The Best Hotel Close to San Jose Airport – Adventure Inn
International Surf Film Festival comes to Tamarindo
Only two weeks to go until this year’s Envision Festival, held February 28th to March 3rd in Uvita. Thousands of music, art, yoga, and nature fans are joining together along the beaches of Costa Ballena, from Dominical all the way down to Ojochal, to dance in the jungle and on the coast.
An integral part of the experience is being in the ocean, as surfing is a form of dance on the crests of the waves. It is also an art form, the surfer using their board as a brush and the wave as their canvass. So why not join in on the fun while you are close to the coast in the tropics where the water temperature is always around 80 degrees?
Rather than send you to one business, our goal has always been to support all the local surf businesses. Below is a list of the surf camps in the area with a little bit of information about each one. If you fill out a request to get a surf lesson or go on a surf tour, we will send it to those businesses participating and they will contact you directly with a quote for their services.
All of them are qualified to teach surfers, and they all know the area well enough to take more advanced surfers to find the waves that match their abilities. In general, lessons are around $50 per person and if you need transportation it would cost from $5-15 each way. Most all of them accept Paypal and credit cards. The instructors speak Spanish and English. If the swell is big, the instructors can find a sheltered spot to learn. And if you want big waves and it’s small, they know where the swell magnets are. Fill out the form below to sign up and we hope to see you out in the water!
Local Surf Lesson Providers
True Surf School – They have more than 60 Years of combined experience teaching surfing. They are former lifeguards and current voluntary lifeguards from Playa Dominical, a program that was started in 1998 and to this date produces some of the best lifeguards in the country. The founder Junior Montoya is known as a super friendly and knowledgable guide who has grown up in the area. They are based at the hotel and restaurant Tortilla Flats.
Dominical Wave Rider – Jeaninne Haddad is the owner who provides excellent service and has some of the best instructors working with her. Their office is next to the Tortilla Flats Restaurant in Dominical.
Sunset Surf School – Dylan Park runs Sunset from the Mavi Surf Hotel. His head instructor Jordy Mendez is also a Costa Ballena lifeguard and an excellent free surfer. They are 1% for the Planet members.
Dominical Surf School – Debbie Zec grew up in Dominical, 100 meters from the beach, and runs her surf camp from her house in town. She used to compete on the National Surf Tour and now leads women’s and coed surf retreats in the southern zone.
Dominical Surf Adventures – Henry Aguilera runs tours and lessons from next to Cabinas Posada del Sol in Dominical. His instructors are internationally certified to teach lessons, and they cater to surfers of all levels.
Costa Rica Surf Camp – Cesar and Kaitlyn run their surf shop and board rental business right across the street from the beach in Dominical, next to Restaurante Coco. They have a great selection of boards to rent and use for lessons and Cesar is one of the best surfers in the area.
Uvita 360 – Tito Azofeifa has been surfing since he was 11 and started his surf school in 2006 in Uvita. He and his other lead instructor are certified lifeguards and know the area around Uvita better than most anyone on the coast. They are located 200 meters from the park entrance to the Whales Tail beach.
Costa Rica Dive and Surf – Roberto Vargas has surf and dive locations in both Dominical and Uvita since 2007. They have a great stock of boards and know where all the reef breaks are because they dive them as well.
El Tubo Surf – Justin Hague has a passion for showing visitors the best that this stretch of coastline has to offer. Based in Playa Hermosa (just north of Uvita), he provides a special experience for his clients that makes it much more than just a surf lesson.
Jazzys River House – Steve Fergus has been teaching surfing so long, he’s taught many of the local surf instructors how to surf. He moved with his wife Ruby Kim to the area in 1996 and has been fixture in the Dominical surf scene, both for his help with the lifeguard programs and knowledge of the waves in Dominical.
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Todo Sano Surf School – This business was created by a couple of lovebirds Ricardo Fernandez and Camila Rodriguez who are passionate about surfing. Their intention is to share the surfing pura vida lifestyle with everyone, to show people that surfing is not only a sport, but also beneficial for ones body, mind and soul.
Now that you have read all of your options for surf lessons, just fill out our simple form and we will send it to the participating surf camps and they will contact you directly to set up your day to learn to surf or go on a surf tour.
