Costa Rica Surf Report, Surf trips, surf camps, hotels, and beachfront rentals for Costa Rica

Pic of the Week

Pavones local Jimmy Jimenez finding some shade. Photo: Matt at Pavones Hot Shotz

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Community surf contests in Playa Guiones (Nosara) and Santa Teresa this weekend. Check their Facebook event pages for details.	Next contest on the Circuito Nacional is set for Playa Dominical on May 19th and 20th.	Rob Machado in Jaco and Playa Hermosa on May 12th and will be hosting <15 surf clinic. Read more.

Check out our FAVORITES page with Facebook, MySpace, & YouTube links to our favorite businesses and non-profits!

NATIONAL FORECAST

May 11 - 17	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
Caribbean	waist high	waist to chest	chest to head	overhead	1-2 feet overhead	overhead	chest high
North Pacific	chest to head	chest high	head high	overhead	1 foot overhead	1 foot overhead	1 foot overhead
South Pacific	head high	chest to head	1-2 feet overhead	2-3 feet overhead	2-3 feet overhead	1-2 feet overhead	1-2 feet overhead
*Breakdown:* Caribbean Coast - New hope for the right coast with a short period (8-9 second) ENE swell bringing overhead surf early next week. Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning look best, with a slow fade down to chest high by Thursday. Pacific Coast - More SSW swell appears Sunday morning with a 20-second period and waves growing from head high at best to 1-2 feet overhead by sundown. This swell has a lot of south so some Nicoya breaks may not catch it as big. The Long Shot - More swell arrives on the 19th with more South angle, pushing up the surf to 2-3 feet overhead and this won't fade below overhead for the following four days. * The forecast is made using over 14 years of wave model and report analysis, but can't be accurate 100% of the time. To do your own, use our links.

NEWS

5/9 - From CRsurfcam.com - May 12th : It is going to be a great afternoon at the Backyard Bar with The Chupucabras playing live at 6PM. Rumor has it Rob Machado and The Hurley team are in town and will be in person at Backyard's Saturday Surf Series, behind the Backyard Hotel in Playa Hermosa.

RESOURCES

NOW Fully Customizable Surf Trips to meet every budget and skill level !!

Do you need a surf photographer or videographer for your trip? Check out our list of top pros in all corners of the country.

Thanks to a larger terminal now in Liberia, many U.S. airlines are offering some fantastic deals from all over the country! Contact us for help with your flights, a SUV rental and a place to stay, plus get the latest surf reports for your trip.

~ LATEST SURFBOARD BAG FEES ~

The best printable Costa Rica travel map I've yet to find on the web, from our friends at MAPCR.com

Bus Schedules for ALL Central America

Flights from the U.S. and Canada to Costa Rica, showing airport hubs.

Hotel Reviews for Surfers

Check out these surfer health and training tips from Amanda Mason from Del Mar Extreme in Playa Hermosa

Do you want to learn Spanish before you go? Click here for introductory lessons..

Kids surfing lessons in Jaco - Del Mar Surf Camp

Here's a Spanish-language link to check the status of all roads in Costa Rica.

Check out a cool aerial view of the Southwest and Northwest Pacific coastline at www.vrskytour.com

Driving Directions from the airport to the San Jose/Caldera Highway. It's about time..

SPECIALS
just mention CRsurf !

Blue Trailz currently has a 10% off discount for camps booked in May and 15% for the Green Season (September and October)

Las Tortugas Hotel is STILL offering doubles for as low as $25 per night!

Costa Rica Surf Institute is now offering 10% OFF if you just mention CRSURF when you contact them.

Get a 15% discount at Pavones Riviera just by mentioning CRSURF when making your reservation!

Get a 20% discount at Cafe Playa Negra just by mentioning CRSURF when making your reservation!

Roundtrip Airfare Specials to SJO!!

Spirit Air has been running some last minute fares to Costa Rica for as low as $112 from Fort Lauderdale with their $9 fare club membership (carryon and checked bags are extra).

JetBlue has some great nonstop flights from Orlando for $312 on select dates all summer. Book now for your summer vacation!

~ Email us for a exact quote ~

Sign the Petition to stop airlines from charging for surfoards!

Missing persons Alerts

Travel Articles - (international)

Travel Insurance - options to purchase

If you're wondering, where is that POLL?
Check here..

Top Travel Videos

Rip Currents and how to Avoid them

Buena Vista Villas and Casa Buena Vista Video Tour in Nosara

Del Mar Surf Camp trains women how to surf in Jaco and Nosara on YouTube.

Bikini Show by Camelo Bikinis during the 2009 World Surfing Games

Marisa Miller in Costa Rica

YOU CAN HELP in 3 ways~

1.Check out the Kickstarter program for expanding the recycling center in Nosara, organized by the Nosara Recycling Association.

2. Since 2010 Pretoma is working on a hawksbill sea turtle tagging program in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Now you can help PREOTOMA by adopting your own sea turtle! Read more.

3. Marc DiMaggio, a school teacher from California, announced he’ll be at it again this summer, riding coast to coast this time to raise awareness and support for his Spinning to End (shark) Finning campaign. Read more from ARCAE.

