Is there a surfing addicition hotline that I can call?

[Phatstix]

Seriously, this is ridiculous! I thought my jonez for skiing was bad!

I was lucky to spend a couple of months in Costa Rica this Summer and early Fall and now I'm a full-on junky!

It was the first stamp on my passport, my first time someplace tropical and my first time learning to surf in the Ocean (gas powered Powell waves don't count).

I only had a mountain bike to get around for the entire time I was there. I explored way more of the area than I would've seen by car, for sure. Actually, I rented a moped a couple of days and treated it like the two-stroke moto it wanted to be. Thanks Louis!




I met these dudes and they showed me just how steep the jungle roads can get in CR. Melvin and Edwin (real names) are on the local mountain bike team.



I went here each morning to scope the surf, drink my coffee and get in the 'zone'.





I tried my hand at fishing, but didn't have the best luck. I really needed a net to catch a little fish and then surf cast, like this guy.



So, when I was sick of my home-cooked beans and rice I went here for killer breakfast muffins and tacos. Thanks, Michael!



This place had OK food, but awesome clientele.



The sunsets were truly out-of-hand!



Speaking of out-of-hand, this hand broke off after a 7.6 earthquake hit. I was out in the lineup looking towards the horizon for my next wave and all of a sudden I felt like I was having a heart attack. It was only after a minute of bouncing around the water on my board did I realize what was happening. I ran home, packed an emergency bag consisting of water, headlamp, knife, etc and road for high ground, as did the rest of town. Crazy day to say the least.



The girls not only looked great in their bikinis, but most of them rip as well!



I started off surfing here...



...and eventually made it here.



Sometimes I didn't read the wave all that well.



Oh well, I have a lot to learn, but man, am I willing! I'll just have to go back again next year. (, a whole year? I don't think I can wait that long).

[shera]

Oh nice!!! I want to get to Costa Rica. Thanks for posting pics. I'll try to get up some of Maui where I spent the summer learning like you.

I love the pic of you going the wrong way on the wave, can totally relate.

I'm so hooked too. Driving home to the mountains I'm looking for any hotel with an indoor pool just so I can swim some laps. And I despise chlorine water. In Las Vegas I stayed at the monte carlo where they have this fake river with a bunch of drunks on innertubes. I just swam through them upstream as they floated down. Nice workout actually. The also have a "wave pool" which should really be called a "swell pool" since the swells never break, but it was fun to get thrown around in there.

Trying to get excited about skiing and snow. Thinking about next summer in San Diego and wondering if I shouldn't hit some warm water first, like maybe back to Hawaii for a month. It would mean giving up the big mountain climbing season in Colorado, so we'll see where my priorities are when the time comes.

[mtb]

@Phatstix -- is that Guiones? Did you surf other breaks near Nosara? I'm looking for a place to move to for a year with my family (about 2 years out) and Nosara is on the list. What do you think of that area for a longer stay?

@SheRa -- I spent a month in Kauai this summer. The surf wasn't very good, but I'm still kind of a mess being back home in Washington. I like to ski, but I'm afraid it's not going to fill the spot that surfing does. And that urge to be in the water -- ANY water, I thought that was just me

[Hugh Conway]

Nice work.

[shera]

@SheRa -- I spent a month in Kauai this summer. The surf wasn't very good, but I'm still kind of a mess being back home in Washington. I like to ski, but I'm afraid it's not going to fill the spot that surfing does. And that urge to be in the water -- ANY water, I thought that was just me

Aw Kauai is so fine. You must have had a great month. Pics!

I hear that the south shore of Oahu has the best summer swell on the islands. The west side of Maui was just fine for me to learn. Half the summer was so flat there was no fear factor and I had to learn how to milk it. Feels like riding a bike really slow - wobbly. But then when I got on waves with a little energy it seemed so easy. Anyhow, I would def have a good time going back there for a month of warmup before I try to dominate in socal.

Growing up I had to be dragged out of the water, loved it so much. Spending all these years in the mountains and not swimming at all, I forgot the connection. Having an awesome physical and mental challenge like surfing is the icing on the cake. Not to mention the absolute joy of the ride, my powder grin is on my face.

I take skiing for granted now and the improvements I make are tweaks, not really life changing any more. Don't get me wrong, I MUST ski, it's who I am. Refuse to imagine life without it.

