The Importance of Swell Angle

The Importance of Swell Angle

Surfers love to create unrealistic expectations about waves we've yet to catch. Every few weeks in Costa Rica, surfers are hyping about the newest purple blob that appears on the swell charts. "Have you seen the next swell? It's gonna be the biggest of the year!"...

The Importance of Swell Period

The Importance of Swell Period

As it relates to surfing, we call the distance between 2 consecutive waves the swell Period, and it is measured in seconds. So let’s imagine for a moment you are out in the water, waiting on your board as a set of waves begins to pulse through. None of the waves have...

Sands of Change

Sands of Change

      In the early seventies, my brother and I arrived in Tamarindo with single fin, 7 foot, down-railers and homemade bungee cord leashes. When your tail “side slipped” out from under you on a late drop, your board stretched out to the breaking point on the rubber...

Surf Adventure: The Road and Swell Point South

Surf Adventure Surf Trek with CHE: When the Road and Swell Point South.  I woke at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, and finally rose at 3 a.m. with one of several alarms that I set in five-minute intervals. Before a surf adventure, I find sleep to be sparse and nearly impossible...

ConnectOcean: Swim Safe Costa Rica

ConnectOcean: Swim Safe Costa Rica

[vc_row css=".vc_custom_1672232565287{background-color: #ffffff !important;}"][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]Costa Rica, a picturesque realm nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, unfolds over 800 miles of bewitching coastline. The allure of...

Manuel Antonio: The Surf Spot

Manuel Antonio: The Surf Spot

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text] Manuel Antonio: Costa Rica’s Jungle Postcard With a Secret—It Surfs Brilliantly Manuel Antonio National Park gets the fame for sloths in sea-almond trees, macaws flashing scarlet over jade coves, and jungle trails that...

SKIMBOARDING: Acrobatics of the Fearless

SKIMBOARDING: Acrobatics of the Fearless

[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] Skimboarding in Costa Rica: shorebreak art, fearless flight, pura vida funFrom Guanacaste’s honey-gold coves to the black-sand crescents of the Central Pacific, skimboarding is the Costa Rican sweet spot where adventure,...

Surfing Ollie’s Point after the Storm

Surfing Ollie’s Point after the Storm

In October 2017, a huge storm devastated most of the beaches in Costa Rica. Playas del Coco was totally flooded. Significant beachfront destruction was widespread, and the ocean was very brown. This occurred on a Friday, and just two days later, we were among the...

Swells Make Costa Rica a Leading Surf Destination

Swells Make Costa Rica a Leading Surf Destination

Waves are nothing more than traveling vessels of energy. Born from strong winds blowing in all corners of the planet, ocean waves traverse thousands of miles through open water just to come crashing down for our enjoyment. Aside from the visual aesthetics of watching...

Caribbean Side Surprises: Salsa Brava’s September Punch

Caribbean Side Surprises: Salsa Brava’s September Punch

If you’ve ever stood on the sand in Puerto Viejo and stared out at Salsa Brava, you’ll know it’s not a wave for the faint-hearted. This reef break, with its raw Caribbean power and shallow coral shelf, has humbled even the most experienced surfers. September, often...

Witch’s Rock and Ollie’s Point: September’s Secret Season

Witch’s Rock and Ollie’s Point: September’s Secret Season

If surfing had a whisper rather than a roar, it would sound like September at Witch’s Rock and Ollie’s Point. Forget the packed line-ups of peak summer. This is the month when the Santa Rosa coastline feels like your own private playground. The long boat rides from...

How to Surf Without Crying: A Beginner’s Tale from Dominical

How to Surf Without Crying: A Beginner’s Tale from Dominical

Spoiler: There were tears. But also a lot of saltwater, so who's really counting? If you’ve ever watched a surfer glide across a wave like Poseidon’s cool cousin and thought, I could totally do that, then you, dear reader, are a fool. A hopeful, sunburn-prone,...