5/9 - From CRsurfcam.com - Annual Beach Run to help save the turtles here at the Playa Hermosa Refugio. For more information or to sign up for this 6K Run, visit www.costaricarace.com

4/25 - On Saturday April 21, the Nosara Recycling Association organized the event with over 100 volunteers that removed nearly 1,000 bags of garbage (which had been thrown around the landfill over the past 5 years), collected recyclables, planted trees and bushes in decorated tires, and posted signs to encourage people not to litter. Check out the Kickstarter program for expanding the recycling center.

4/12 - The lifeguard program at Playa Cocles is struggling to stay afloat and need assistance from the surf travel community. Visit www.cocles.org to see how to help.

4/12 - Environment Ministry Announces Tough Measures Against Polluters Of Rivers. Read more.

3/29 - PRETOMA's Sustainable Fishing / Tourism Project in Guanacaste. Read more about how artisanal fisherman are partnering with local restaurants to improve the local economy.

Recycling locations on the southern Pacific coast, set up by the Nature Conservancy.

Count how much water you use HERE

Top Eco-Videos

Watch and learn about how shark finning in Costa Rica and around the world are killing off shark populations..

See the Hacienda Baru Olive Ridley Turtles hatchery. Read the article about the kids' experience.

Frank Paladino talks about the plight of the Leatherback Turtles in Playa Grande

NO TUNA FARMS! - This documentary is part of Pretoma's "No Tuna Farms" campaign.

2012 Costa Rica Tide Charts

We now are linked up to two Costa Rica Live Surf Cams! Thanks to Surf Inn Hermosa and Nosara Surf Cam for sharing their view of the waves.

Here's the NOAA Central America Wave Model for the next 5 days:

Central America and Caribbean Wave Model

Daily Surf Videos from Costa Rica

Live Surf - Costa Rica Wave Cams

This table shows when the coasts are best to surf throughout the year on a 1 to 10 scale. (10 is the best) The chart does not factor in "El Niño", just general wind conditions, swell direction, crowds, and wave size. For more info, check on the FAQs and Research pages.
	NW Pacific	Central Pacific	South Pacific	Caribe
January	8	5	5	9
February	8	6	5	10
March	9	6	7	9
April	8	7	8	6
May	8	6	7	4
June	7	7	7	2
July	7	7	8	2
August	7	8	8	2
September	7	8	8	4
October	7	9	9	5
November	6	6	5	7
December	7	5	5	8

Top Surf Videos

Felicidades a Josymar Fuentes for his new sponsorship with O'neill! Check him and Jair Perez out here on YouTube -

Eastern Surf Magazine crew just got back and posted this wave filled video giving you the green light for your next trip. Check out the locals ripping Playa Hermosa, including Jordan, Diego, Juan Carlos, Luis, Josymar, Lisbeth, and more - LINK

Witchs Rock Surf Tours surfing Ollie's Point, starring Luis Castro

Check out Ronald Brown and Carlos Munoz in Hawaii with Volcom's Go Surf video.

Coco Ho and Claire Bevilacqua visiting Santa Teresa to catch a few, from our friends at MalPaiSurfCam.com.

Tony Roberts' newest surf/lifestyle vid of the Guanacaste Coast on YouTube - It's Wide Open

YouTube Vid of Jefferson Tacson (CRSURF rider) and friends at Playa Hermosa. Surfeando en La Chanchera con: - Hnos tascon - Lizbeth Vindas - Jeremy Segura - video por Ezequiel Avaro

Skimboarding in Costa Rica - by Justin Gillis

If you are looking for a reason to surf in Costa Rica - check out this SurfMag.com video!



2012 Costa Rica Tide Charts	Click for the latest surf report, forecast, news, and events!!
Donate a Dollar to save a life! We are raising funds to purchase an A.E.D. for the Dominical Lifeguard Program. Read more and contribute here..
Post your flyer for only $5/week

5/7 - Carlos Muñoz takes the Surf for Youth Series in Tamarindo in an epic final! Read more.

5/4 - Felicidades to Jair Perez for winning the third stop on the Circuito Nacional in Esterillos Oeste, in front of the hotel Rancho Coral on April 28-29th. Read more and see the results for all categories.

4/26 - Noe Mar takes the BRONZE medal!! - Read more. DAKINE World Junior Surfing Games in Playa Venao Panama.

First Day of the Circuito Nacional Stop #3
Playa Esterillos
Gracias a WipeOut Films

Circuito Nacional 2012

Next events:
Playa Dominical - May 19-20
Playa Jaco - June 16-17
Playa Santa Teresa - July 21-22
Playa Hermosa - August 24-26

Carton Surfboards Costa Rica has been giving boards to their team riders, who did great on the tour (Nataly Bernold, Noe Mar and Leilani McGonagle, and Anthony Fillingim to name a few) Thanks to Carton for supporting Costa Rica's surfing talent.

Top Contest Videos

WipeOutFilms.com FINAL presentation from the Dakine ISA World Surfing Games in Panama - featuring CRsurf team rider (plus Quiksilver and Etnies) - Noe Mar McGonagle

Check out Carlos' PERFECT 10 at PIPELINE here!!

CRSurf.com and Carton Surfboards Team Rider Leilani McGonagle on You Tube

Facebook Vid of the finals from the Britt Iced Contest in Jaco, courtesy of Surf Addiction. And more from day one from Wipeout Films on YouTube.

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