Mid week update

The past few days have looked bad on the surf reports...and we all thought surf was going to be bad.  Well, these so called forecasters were all wrong except Austin Gendron who was perfect on his predictions as usual.

The waves have been very good considering the onshore afternoon wind and choppy conditions.  I have surfed 2 hours plus every day this week, and have only come in because I needed to get back to work!

We are experiencing early rains, and today we have thunder and heavy rain that started about 430pm.

This weekend should be good - look for me at Casitas (south Playa Grande) and Avellanas with some friends in town from Russia and Colorado.  (weird right?)

Hurricanes are Swell, Surf Costa Rica

I had that saying, "Hurricanes are Swell, Surf Costa Rica", made into a bumper sticker. Everyone loves the sticker, except one dumb ass (who recently failed at a surfing business here) who said, "Costa Rica doesn't get hurricanes."

Well, that's true. But we sure feel the effects of them when the trade winds come blasting from the East.

This season we are expecting 15 hurricanes, up from the average of 9.

That segways us into today's topic about the weather change here and the inbound southern hemi swells this week. The rainy season is here about 3 weeks early. 

Here is the view from my house this morning...ugh.  And the satellite view.  Double ugh.  At least it's cooler and somewhat greener though.  Usually, the rains begin here in Tamarindo around the 15th of May and are pretty heavy until late June, with rains usually coming down in the afternoons for 4 hours a day or so.  Thunder and lightening this early in April are unheard of, so I guess we have a banger of a season ahead.  Let's hope July and August are their usual selves.  (Pretty dry).


The change in season also brings about the southern hemi swells.  These swells originate from the Antarcitc and come racing up the west coast of Chile and Peru before spilling onto our shores.  See below.












As a result, we get some big waves.  Saturday looks to be way to big on the SSW facing shores, so look for more of a SW break, which should be easier.  Note the period at 9 seconds.

Thursday looks like the best day with a good period.

Have fun out there, and check to make sure you are using strong leashes and that your fins are on tight!

Camaronal Surfing

Playa Camaronal, Guanacaste, Costa Rica (Latitude: 9° 50' 60 N, Longitude: 85° 25' 60 W)

For my birthday, a few of us went down to Playa Camaronal which is about 20 minutes drive south of Samara on the Nicoya Peninsula. You can get there by either flying into Sámara and renting a car, or by driving in from San Jose (6 hours), Liberia (4 hours) or Tamarindo (3 hours).  To get there, you need a 4 x 4 and the shortest route will take you through rivers.  

 In the rainy season, be prepared to drive a longer route because the rivers will be impossible to cross.  Make sure to speak with locals for current river and road conditions before starting the trek. Fuel up on gas before and bring along all the supplies you’ll need.

Drive from Sámara through Playa Carrillo and about another 8km is your destination.  Look for the signs (small and easy to miss).

Playa Camaronal is of greyish sand and stretches 3 km between the mouth of the river Oro at the west, to the cliffs called Point Camaronal at the southeast of the beach. It has strong to moderate waves with a lush vegetation composed of madero negro, gumbo-limbo, wild plum, bastard cedar, stinking toe, spiny cedar, yellow cortez, gonzalo alves, red berry, terciopelo, mahogany, espave, canelo, balsa wood and white cotton. This beach is very apt for camping and fishing. During the green season, the leatherback and Pacific ridley turtles lay their eggs here. 

We camped in a designated park area about 50 meters from the beach behind the shore scrub and bushes.  The closest hotel-type accommodations are in Carillo or Samara.  Although we were allowed to have a small fire ‘for cooking’, no dogs are allowed in the park as it is a major turtle nesting beach. The site  has showers, bathrooms, and potable water (US$4 a night)

Local surfers from Sámara and Carrillo rave about its strong and consistent left and right beach breaks, but it remains almost completely unknown by travelers who opt for more-touristed and accessible surf spots. In fact, it is not unusual to be the only person there.

The waves were big...really big, and were coming in from the South / South-South West.  Some sets were over 10 feet (3 meters), and there was a massive rip.  This is definitely not a place for beginners, and even if you think you are a good surfer...make sure you are in great swimming shape.  Some of the locals say that the waves reach 20 feet (6 meters) some days...

We ended up surfing on the Eastern end of the beach, where it was a little more protected and the waves smaller.  We found that the best surfing was on the outgoing tide, but again, be prepared to paddle hard to stay on the line.

There were very few surfers out there, and we were the only campers except for the park volunteers who were all young women from the USA, Canada and Germany.  Volunteer opportunities are available at the Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Camaronal. Contact either Julian Garcia or Dominica Alarcon (☎ 8332 3339).

Finally, should be a great week of surfing - look for SSW break again, and head out at first light.

April 7 - Major Swell inbound this weekend

Pull out your thrusters and some moxie!

A major swell is about the hit us up here on the Northern Costa Rican coast on Thursday and it should last at least a week!

It should peak on Monday with 8’ (yes...you read that right) peaks at 17 seconds at 203 degrees or SSW.

In between sets, I will make sure I take some photos.

Other than that, I am happy to report that the surfing has been stellar in Tamarindo and surrounding areas. I have been surfing 3 to 4 hours a day, both high and low tides.

If you are out and about, drop me a line.  If you have photo's, please send them to me.