Matt's Surfing Costa Rica Trip

Here's the link to the pictures I took with my digital camera.

I don't know how I did it, but somehow I convinced Nicole to let me go on a surfing trip to Costa Rica with Shane and some of his friends from the Naval Academy. I've got a wonderful, understanding, sweet wife who lets me pursue my own passions. I'm a very lucky guy.

Jon and Sarah also took some great pictures, a lot more of our house on the beach and the area around Playa Flamingo. Their shots are in this album

JON'S PICTURES

This time we stayed in Playa Flamingo, a 20 minute drive north from Tamarindo. Our house was right on the beach and was perfect for the 6 of us. It had a gas grill, AC, room for 6 of us to sleep, a hammock on the porch and a jacuzzi/dipping pool to cool off in as well as 2 bathrooms and a full kitchen.

This was the view out the front balcony of our little house.

We did some trips to Wittches Rock and caught some red snapper that we cooked up on the grill. We spent lots of time in Tamarindo but we surfed Avellanas, Playa Grande, Langosta and Shane even caught a few waves on a break we named Hacienda because of the huge house overlooking the rocky break at the left point at Flamingo. I didn't take as many pictures this time because I forgot to bring my bigger camera image card with me, limiting my picture taking to just 30 shots or so.

The highlights included surfing at two "secret spots" on our first Witches boat trip. Both were awesome breaks that you would never think to surf unless you were with a guide or someone who had previously surfed them. We surfed Ollies Point, definitely a great break when the surf is medium to large but not too much fun when there are 30 folks all trying to sit on the one peak where the wave starts to break. It was at that point that our boat captain suggested we head out and go to another secret spot he thought would be breaking and sure enough, it was breaking and totaly isolated. We brought a waterproof camera out into the swell but we lost it when a large wave washed it into the rocks on the shore and it was too dangerous to retreive.

We went to the local fiesta and enjoyed the rodeo and bull riding. Our friend from Witches Rock Surf Camp was supposed to ride one of the bulls but he didn't get there in time to sign up. But we did enjoy the bull riding and Shane and Brent decided to play bull-ring clown, getting down into the bull ring to distract the bull after he bucked the rider off. I don't think the flip-flop shoes Shane and Brent were wearing were designed with this activity in mind.

Part of our quiver of 9 boards for six people. Brent added as second board while we were there, making our count 10 boards for 6 people.

The last four standing for the Saturday morning surf. Brent stayed home and slept in, missing a great morning session where the waves started to hollow as the wind switched offshore. Not a huge swell that day, but with the wind and wave shape, definitely a great way to end the group trip.