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Using GPS and Mapping Software To View Maps While Exploring

The easiest way to get to surf spots in Baja California is to pay someone else to take you there. There isn't much fun in that and who wants to be associated with a van of tourists? Anyone who has made their own way to a remote spot only to see a surf tour van show up later knows the feeling I am talking about.  Another option is to purchase a Baja Surf Book. Most of the spots in this book are well known and crowded. 

The best part of Baja is the fact there are dozens of good surf spots that have never been published. All you need to do is find them yourself! This requires some time, adventure, and navigation skills.

Google Maps is a very useful tool for navigation. You can use your phone to display your location on a map and receive directions for driving from one point to another. But there are some limitations to Google Maps which can negatively impact you especially when exploring rural or remote areas. Basically Google Maps is useless for navigating to remote surf spots in Baja. Fortunately software exists to address these issues.

I use an app on my android phone called OziExplorer. While it has some similarities to Google Maps, OziExplorer serves a different purpose and does a good job at it.

  • The maps need to be manually downloaded but you don't need internet to access them and you can download detailed topos for remote areas with more detail than what Google Maps can provide.
  • You cannot automatically route but you can string a bunch of waypoints together to help you figure out when you need to look for an upcoming intersection.
  • Saving waypoints is easy - and comes in handy when you want to identify where you have been in the case you need to backtrack.
  • Offline? No problem. You have 100% functionality.
I use Google Maps when I am in town and OziExplorer when I am traveling off road in remote areas.

Required Equipment

IMPORTANT: OziExplorer has its own proprietary format for maps. You can use 3rd party software for Android or iPhone to view the map files. The links below are to two apps I found through a google search. You may find others as well.
I am very impressed with the OziExplorer software. You can custom build screens, merge smaller maps into larger map files, as well as a variety of other features. The customer support is outstanding. I believe the software is worth purchasing if you have a PC and an android phone. Sorry, OziExplorer doesn't work on an iPhone.

Steps For Creating Maps For OziExplorer

  1. Purchase and install OziExplorer on your PC
  2. Obtain map images via the web or by scanning
  3. Open the images in OziExplorer and calibrate them
  4. Save the files as OziExplorer map files.
IMPORTANT: You must have a PC with OziExplorer to configure maps you have downloaded for use with the OziExplorer android app. I have calibrated a limited set of baja maps available for download below.

Steps For Using The Maps On Your Android Phone

  1. Purchase and install OziExplorer on your Android phone.
  2. Transfer the calibrated map files from your PC to your Android device. Each map contains the following files:
    1. A ".map" file that contains calibration information
    2. A ".ozfx3" file that contains a compressed version of the map graphic displayed on the device
  3. Launch the app and configure it to point to the location of the map files
Helpful Tip For Navigating To Remote Surf Spots

OziExplorer desktop has a very useful feature that allows you to lay a Google Satellite image on top of your existing map. This features helps me calibrate my waypoints. I use the following steps to find my way to new surf spot:
  1. Find the surf break I want to go to on a Mexican topo map and create a waypoint.
  2. Use the dirt roads displayed on the topo map to gain a general understanding of how to get there. Place waypoints at all major geographical features or forks in the road. Navigate back to the main highway and place a waypoint there as well.
  3. Turn on the Google Satellite feature and zoom in as far as you can go.
  4. Retrace your proposed route from the highway to your destination and make adjustments to waypoints or add new ones as necessary. You can gain a general understanding of the condition of the dirt road using the satellite image. Sometimes the topo map describes a road that doesn't exist in the satellite view or clearly are in very poor condition. 
  5. When navigating through the desert, use the topo map on your android phone along with your saved waypoints to determine where you are, which way you should go, and when you should arrive.
This technique is light-years ahead of the strategy we used in the early 90's. The only map we had in the early 90's was the free paper Auto Club map of Baja California. If I was lucky, a friend would provide me with additional hand-created directions to the surf spot. I have kept copies of these directions as a keep sake but unfortunately do not feel comfortable sharing them because many of the surf spots are not widely known or visited. An example would look something like...."turn right after about 25 kilometers, then look for the old blue truck, drive another couple of kilometers and turn left. You will know you are almost there when you see the yellow house." Fun times :D

Links to Baja Map Files

I am willing to share some of the maps I have calibrated so far. The original map files are available on the internet for free or from books that are out of print. The map files are organized by type. Each is saved as a "zip" file and will need to be opened on a computer before they can be installed on your device.  I do not know how to mass load files onto an iPhone. 
  • 1x2 degree drg baja.zip - These maps were created by the Mexican Geological Society and obtained via CD from Tijuana. The same images can now be downloaded for free online. See below for details.
  • 1x250 baja almanac norte.zip - Maps of Baja California from the Baja Almanac
  • 1x250 baja almanac sur.zip - Maps of Baja California Sur from the Baja Almanac
  • 1x750 baja scan.zip - Maps found on the internet. Not much detail. One map covers all of Baja California and the other map contains all of Baja California Sur.
UPDATE: Since the date I initially published this webpage, I have discovered a website associated with the government of Mexico where you can download raw topo images of Mexico in the 1x2 degree format and the more detailed 1:50,000 format. Follow this link to download and calibrate your own maps of Mexico. Traveling within the United States? The United States government offers the same service as well.


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