Tropical Depression Here

We are all very depressed here by the rain, onshore winds and muddy water.  And Tamarindo is in the tropics.  - So we have a Tropical Depression in town!


But now that I have my stitches out and have taken a dose of secnidazol for the buggies in my tummy, I am going to surf this afternoon!

Here is something from the official forecast from NOAA  "THERE IS A HIGH CHANCE...60 PERCENT...OF THIS SYSTEM BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS."

And given that it will probably stall off the coast of El Salvador, the outer bands will soak us here in Northern Costa Rica.

Here are some pictures from town:

Tropical Storm here in Tamarindo

Spent the entire night battling the elements and dealing with power outages only to have our gutters/eaves fail and leave us in about 1/2 inch of water throughout both floors of my house.  AND I live on a hill!

Tonight I am sleeping with my surfboard.  (by the way, the water is chocolate brown...no surfing until this cleans up)

Here is the NOAA forecast

ZCZC MIATWOEP ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
1100 AM PDT TUE MAY 25 2010

FOR THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC...EAST OF 140 DEGREES WEST LONGITUDE..

1. A LARGE AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER IS LOCATED JUST OT THE WEST OF
NICARAGUA.  THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO TO PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINS AND FLOODING OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AMERICA.  SOME
DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF
DAYS AS IT DRIFTS TOWARD THE NORTHWEST.  THERE IS A MEDIUM
CHANCE...30 PERCENT...OF THIS SYSTEM BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE
DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS. 

Surfing comes first

Whatever you do and wherever you go and however you get there, just remember one thing:  surfers travel.  If you don't, you might as well quit. - Chris Cote (Transworld Surf)

Parasites in my surf

Ah...it's raining hard today and the waves are big.  Yet, here I am in the office working away because the water has turned muddy, and besides nursing four stitches in my head, I have the dreaded parasites. 


Around this time of the year, the rains come and do what I call the, "The MIB flush".  Remember that scene from Men In Black II when they do that?  Anyways, think about 6 months of no rain on a bunch of fields and pastures that have cows and so forth roaming around.  Well, it has to go somewhere right?  Anyways, it's not nearly as even close to being as gnarly and gross as Los Angeles after it rains where you can't surf for at least three days.  (I know...)

And anyone who surfs knows that you end up swallowing water. 

Really, it's no big deal.  More of an inconvenience than anything.  You stomach witnesses major cramps every once in a while and your poop is nasty.  Plus you feel like sleeping more than usual and are a bit run down. 

Just pop some  Albendazole  and a couple of days later, it's all good.  And here in CR, no need for a prescription from a doctor...the pharmacies don't need them.  (they don't need them for a lot of things, but that's another story).

But...it's good to pop them every three months or so during the rainy season.  Ignore your doctor here, and just do it.  So long as you don't take more than a a couple of thousand milligrams a year, everything is fine.

And oh...one thing.  If you want to prevent the parasites that you get surfing, then don't surf.   (eating cloves and garlic is total bullshit.)

Surfing and getting stitches in Tamarindo

It's been a pretty slow week for the surfing this week for me.  High tides have been in the late afternoons, and the winds have been pretty strong and onshore.  I guess I could go in the morning(s), but my work needs me to be in pretty early.

I have found that some of the quieter breaks like Palm Beach Estates to be good for long boarding.  It is a break south of Playa Grande at marker 25...about 500 meters south, but there is a place to park a car nearby if you know the area.

The other day I was surfing a big heavy funboard there without a leash doing some new tricks.  Starting on one foot surfing regular then doing a 180 and surfing  goofy.  Kinda fun!   I did a carve back on a goofy left and lost my board, so had to swim into shore for it.

As I was about to pick it up in about 3 feet of water, a wave back washed into it and it smashed my head.  Right away I knew there was a cut.  With blood pouring down my face, I made it back to the car where I keep a BIG first aid kit and administered triage on myself.

