Costa Rica Surf Report and Forecast, Surfing Travel Plans, Photo Gallery, & Dakine Travel Shop

TRAVEL ANNOUNCEMENT !!

ONE BOARD FLIES FOR FREE on American Airlines from
Orlando or Miami Airports!
See more Airfare Specials...

PIC OF THE WEEK

Exploding spray sparkles on a south Nicoya nugget.
Photo by: Jesus Zabala - GuruCR.com

Top News

Sadly, heavy rain in the last weeks led to widespread flooding and landslides in the south of Costa Rica and Northern Panama - many people have lost everything. Thousands of people have had to leave their homes and there is an estimated $77 million worth of damage to crops, infrastructure and community buildings such as schools and clinics.

Indigenous people have been the worst hit as they rely heavily on small crops to gain a small income and feed themselves and their families - many people are now without crops to feed their families. Please consider helping those affected by the floods by donating money or bringing over some supplies (either yourself or through anyone who you know is coming to Costa Rica over the coming weeks) - this is something very real and something happening right at this very moment.

You have a choice and we urge you to help in whatever way you are able to, no matter how small. ~ Tropical Adventures

** CR Surf Travel Co. will match the first $50 for a donation made to help them. After sending them the funds, email us and we'll forward our gift as well.

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NATIONAL FORECAST

1/4 - 1/10	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Caribbean	1 foot overhead	head high to overhead	head high to overhead	1-2 feet overhead	chest high	waist to chest	head high
North Pacific	waist to chest	chest to head high	waist to chest	waist to chest	waist high	waist to chest	chest to head high
South Pacific	chest to head high	head high	chest to head high	chest to head high	chest high	chest high	head high
Breakdown: Caribbean Coast - More east swell sweeps the coast with surf head high with sets 1 foot overhead. This pattern fades Monday and Tuesday before strengthening again Wednesday with a few waves 2 feet overhead. Then it dies out quickly Thursday through Saturday with another round of overhead surf arriving on Sunday from the ESE. Pacific Coast - The Southwest swell is showing a lot of head high sets, but otherwise it's mostly chest high at best. The swell fades out on Wednesday, leaving waist to chest leftovers until the weekend. A shot of South swell arrives Saturday with more head high surf, and may stick around Sunday and strengthen another foot. (the crystal ball is a little fuzzy for Sunday) The Long Shot - Still nothing big showing until next Wednesday, when it picks up to overhead from a minor south swell. Then on the 19th the first major swell from the Southwest arrive with some 1-2 feet overhead surf. To do your own forecast - use our links.

Here's the NOAA Central America Wave Model for the next 5 days...
Thanks to www.lajollasurf.org

Federacion de SUrf de Costa Rica

12/15: Jason Torres and Nataly Bernold win their divisions in the 2nd Event on the CNS Tour in front of Hotel Bahía Encantada. Read More... (english and español)

12/13: Otto Vargas, from Cartagena de Santa Cruz, and Tania Gonzalez, from Villarreal de Santa Cruz, were the winners of the first Guanacaste High School Surf Contest in Tamarindo. This event encourages kids to stay in school and practice the sport, organized by the Youth Action Foundation. Read more and get the results here..

12/1: Diego Naranjo wins the Day Star Pro at La Curva in Playa Hermosa, the first stop on the CNS tour. Read more..

11/13: New Dates set the Circuito Nacional, Costa Rica's Professional Surf Circuit. Read more..

November 28-30 - Playa Hermosa
December 12-14 - Tamarindo
January 9-11 - Jaco
February 6-8 - Nosara (Playa Guiones)
March 6-8 - To be Determined
April 2-4 - Playa Hermosa

10/20: History written in Portugal: Costa Rica earns 5th Place at the 2008 ISA World Surfing Games, Jason Torres becomes 1st Costa Rican ever to reach the Top 10 at #5, Luis Vindas comes in 6th, as well as Nataly Bernold. Read More..

10/17: Frederico Pilurzo is among the top 48 competitors at the Maresia Surf International 2008 taking place at the Prai Brava de Itají in Santa Catarina, Brazil. For results and the latest news, check out - www.maresia.com

10/16: Luis Vindas wins 4 for 4 rounds, now in the top 16. Jairo Perez and Jason Torres were knocked out of their round 4 heats, but still in the repercharge, along with Gilbert Brown. For the women, Nataly Bernold makes past 2 rounds with a 1st and 2nd place finish, Lisbeth Vindas passed her first heat, but now is in the repercharge heat after a 4th in round 2. For the complete stats, visit www.wsg2008.com

10/14: Three out of four surfers on the CR National Team advance to the third round of the ISA Surfing Games in Portugal. Read more..

10/13: Frederico Pilurzo from Playa Langosta will be competing in the second round of Maresia Surf International 2008 event that started yesterday in Prai Brava, Itají, Brasil.

10/3: The 2008 Pura Vida No Pro will be on November 22, 2008 at the Pelican Hotel in Esterillos, Costa Rica. This is a day where orphaned kids from San Jose are brought to the beach to learn to surf, and then get to watch and cheer on a surf contest in the afternoon. There will be an orientation meeting for all volunteers on November 21, 2008 at Las Olas Hotel in Playa Hermosa. They are excited for our 7th year working with the kids and we look forward to seeing everyone on the beach! For more information go to www.puravidanopro.com

9/15: Gilbert Brown wins the 6th Annual Torneo Benéfico de Surf held at Boca Barranca on Sept. 13-14th. The contest helps finance the programs and basic needs of the boy’s home Hogar Monserrat de Niños, located in San Miguel de Barranca. Lisbeth Vindas took the women's crown, while Anderson Tacson won Juniors and Dennis Burk won the Longboard division. Read more..

