New Dates for the Circuito Nacional 2012
Playa Tamarindo - February 25-26
Playa Palo Seco - March 25-26
Playa Camaronal, Samara - April 21-22
Playa Jaco - May 19-20
Playa Dominical - June 16-17
Playa Santa Teresa - July 21-22
Playa Hermosa - August 24-26
This year there will be only six categories: Open, Open Femenino, Juniors, Boys (Sub-16), Grommet Femenino (Sub-15) y Longboard.
Check out our FAVORITES page with Facebook, MySpace, & YouTube links to our favorite businesses and non-profits!
NATIONAL FORECAST
Feb 2 - Feb 8
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Caribbean
2 feet overhead
overhead
2-3 feet overhead
2-3 feet overhead
1-2 feet overhead
overhead
chest to head
North Pacific
waist to chest
waist to chest
chest to head
chest to head
head high
chest to head
waist to chest
South Pacific
chest to head
chest to head
head high
overhead
overhead
head high
chest high
Breakdown:
Caribbean Coast - More pulses of ENE swell keeping it well overhead through the weekend. Then on Monday it drops a foot, two feet more Tuesday leaving it chest high by Wednesday with a couple of leftover sets.
Pacific Coast - Slowly arriving SSW swell will provide head high relief by late Friday, and hanging around through Sunday. Then on Monday some WNW swell filters in more head high waves for the Guanacaste Coast until Tuesday. Then it fades back to waist high for most of the coast.
The Long Shot - For the Pacific, continued small surf until a larger WNW swell arrives next Friday (2/10) with some South showing on the 11th with overhead sets.
* The forecast is made using over a decade of wave model and report analysis, but can't be accurate 100% of the time. To do your own, use our links.
** NEWS **
Upcoming Events: CONCERT: This Thursday - LUCIANO - one of the best roots reggae artists alive. Don't miss him on Feb. 2nd at the Autodromo La Guacima.
Upcoming Event: Bodhi Surf School to hold surf retreats starting in February 2012. Check out the flyer here.
Surf season is open on the Caribean coast. Check out the wave pic sent by Tequila from December's first big swell. Support the surf community by coming to visit El Caribe.
CONCERTS: Gondwana: Chilean reggae band, Feb. 17, 8 p.m., Club 212, San Joaquín de Flores, Heredia, 2549-5030, www.laboleteria.co.cr
CONCERTS: Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead with Oteil Burbridge of the Allman brothers, Max Creek, Zach Deputy, and Ryan Montbleau the 17,18,19 of February at Hotel Docelunas in Jaco Beach. For more information, visit www.docelunas.com.
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.
Nosara Shack filming a visit from Aaron Cormican last week to Playa Guiones:
Coco Ho and Claire Bevilacqua visiting Santa Teresa to catch a few, from our friends at MalPaiSurfCam.com.
** RESOURCES **
NOW Fully Customizable Surf Trips to meet every budget and skill level !!
HELP WANTED: * Volcano Brewing Company in Lake Arenal, Costa Rica, is seeking two hotel managers. * Del Mar Surf Camp is hiring a marketing director. Read more about the position here. * Kevins Transfers needs an additional licensed driver to handle high season requests. Email Kevin for details.
Do you need a surf photographer or videographer for your trip? Check out our list of top pros in all corners of the country. Also, see Fabian Sanchez's new website showcasing his latest shots.
1/12 - Thanks to all those who contributed to help pay for an A.E.D. device in Dominical. We did not reach our goal in 2011 and so we rounded up the total of donations to $100 and gave that to the lifeguard program to help pay for salaries and equipment. If you read the top news below, their lifeguard program is about to close due to lack of funds.
In 2012, CR Surf Travel Company will continue our goal of supporting the lifeguard programs on both coasts and getting A.E.D. devices and training provided for them. Email if you want to help.
12/28 - Chinchilla Swears In Oversight Commission to help protect marine resources. Read more.
12/28 - The Jacó Lifeguards are ready to take care of our tourists at the beach. Head lifeguard Marvin Pérez is looking for donations to help ensure the safety of swimmers and surfers. If you want to help, call Marvin at 8701-4457.
12/21 - Impunity reigns for illegal shrimp trawlers in National Wildlife Refuges. Read more from Pretoma.org.
12/21 - NYIT Students Bring Waste Removal Solutions to Costa Rica. Read more.
12/13 - Scientists announced that a new species of yeti crab was discovered living in the Pacific Ocean about 93 kilometers off the coast of northwest Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula. The crab was named Kiwa puravida for Costa Rica’s signature catchphrase meaning “pure life.” The crab dwells at a depth of 1,000 meters and lives off bacteria that grows on its front claws. The crabs nourish bacteria by waving their claws over ocean vents called seeps that emit hydrogen sulfide and methane. After these dance-like movements, the crabs harvest the bacteria with an appendage that shovels the bacteria into their mouths.
11/28 - Pirate headliners who illegally enter Cocos Island. More from PRETOMA
11/21 - CR Surf Travel Company to Donate Prizes for Save the Waves Film Festival. Read more.
11/14 - Tuna Farm Aquaculture Project Stopped! SETENA states it will not consider the Granjas Atuneras project near Pavones. Read more.
11/11 - CRsurf has donated $250 to the Costa Rican non-profit PRETOMA as part of their commitment to 1% for the Planet. PRETOMA has been fighting to stop shark finning, protecting sea turtle nesting habitats, and stopping the experimental tuna farms from going in near Pavones. Full story.
11/1 -
CR Surf Travel Company to Donate Prizes for Save the Waves Film Festival. Read more.
Recycling locations on the southern Pacific coast, set up by the Nature Conservancy.
We now are linked up to three Costa Rica Live Surf Cams!
Thanks to Surf Inn Hermosa, Nosara Surf Cam, and Witchs Rock Surf Camp for sharing their view of the waves.
The new issue of SURFOS magazine is out.
Read it digitally online at Issuu.com
Here's the NOAA Central America Wave Model for the next 5 days:
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.
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
1/12 - The Asociacion de Surf de Mal Pais just announced a local surf contest for January 28th and 29th, behind La Lora restaurant in Santa Teresa. Email Michelle Jimenez for details on how to enter the event and sponsor it.
12/28 - The Puerto Viejo Open Pro 2012 circuit will be bigger than ever, with four contests throughout the year showcasing the best Caribbean surf talent. Each date will have $3000 in cash/prizes, and the winner of the 4 events recieves and extra $2000. If you want to sponsor a contest, email Beto. The current dates are:
January 28th - Salsa Brava
June 23rd - Salsa Brava or Playa Cocles
November 3rd - Playa Hermosa
January 5th - Salsa Brava
12/6 - Costa Rica team is 6-time Champion of the Central American Surfing Games. Anthony Fillingim from Santa Teresa takes 1st in Open, CRSurf team rider Noe Mar McGonagle takes 1st in Juniors, Nataly Bernold takes 1st in Womens, Bruno Carvalho takes 1st in Boys, and Anthony Flores takes 1st in Longboard. Read more from all 3 days of competition (in Spanish).
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.
See the Caribbean Surf Association new website here.. www.acosuca.com
Click here for our daily photo gallery of the 2009 Billabong ISA World Surfing Games..
Top Contest Videos
CRSurf.com and Carton Surfboards Team Rider Leilani McGonagle on You Tube