What is DOH? & The end of summer in Tamarindo

doh (dəʊ) noun Definition of D'OH —a wave in height that is Double OverHead

d'oh (dəʊ) interjection Definition of D'OH —used to express sudden recognition of a foolish blunder or an ironic turn of events

"Doh, doh, DOH!!!" what I said on seeing the 3rd of 5 double overhead waves barreling down on me this afternoon.

That was some wave!

Well, it the end of August and the last of the tourists are leaving now.  Things are starting to really get quiet for the rainy season which really starts in earnest the long weekend of September.  And it’s going to be a bad one.

Eight cyclones will affect Costa Rica this year, four of which will likely reach hurricane strength...The National Meteorological Institute has projected “extremely rainy” conditions from August through October for the Central Valley and the  Pacific Slope.

From my perspective, it is the time of year when Tamarindo recharges and when we see who stays here during the worst time of the year.  Sort of cutting the wheat from the chafe.  The waves are big, the breaks are tranquillo, and people are generally less stressed because they don’t have to deal with a lot of the crap that the tourists bring.

Don’t get me wrong…we love tourism, just like any other tourist town out there, we need our time to rest.

And if you do come down here during the months of September and October, there are deals to be had as most hotels are empty.  Just be prepared for rain…and for D’OH!!!!

Courtesy of Witch's Rock Surf Camp

The Mother of all swells is inbound

have a look at the attached...nuf said

Surfing Tamarindo

Quick update - the waves have been stellar here in Tamarindo and at Playa Grande.

Most days have been head high with DOH bombs coming in.

More to come later

Il pleut des cordes

Il pleut des cordes is French for it’s raining cats and dogs.  And it sure is.  A mini dry–season known as the “Veranillo de San Juan” (similar to an “Indian Summer”) typically occurs around mid–July

Not this year!

We have been told because of the retreat of El Nino and the cooling of the Pacific, that we can expect lots of precipitation this year.  And, we have also been warned of an extra brutal hurricane season.  Combining knowledge of the conditions that spawn major storm--based on years of research and observations--with computer modeling, scientists are calling for a 2010 hurricane season so intense that it could approach the record set in 2005. 

All indicators point to a 2010 hurricane season “at or beyond” record levels, reports Greg Holland of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo., a research facility supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF).  To date, the 2005 season,  with 28 major storms, according to NOAA records, was the most active on record.



Scientists point to both routine climate variability and global warming as factors contributing to the prognosis for the season that officially began July 1.  A hurricane-spawning zone in the North Atlantic, off the west coast of Africa, is experiencing a decade of high ocean temperatures.  In May 2010 scientists recorded the warmest sea surface temperatures on record, relegating the previous record from May 2005 to second place.





Other indicators of an intense 2010 season include extra moisture in the atmosphere, a result of the higher sea surface temperatures; lower wind shear, giving hurricanes a greater chance to strengthen; and the retreat of El Niño conditions, which typically inhibit hurricane formation.  The retreat could potentially usher in a La Niña, which tends to increase the frequency of hurricanes.

Anyways, this month on the 25^th of July we celebrate Guanacaste Day, the celebration of Guanacaste's freedom from Nicaragua in 1812 with Bullfights, dancing, music, food, parades, and more.

Guanacaste is the province that Tamarindo is located in and is named for the massive guanacaste tree - Costa Rica's national tree. This remarkable species is easily recognizable, expanding greater in width than it does in height, and hanging its lowest branches just a few feet above the ground. And creatures of this region couldn't be more pleased; the guanacaste tree provides them with an oasis of shade in what is Costa Rica's dryest region.

Most of the population descends from a mix of Chorotega Native Americans, Spaniards and sub–Saharan Africans, namely Bantu slaves. Guanacastecan residents speak a dialect distinct from the rest of Costa Rica. As in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Guanacastecans use the “usted” conjugation upon initial meetings, instead of “tu”, but once they have established a friendship, use the more informal “vos” conjugation. The Guanacaste culture has been successfully integrated into the mainstream culture; among the main elements are their unique music, literature (folklore), musical instruments, bullfighting and important religious events

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."