A beach with a river mouth (or estuary/“estero”) is two places at once: calm holiday postcard on the sand, and moving machinery in the water. In April, that machinery tends to get a fresh set of gears. A few early rains upstream, a slightly different tide cycle, a...
March mornings in Costa Rica have a particular sound: a quiet hiss of groomed foam, a few early scooters, and that first zip of wax being peeled like a promise. People call it “dry season” and leave it at that, but surfers know March as something more specific—a month...
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!"...
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...
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 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...
[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...
[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...
[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,...
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...
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...
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...