Airfare Specials!!
MIA to SJO	American Airlines - from $219 RT * one board flies free
IAD to SJO	$342 - January 12-19

Sign the Petition to stop airlines from charging for surfoards!

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

Check prices, schedules and make a shuttle reservation between popular surf spots in Costa Rica!

The Latest Scoop on Boardbag Fees

12/13: Jet Blue announced it will start flying from Orlando to San Jose on March 26th.. Tickets are expected to cost $99 each way (plus taxes). Boards should be $75 each way.

11/25: In Puerto Viejo, ArteViva ’08 was going to take place November 28-30, but IT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. We'll keep you updated when it plans to happen. For information, see www.arteviva-puertoviejo.com.

11/1: WavesCR is hosting two exclusive surf camps during the 2009 World Surfing Games, held in Playa Hermosa, from July 29th to August 8th. Read more..

10/20: Surftech is having a promotion on their new line of soft boards "BLACKTIP" and "SOFTOPS" if your getting ready for next season fill your shops and schools up with these and save some $$. This offer its valid till mid November, 2008. 9'0 Black Tips starting at $299.00 + tax, 8'0 Softops $369.00 + tax price incluedes on time delivery. surftech@ bluetrailz.com.

Featured Hotel Reviews for Surfers

Here is a great new report on backpacker hostels, from www.amcostarica.com

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

Travel Articles - (international)

- One small step for you, one clever step for your money
- Surfspots: the best places to surf in the world
- The Best Activity Holidays Around
- The Best Windsurfing Spots
- Time to hit the Water!

Daily Report and Pics from Santa Teresa
Thanks to SurfingPuravida.com

12-24-08 - CRSURF and SurfingPuravida.com both wish you a wonderful holiday week. The daily reports will be back up in January, while SPV enjoys time with family and friends.

Monthly Tide Charts for 2008
2009 charts

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 crowds or "El Niño", just general wind conditions, swell direction, 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	9	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 Videos

12/9: Costa Rica Surf Video Evolucion from Jacosun.com

10/26: A Tale of Entanglement - Why we must never forget why littering is a big deal, and why we must teach others not to do it.

9/29: From the Osa Coalition - Video showing the destruction of Playa Preciosa on the Osa Peninsula by the Costa Rican government

8/31: LEGENDS CONTEST in Playa Hermosa - a barrel fest!

Video demonstrating the problem that communities all over Costa Rica - the loss of water quality and quantity. From CAVU, covering Uvita and the Osa Peninsula. En Espanol (with English subtitles)

Pineapple Kayak Tours - Dominical - This pictorial shows how life passes in Dominical and the tours offered by this locally run business.

Playa Carmen Surf Contest - 2007
from Macao Films

Gilbert Brown surfing the Mentawais - from Core Magazine and Tony Roberts

YouTube favorites

10/6: 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

2008 Legalize It Pro in Puerto Viejo

Marisa Miller in Costa Rica

12/9: Lend a hand this Saturday morning (12/13) as the Surfrider Foundation and Tamarindo Recycles work together for our ocean and our community. Tamarindo Neighbors Meet at the Recycling Day tent in front of Iguana Surf 9 AM. Langosta Neighbors Meet at the lifeguard tower in front of Hotel Barceló 9 AM Give a Christmas present to the beach!

12/6: All across the country, surfers are facing access and environmental fights that fail to consider their needs and enormous impact. While fishermen and other recreational ocean users flex big muscle in courthouses and town halls, surfers get pushed aside a 'segment group.' A minor hobby for punk kids - instead of healthy lifestyle for whole families. That's because we let them. Despite being a 1000-year-old sport with a $7 billion industry, surfing has failed to produce the demographic and economic studies to show who we are, where we live, and what we spend. So while other interest groups bolster their arguments with impressive numbers to prove their positions, all-too often, surfers get blindsided and bowled over, unable to offer a single hard number to support their cases or save their breaks. Not anymore. With your help, we can start to paint a true picture of who surfers are and how we behave. And every surfer who answers provides another stroke of necessary detail. All you need to do is take 15 minutes to fill out the survey. (Copy and paste this address if the link doesn't work - http://www.surfrider.org/ surf_survey_2008/survey2008a.cfm)

11/30: The developer of Hermosa Vista, a few miles south of Dominical, is being fined over $2 million dollars for damages. Developers swept away an entire mountain to clear places for some of the proposed 100 condos and allegedly that workmen filled in ditches that feed the sea near the Playa Hermosa National Refuge.

11/12: Threat of Tuna Farms in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, IS BACK. Read more..

11/4: The Surfrider Foundation Tamarindo Chapter will host a Double Beach Cleanup on Saturday November 8th. For Tamarindo neighbors, meet in front of the Iguana Surf parking lot. And for the Langosta residents - meet on the beach in front of the Barcelo - both at 9 a.m. Thanks for participating!!

10/22: IUCN Calls for Stronger Measures to Protect Leatherback Turtles, Sharks, and Whales - During the recent IUCN World Conservation Congress, held in Barcelona from October 5 to 14, three resolutions were adopted calling for improved protection of leatherback turtles, sharks and whales. Read more..

Latin American Surf Tour's - Seven Ways to Help the Planet (in Spanish)

Check out the new website for Surfrider's Tamarindo Chapter.

Top Beaches

Esencia Hotel and Villas - Santa Teresa

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