One other thing, I was skiing a lot of hardpack last year, including bumps, and was pretty beat up by it. Swimming all summer was so therapeutic and my joints feel great. I feel great - nice and loose. I've got the balance now of upper body work. I love my leg muscles, they make me happy, and I'm starting to love the upper body changes too. Those little arm muscles (delts?) are starting to stick out. When I swim they get that awesome ache.

[Piggity]

Nice work phatstix

[Ottime]

Excellent work and thank you for making me remember CR a bit more. My favorite destination ever for chill surf vacation.

The whole skiing vs surfing thing is interesting, as I skied when I was young, and pretty much replaced it with surfing by the time I was 18. It took me ten years to get back on the slopes, and it was how SheRa describes her experience. Now, 12 years later, I am not worried about when it is going to snow, but rather focused on the surf, and hoping we keep up with the pumping swells (sure, they could be a bit bigger, but, hey, they exist) and the fine weather.

The nice thing about here, is when the poor weather hits, it is usually a powder day 4 hours away. And when that turns to hard pack due to the January thaw, it is 68 degrees, with a 6 foot swell and off shores down on the coast. Often. So, you just find the balance.

And summer is okay, but I'd rather be some place else, like Costa.

[Phatstix]

@Phatstix -- is that Guiones? Did you surf other breaks near Nosara? I'm looking for a place to move to for a year with my family (about 2 years out) and Nosara is on the list. What do you think of that area for a longer stay?

Yep, Guiones. Just on the other side of the hotel in the picture is Pelada, which has a nice break at times, and then further up the beach is the boca - good fishing and sometimes surfing (watch the crocs!) If you head down the coast the fishing town of Garza is not far off. When the surf is out of your league in Guiones you can head here to be able to get out. haha Guiones has a really cool surf culture. The beach is clean, you can surf almost everyday and many days are going to be good. The surrounding jungle is pretty sick too. I actually enjoyed being woken up by the Howler Monkeys every morning just before sunrise.

Overall, I loved Guiones and the Nosara area. I met tons of cool people, tourists, ex-pats and locals alike. The tourist chics seem to like the local surfer rasta dudes, the ex-pats keep to themselves unless it is kareoke night and the locals chill with everyone. That being said, living there for a year with a young family can be done, but will bring it's challenges. During the earthquake people were literally scrambling for high-ground without much knowledge of what was going on. Theft is a bit of problem. I personally had two pair of flip-flops stolen - one hidden in a tree and the other pair locked to the mountain bike I was using. I locked it to a palm tree on the beach and someone cut the cable while I was surfing. I think if you make it known that you moved there and don't flash your goods, you'll be fine. It does suck that you have to keep everything in safes or hidden though. The roads can be fairly gnarly, but not all the bad. They get super dusty in the dry season and muddy and bumpy in the wet season. Most locals ride ATVs and/or motor cycles. You'll often see a family of four cruising down the dirt road on one moto. When it rains, the roads literally turn into rivers. The power goes off all the time which means the food in the grocery store may not be as frozen as you would like it to be. Food is expensive and finding fresh, quality food at a good price becomes part of the fun and challenge of living there. (hint, head down the beach for fresh red snapper and hit the fruit truck when it comes thru town). I also found my secret spots for easy coconut hunting. I loved hacking open a fresh coco after surfing or biking.

So, I think it would be a great experience for your family. Heck, just adapting to the the bugs in your house will be an experience in itself. Believe me!

Critters






The foliage can get ya too!





Ostional is one of the main beaches for the Aribada, which is a mass laying off eggs by sea turtles. Stray dogs and birds love this!







There are hidden breaks and deserted beaches all over, but you'll want a local to take you. I found this by happenstance - Playa Buena Vista.



Guiones is big on Yoga. I can understand, as it meshes well with surfing and the pace of the jungle.



If you can deal with the humidity, bugs and some petty theft, then I would suggest going. It's almost one of those places you don't want to talk to much about. I guess these guys have beat me to it anyway. Check out http://www.surfingnosara.com/, which has daily surf pics, a forum for rides and gear and probably the biggest local facebook following for events, etc. Here is the cam http://www.nosarasurfcam.com/nosara-surf-cam