There’s planning a surf trip, and then there’s finding out – slowly, painfully, and usually the hard way – what actually works once you’re on the ground. Jed Fasso learned that somewhere between arriving in Chile with no real plan, blowing a two-day hike and talking a reluctant boat captain into pushing deeper into the wilds of Patagonia in search of a new wave.

What followed was a three-and-a-half-month education in surf exploration: leaning on locals, improvising logistics, snowboarding in the Andes while waiting out weather and gambling on a sailing mission that nearly ran aground and ended in negotiations with fishermen just to keep moving. The reward was a remote cobblestone A-frame breaking 400 metres either way and a full-length film, Beyond Borders Patagonia. But more valuable than the wave itself were the hard earned do’s and don’ts that came with getting there.

We caught up with Jed to learn more about what it takes to pull off such an adventure and find out what he discovered throughout the journey.

Check out some tips in the words of Jed below.

Always mix in with the locals

I see a lot of people travelling who are often reserved and avoid talking to locals or mixing in with them. If you’re visiting somewhere which doesn’t get a lot of tourists, a lot of the times the locals will appear curious and might not even want you there. I think it’s on you to throw your ego in the bin and make an effort with them. Be chirpy and try to build a repoire with them.

The backbone of our entire film was a result of us meeting the right people. We often spoke to locals who probably didn’t want to say a word to us at the start. But eventually you build that connection, that trust and we ended up becoming good mates with some of them.

Don’t be scared to put your trust in others

It can seem incredibly hard when planning a surf trip or adventure because there are so many logistics involved, but learning to rely and trust others can be a massive help. I am a massive control freak when it comes to these kind of things and on journeys like these you put so much pressure on yourself to get it right. However, there was multiple occasions on our journey through Chile where I put down my mental wall and allowed myself to trust some of the local crew we had recently met and through their knowledge and experience we got closer to reaching out end goal. It’s pretty crazy because there was times where I was transferring money to people I’d just met and putting all my trust in them to sort shit, but we could there eventually. Haha.

But in the same breath, always have your wits about you.

The opposite of that, is still have your wits about you. While you can put your trust in others, also learn to spot when someone could be taking you for a ride. Some locals in particular places could see tourists as a quick opportunity for a money grab. But I feel like it’s pretty easy to read someone and spot red flags quickly. We were just so lucky in Chile to find and befriend so many locals that were like minded and were willing to help us see the trip through.

Sometime a limited plan is the best plan

There are two sides to this coin. We rocked up in Northern Chile with no real plan other than a goal to find a new wave in Patagonia. In hindsight it was incredibly naïve of me to think that was a bulletproof plan and that it was going to be plain sailing. The trip ended up taking us three and a half months and costing way more than planned. However, the opportunities that arose without a plan are what made the film into so much more than just a strike mission to find a new wave.

It was definitely a pure fluke and a bit of a unicorn trip. I’m not sure if I were to go back and plan it that I could replicate what we went through. It actually baffles me that we were able to pull it off.

So, if you’re thinking with a sensible head, it’s definitely a good idea to plan out your logistics properly and have a detailed understanding of what’s going on. Haha. But be open to changing plans, don’t let them limit you.

Don’t confuse fatigue with failure

Many times throughout our trip I was so messed up from being so tired and constantly having to deal with shit that even the smallest mistake felt like a tip ender. But, in reality you’re probably just tired, emotional and it’s not as much of a big deal as you think. You need to be patient and try not let yourself get stressed to the max because who ever said finding a new wave is easy?

Lower your expectations

I think people often romanticize the trip in their head. They have an expectation which is greater than reality. Even if it’s just a trip to Indo, I think we all play out in our head how the surf is going to be, what it’s going to look like and how tubed we’re all going to get. But in reality, it will never fully live up to your dream. We’re all often so fixated on the end goal and how it’s going to look that we lose sight of the journey and all the special bits in between that make it worth it, whatever the outcome.

Pick the right crew

It doesn’t matter how good the waves are if you can’t experience them with the right people. Surf expeditions aren’t for everyone, you aren’t going to be living in luxury and it can be tough at times. You need to pick the right people to travel with, those that have a good head on their shoulders and that might not always be your best mates.