The local doctor wasn't in, so I hit the EMS where I was treated by a really great guy...who asked me why I surfed because "it is so dangerous".  Apparently, he is constantly putting people back together who come off the breaks.  The cost was only $60 by the way.

Anyways, four stitches to my head later and I am grounded to dry land for the next few days.  The worst things about the accident.

1 - Lidocaine doesn't work on me yet they refuse to give me a better pain killer when sewing me up.  Basically, I was stitched up sans anesthetic .

2 -   I should know better then to surf a break alone...dumb ass!

3 - The surf was soooo good...I only got 45 minutes in before smashing open my skull

Anyways, I am seriously looking into surfing with a helmet.  I snow board with one...I kite surf with one...I drive my Ducatti with one...

See you on the breaks in a few days when the weekend swell hits.

Early week surf Tamarindo and Playa Grande

Went surfing around high tide today - surf was flat as a pancake at Tamarindo, so I drove to Palm Beach, about 500 meters south of Grande at marker 25.

The waves were about ankle to knee high with the occasional set coming through waist to chest high.

I took my 7'0" Thruster...way too big. Tomorrow it will be long board or 8' fun board at a minimum.

Let's hope for some swell this week!

Holy crap is it hot!

We are in an another heat wave here in Tamarindo - this morning I went jogging at 6am and it was already 28C.

Surfing has been okay - have had a bigger funboard out (7'8" Micheal Dolsey) and have been surfing some of the quieter breaks in the area.

With the offshore winds, and lack of decent swell this weekend, the water has been crystal clear and super warm. This morning, because I was doing a lesson (sort of), I had some fins on and a mask and was swimming off Playa Grande when I spotted a decent sized sea turtle. I swan about for a while with it then remembered my student who had washed up on the beach. Oops.

Looking forward to a decent week of surfing and working...

Flying Crocodile in Costa Rica apologizes - happier now

Hallo Patrick

I am real sorry what happened and I agree that their is a certain security height and as well a noise abatement procedure. We normally respect our neighbors and during 17 years of operation in Samara I think we have a good recommendation. As a small explanation I just like to tell you that the pilot flying over you is owning since short a Gyro and low flying is really one of the biggest fun for pilots. But normally!!! we do this when their is no person we could disturb. I apologize the situation and as instructor I will try to give advises to avoid these situations. Nevertheless the pilot would be happy to take you in form of a compensation for a flight in Tamarindo area.

wish you a nice morning

Guido Scheidt

Never fly with Flying Crocodile in Costa Rica - you might die

Here is a copy of a letter I sent out to the owners of the local ultralight business, with copies to the local and international aviation authorities.

http://www.flying-crocodile.com/

Flying Crocodile

Correo Playa Samara Codico 5235, Apdo. 99 Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Dear Sir:

On Saturday May 1, 2010 at about 16:30 hours, I observed your Tamarindo based helicopter-type aircraft flying over the beach directly overhead from my position 50 feet from the shore at an altitude of about 30 feet. (10 Meters)

Your pilot made two passes over the beach at this level and it was close enough that I felt the propeller wash.

The surf break over which you buzzed was full of surfers – I observed about 45 surfers in the water and 100 people on the beach.

This is extremely dangerous behaviour, and you are endangering people’s lives should you lose control of the aircraft.

I note the following from the FAA, whose safety standards are generally recognised globally:

FAR-91:

·         Over Congested Areas - Shall maintain an altitude of 1,000’ above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000’ of the aircraft.

·         Min. 500’ AGL over non-congested areas (except over open water or sparsely populated areas).

·         Anywhere - Should maintain an altitude such that if the engine fails, an emergency landing may be executed w/o undue hazard to persons or property on the surface

There is no way you could have maintained your altitude without endangering lives in the water or on the beach.

Furthermore, the noise pollution was unnecessary and generally not enjoyed by those of us who live here and are your neighbours.

I strongly urge you to not fly with reckless disregard to international safety protocols before a tragedy befalls us all and you kill someone.

Regards,

Patrick