people used to drown often due to the strongness (not sure if you can measure waves with this word) of the waves/tide.
Click to expand...

Strength is more commonly used but strongness makes sense.
 
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El Tigre

El Tigre de DR1 - Moderator
Jan 23, 2003
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Hi Sweetdbt.

This was in the mid 80s. I do recal that the water used to reach the walls of the walkway in sosua bay. I'm not refering to la playita. I'm refering to the main beach.

We used to visit the beach mostly for Semana Santa. Maybe that might have something to do with it.
 
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gerd

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Jan 10, 2002
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Happened to me too when I was a little boy, that I thought the waves were huge...



And danger was everywhere.
Even in small lakes, dangerous currents, wholes, danger of overheating and jumping into the cold water. At least according to my parents.

Also one had to wait 2 hours after eating, before going into the water again.
;)
 
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gary short

Guest
Wait a minute... when you were little the waves were big...now you're big and the waves are little????????
 
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El Tigre

El Tigre de DR1 - Moderator
Jan 23, 2003
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LOL Gary. I was little yes. But just because I was little the waves appeared huge to me. I remember seeing these huge waves up until the age of 15 when I was no longer "little".

Next time I'm in sosua I'm going to speak to a man who was giving me a bit of history. He's one of the locals that has lived in Sosua all his life. I don't know how much info I will get from him though.
 
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ggparts

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Mar 20, 2003
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July 1986 They were Surfing on Sosua Beach

May have been a bit stormy the previous week. Beautiful the week I was there though. That was my second time to DR. I will be there for the 30ish time next week (it's my 50th birthday) can't wait! Woo Hoo!!
Gerry
 
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Stodgord

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Nov 19, 2004
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Maybe you are confusing the current beach with Playa grande which is just outside Sosua and has huge and ferrocious wages.
 
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Rocky

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Apr 4, 2002
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Stodgord said:
Maybe you are confusing the current beach with Playa grande which is just outside Sosua and has huge and ferrocious wages.
Click to expand...
I wondered the same thing, but Playa Grande is at leat a 1 hour drive from Sosua.
 
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BAMullins

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Oct 28, 2004
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In general, Sosua Beach is the calmest one around, which is why I take my girls snorkeling there. But there have been days, just a few months ago, where I thought we would drown, the waves were so intense. Also, the beach at Perla Marina can change literally overnight.

The ocean is a vast, powerful mystery!

Brian
 
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nickijay

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Jul 14, 2006
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gary short said:
Wait a minute... when you were little the waves were big...now you're big and the waves are little????????
Click to expand...

lol i like that.
When we stayed in Casa Marina we were told that sometimes the sea is so rough you cant go in, and there is a flag system in place. It was fine to swim in when we were there but sometimes they wouldnt let the kayaks go out.
 
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nikke

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Sep 19, 2005
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Could you be thinking of Playa Escondido? I heard that the sea used to be way higher there...
 
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tflea

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Jun 11, 2006
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Reefs

Just spoke to a friend and native Sosuan who used to surf on the east side of the bay occasionally as a boy (he's 46 now) when conditions were very particular and waves were about 3 feet because the swells would rap around the point where Piorgiorggio is now, but the Charamico side no, was always protected by the coral reefs...and the bay is almost always as it is today, he stated, and has been so all his life. High enough winds can always cause wind swells, as in the Great Lakes, but no ground swells into Sosua Bay.
The reefs protect her.
 
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