Beginner surf camp, June, where?

[Daywalker]

Okay, JONG away... I've never stepped foot in this part of the forum except to look at fine surfer butts. I hope you guys are friendlier than the ski/snowboard kooks ()

In short, where's the place to go in June (tied to 2nd week of June) as a total noob surfer given the following priorities:
1. Good low-key environment (I realize this may be juxtaposition with surf school locale, but by this I mean NOT Tamarindo or super touristy)
2. Good weather (not rainy season)
3. Good surf school/beginner waves
4. Good food (read: seafood and whatever the local dishes are, not 5-star)
5. Low cost minus airfare (airfare is not a factor)
6. Decent accomodations (not hostel, not resort, somewhere in between, traveling with girlfriend)
7. Other things to do

Longer version:
My girlfriend and I are headed to a beach in June. We don't know where and are trying to figure it out. We're both active people and would start killing people if we spent 10 days just lazing around so we want something to do. Learning to surf sounds cool. I've done the research and know that we won't have learned jack in a week, we'll forget it all, yadda yadda. Honestly, we're in it for the athletic challenge and potentially finding something new that we both would get into. I could swap out surfing with stand up paddleboarding or kiteboarding or whatever but this is a surf forum and anywhere with those activities is probably pretty packed with tourists.

Anyway, ideally there would be a place that is low-key, not crowded, and priced decently. It would be easy to find a room or small bungalow/house to rent and good local food would be plentiful. We both speak spanish well so english wouldn't be important in those places. We also travel a lot and are comfortable getting around without the language but language would probably help with surf school...

So, where should we go? Location suggestions would be good, specific schools would be better. I've done the research in this forum and elsewhere online and it sounds like there are other spots in Costa Rica/Panama/Dominican/Brazil that might fit the bill but I worry a bit about the rainy season. Hawaii sounds mobbed. South Pacific or Asia would be cool but I can't find enough info to feel comfortable outside of the standard tourist spots. I've heard mumblings about Portugal but again not much info.

Thank you!

[Hutch]

Can't speak to June weather in Santa Teresa, but we had a great week here in November:
http://www.bluesurfsanctuary.com/Pages/surfschool.html Won't be going back to Tamarindo.

I had at least two hours of sex in every bed in the place, so remember that while you are there.

[Tunco]

http://www.elsalvador.travel/aprende...n-la-libertad/

June is rainy season in CA. In El Salvador it was 45 min of heavy rain in the afternoon and that was basically it. I only been surfing a little over a year now so I don't know much, but Playa El Tunco was a great place to learn and the people were super chill.

I'm living in Puerto Escondido MX now and here would be good as well.

[Daywalker]

Yeah, the rainy season in CA thing is a bit of a downer. Not the end of the world, but it is a contributing factor to look elsewhere. North to Mexico, south to Brazil, that get you out of it? Do other equatorial spots (South Pacific/Southeast Asia) have the same issue?

I spent a year in Costa Rica (inland, outside of San Jose) so the rainy season just depresses me a bit.

I'm not sure a little piece of Hutch is what I need, though that place looks cool.

[Piggity]

A lot of tropical Surf spots will have rainy seasons and that is when the surf is cranking. The rain is hit or miss sometimes though and you could get skunked or score hard with perfect surf depending on your luck.

Have you thought about the Caribbean? I personally have no experience surfing down there but I have read some good trip reports. Tortola, Jamaica, Bahamas, all come to mind.

Here's some info with links to research.....


http://www.wannasurf.com/spot/Centra...ritish_Virgin/
http://www.surfinside.com/regional%2.../Caribbean.htm



Nicaragua is getting whored out but you could probably get great waves with some rain but probably not as bad as Southern Costa rica. San Juan Del Sur isn't the best spot in Nica to surf but it is the probably better place to learn since the major spots to the North are always several feet bigger and can deal out some moderate beat downs (I personally received a nice beat down at Colorado's). Plus San Juan Del Sur is pretty touristy so you will find people to hang out with during the week. Check out www.Nicaraguasurfreport.com

[jcnoble5]

Bali - I'll be there towards the middle/end of June. It's the dry season down there June-Sept (so I've read). Can't speak through experience, but it seems as though they have a lot of operations..

[Hugh Conway]

Bali's a great place for beginners if you like wave's crowded with kooky Eurotrash or reef scars. The "operations" there are great at seperating you from your money while providing little you can't do yourself. It's also a long fucking way from the US in a plane. Fun island, doesn't sound really what DayWalker's looking for.

Peru/Ecuador haven't been mentioned yet.

[Daywalker]

Thanks for the info so far... continuing the research. Hugh summed up what I've read about Bali so far, but if there is a less crowded, easier side/area of it I would be into it.

[Hugh Conway]

Lombok (next major island to the east) is/was more relaxed but the couple beginner breaks can get annoyingly crowded with surf campers. There's not that much to do there really, either. Drive around, look at the island, chill and read a book. Which is nice, in it's way.

Sri Lanka would meet most of your list; it's a very cool island. Great food, pretty cheap decent accommodation, cheap to get around - plenty of other awesome things to see and do. Can't vouch for what the surf breaks on the East Coast would be like at that time though - the west coast ones might be kinda nasty. Few pictures from June '09:
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ighlight=lanka

[ex-powderbroker]

Mal Pais is a great place to learn to surf, I have no idea about June weather on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica though. I would guess that it would be fine though. I stayed here in a communal hut but no one else showed so I had it with my gf basically. http://www.malpaissurfcamp.com/

I have a friend that had a good time here, In Brazil: http://www.bahiasurfcamp.com/

decent accommodations, nice beach, not the best instruction but it provided her friends a good excuse to get to Brazil and learn. Could be worth looking into for cost?

[grskier]

Una Ola not too far from Tamorindo

[Piggity]

Mal Pais is a great place to learn to surf, I have no idea about June weather on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica though

Rainy, roads can get washed out all over CR during the rainy season. We stayed in Playa Hermosa most of our trip a few years back during the rainy season and the Bridge down to Dominical was washed out, gone from what locals were telling me. We saw the sun maybe a few hours throughout the week.

Mal Pais should be fine cause you can take the ferry. Rained hard but the surf was cranking. Although the rivers were washing out all the deadwood and I was duck diving huge logs. And they all looked like giant Cayman swimming in the lineup, which was really freaking me out.

[Piggity]

By the way, if CR is the choice then the further North you go the better chance of decent weather. The further south like Pavones then your in the rain forest during rain season, easy forecast to predict

[BeanDip4All]

There's a guy on here who owns a little surf bungalo in Panama... shoot I can't remember his name. We looked into renting it out a while ago- looked awesome.

Hmm... let me ruminate and try to stir it up. Maybe he'll post in this thread!

[HasBeen-NeverWas]

Hey Daywalker,

I'm in exactly the same situation now that you were in a year+ ago: I'm looking for a good surf spot in June with the girlfriend. Almost all of your stipulations are identical to mine (and hers).

Any ideas you can share from your experience about where we should (or shouldn't) go in June would be great.

Thanks

[sara.92]

If you are planning to travel around Europe, for that period i suggest you Peniche, (Portugal).
Probably the best Europe destination for surfing during that season.

Cheers

[boltonoutlaw]

My place in San Carlos, Panama may be available: http://panama.craigslist.org/apa/5489310279.html