I’m back baby!

That was what the sandbar off Tamarindo’s main break announced to the world this week!

Because sandbars are created by water, and our sandbar in front of WRSC and the parking lot is created by the Tamarindo River (Estero), it shifts depending on where the water chooses to flow.

It has been two years now since I would consider the main break at Tamarindo any good due to this shift in the mouth of the river.

By the way, here is the definition of a sandbar (not the cougar bar in Vancouver either!) - A long mass or low ridge of submerged or partially exposed sand built up in the water along a shore or beach by the action of waves or currents.

Here is the old flow of water and the river mouth sandbar (which really needed a big swell to do anything decent)

Here is it now with the "new" sandbar highlighted in black

So, the surf has been awesome...just watch the rip current that starts about high tide minus 30 minutes and whips you south towards Pico Grande.

And if anyone is looking for lessons, please check out http://www.radicalsurfcr.com/    which is owned by Rudy and Stephanie who will be getting married this Saturday!

I’m back baby!

That was what the sandbar off Tamarindo’s main break announced to the world this week!

Because sandbars are created by water, and our sandbar in front of WRSC and the parking lot is created by the Tamarindo River (Estero), it shifts depending on where the water chooses to flow.

It has been two years now since I would consider the main break at Tamarindo any good due to this shift in the mouth of the river.

By the way, here is the definition of a sandbar (not the cougar bar in Vancouver either!) - A long mass or low ridge of submerged or partially exposed sand built up in the water along a shore or beach by the action of waves or currents.

Here is the old flow of water and the river mouth sandbar (which really needed a big swell to do anything decent)

Here is it now with the "new" sandbar highlighted in black

So, the surf has been awesome...just watch the rip current that starts about high tide minus 30 minutes and whips you south towards Pico Grande.

And if anyone is looking for lessons, please check out http://www.radicalsurfcr.com/    which is owned by Rudy and Stephanie who will be getting married this Saturday!

Surf Update Tamarindo June 28

June has been a very rainy month, and this morning was no exception. If it wasn’t for the balmy temperature, I would have thought that I was in San Francisco with all the rainy fog. And mud...damn there has been so much mud here in streets that should have been paved years ago according to promises made by the Costa Rican Government.

Pura Vida right? I actually think Pura Vida has the same meaning as Manana in Mexico.

Now that I have had my gripe, let’s talk about the surf. It has been great! So long as you can get over that the water isn’t crystal clear like it can be in the dry season, you have better surfing conditions and far fewer people on the breaks.

And because we have cloud cover, or at least partial cloud cover, the beating sun doesn’t drain you like it does in the November to April period. And that makes a difference to your ability to stay out longer, and the mitigation (somewhat) of getting overheated / dehydrated.

Yesterday afternoon on my favourite reef break there were four of us out there for my 2 ½ hour surf session. I guess I could have stayed out longer, but since we have an afternoon high tide today, why not do it again?
You have to love living in a surf town.

I am still thinking about Panama though...really starting to think about moving to Santa Catalina seriously. 

Austin is calling for some good swell this week. And if this weekend was any prediction, look for some overhead waves on more of a westerly swell than the usual SSW breaks.

This morning’s winds were onshore and heavy, but I’ve noted that seems to be the case in the mornings, and afternoons have less wind, although some chop remains. As for the period, it has been weird. Yesterday the average was about 17 seconds, but every once in a while we got slammed (on the reef that is) with five back to back waves with about 2 seconds in between. Funny though, they were big enough to take even with the short period.

Anyways, here are some cool looking graphs and charts for you all.

And remember what Chris Cote said, "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."

Surfing Santa Catalina

Well not much has changed since I was here last year except that they now have an Internet cafe and also 3G wireless for mobile technology.  Prepaid chips for a Blackberry are about $3.00 in Santiago or Panama City, and you get free data for a month included.  Buy a couple of $10.00 prepaid cards and you should be set as international calls are about $0.15 a minute...and why would you be calling home anyways?  

 I stayed at the Buena Vida Hotel again, and owners Mike and Michelle (and their son Zack) were awesome hosts.  Elaina from Oregon was also working the hotel, and always had a smile, even at 7am in the morning when they open for breakfast.  Really, they have the best breakfast in town, an a three egg omelet with two pieces of toast will cost $5.00

I ate at Jammin’ Pizza, Los Pibes and Donde Viancka over the course of the nights I spent here this time.  Dinner without alcohol should not cost you more than $12 including an appetizer.  My favorite was Donde Vianckaa which is owned by a beautiful surfer names Bianca, who makes a wicked hot sauce that is a natural accompaniment for the ceviche.

They now have a surf shop (Surf and Shake) too owned by a couple of really friendly German girls, and it has some cool stuff in it.  And they sell shakes / smoothies.  Get your dings fixed by Carlos...he is great.  You can find him on the first right up the hill.

The surf this time around was big.  The Point was overhead, and there were some big close out sets...not fun when you are being rolled over a reef.  There were never more than a dozen people out, and ten of them were posing.  I never understand why people even paddle out into hairy shit if they aren’t going to go for it.

Over the course of the week, I took a couple of double overhead waves at the point, but had more fun on the inside hitting the corners and rolling our left into the open water.  Probably got 5 waves to everyone else’s 1 that way...hehehe.

Estero (the rivermouth) was also big this week, but was closing out.  It was a bitch to paddle out through the white water, and then get caught in the south ripping current which took you towards Punta Brava.  However, there were great waves...I took some from right outside on lefts into the dry sand...talk about a ride that lasts 30 seconds.  Your legs feel like jelly afterwards.

 Get here soon before this place gets busy...Santa Catalina, Panama, will be hosting the 2010 ISA World Masters Surfing Championship.   For more information about the 2010 ISA World Masters Surfing Championship, go to the official website: http://www.isasurf.org/events_WMSC10.php

 

Santa Catalina Panama this week

I am taking a break from work this week and am in Western Panama in the sleepy town of Santa Catalina.  Waves have been huge and conditions glassy.

More later!