Costa Rica Surf Report for May 13, 1999

Brought to you each Thursday by Greg Gordon info@crsurf.com and local surf businesses throughout Costa Rica. See www.crsurf.com for pics.

FEATURES
National Stats:
Tides
Swell Direction
Area Reports:
Wave Heights & Conditions
Forecasts & Best Spot
Upcoming Events / Contests


SPONSORS by Area
1) Patti at Best Western - Vista Villas & The Monkey Bar "Guanacaste's Surf Connection" (653-0114) tamvv@sol.racsa.co.cr in Tamarindo
2) Nela from Las Tortugas Hotel nela@playagrande.co.cr in Playa Grande
3) Hotel Café de Paris cafedeparis@nosara.com in Nosara
4) Tommy at Hotel Fuego del Sol cybersurfer@fuegodelsol.com in Hermosa (643-3737)
5) Chuck at Surf Outfitters chucks@sol.racsa.co.cr in Jaco
6) Todd Cutter at Alacran Surf Tours alacran@sol.racsa.co.cr in M. Antonio (777-1868)
7) The editor at Casa del Mar in Dominical (787-0068)
8) Mel Baker from A.T.E.C. atecmail@sol.racsa.co.cr in Puerto Viejo (750-0188)


TIDES (add 50 minutes each day)

High for Fri. (5/14) - 1:43 p.m.; Height - 9.8 ft.
Low - 7:21 a.m.; Height - 0 ft.

SWELL DIRECTION --

Pacific - big SW swell arrives Saturday, best day will be Monday. Will change to SSW Tuesday.
Caribbean - nothing is showing for this coming week, no best day


AREA REPORTS -

NICOYA (N)
(1) Patti at Best Western, Tamarindo Vista Villas AREA WAVE HEIGHTS (faces) AND CONDITIONS (glassy/choppy): It's a week of small surf with wave heights at high tide 4-6' at some south breaks. Conditions are remaining glassy in the a.m. with offshore winds and then turning onshore early. With high tides this week, we are down to one surf session a day midday to early afternoon. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): More of the same with a Southwest 220 and a south/south west 190 all exposed south/west facing beaches should pick up the swell with 5+ in some areas. Rain is here in Gunacaste so watch for the storms, stay clear of any lightning, but it will glass off. BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: South west facing beaches - Playa Negra and T bay should be good. A new sw 220 should come in by next Wed. Check out Playa Grande for the incoming high tides. NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS: It's tranquillo in Tamarindo. Enjoy the surf!!!

(2) Nela from Las Tortugas Hotel in Playa Grande - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS (faces) AND CONDITIONS (glassy/choppy): The swell has been running at about head high to overhead and a half with some bigger sets. It appears to be coming straight in with the edge of it hitting Tamarindo river mouth. Yesterday it was raw and bumpy and today it has settled down considerably. The wind is light offshore in the morning and during every other day downpours. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): More of the same with the critical high tide moving into the afternoon with less chance of off shores at high tide. BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: In front of the hotel at high tide and the Playa Grande side of the Tamarindo river mouth during incoming tide in the morning.

(3) From Hotel del Paris in Nosara - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS (faces) AND CONDITIONS (glassy): 4 to 5 feet. Windy all day that disturb the waves. Kind of glassy after the rain (almost everyday) WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): Saturday it will less wind and nicer shape to become good on Sunday. Hope 5 to 6 feet. BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: Guiones

JACO & HERMOSA (JH)
(4) From Hotel Fuego del Sol- http://fuegodelsol.com - Hello from Playa Hermosa! We have been surfing some south facing beaches this week about 4ft, 5ft at Tulin River. We are waiting for a southwest system to kick in later this week. We are expecting it to get overhead; but, better than that, we are going to hit some of those westie reefs.
Stay tuned for some new pics. Pura Vida, Aloha, Imua and Mahalo Nui Loa!!! Tommy

(5) From Chuck at Surf Outfitters & Chosita del Surf - Surfs 3'- 4' foot faces with bigger sets, big storm offshore, plenty of rain and its making the beach breaks a little peakier than lately. High Tide mid-day so check the reefs for morning surfs right now! Tulin could be a good call if size stays the same. Pura Vida

QUEPOS & MANUEL ANTONIO (QMA)
(6) Alacran Surf Tours, Manuel Antonio Campeonato Internacional de Playa Hermosa
$10,000 in cash prizes
$2,000 in cash prizes for nighttime surf exhibicion
**For more informaiton, please direct your attention to: www.alacransurf.com/campeonato

NEW INFO. ABOUT SURF CONTEST:
· There will be contestants from Columbia, Venezuela, Panama, El Salvador, and 10 Quilsilver riders
· Terraza del Pacifico has rooms for $75 (with taxes) for three people each night
· Both International and National Registration are now open - costs are as follows
$35 for the daytime contest / $25 for the nighttime contest / $50 for both entrees
· Representatives from Oakley, Berok, Hawaiian Tropic, and Crystal Water will be there all weekend
· Saturday Night is a $1000 bikini contest with models from San Jose entering ;)
· Preview of contest dates and times (this CAN change):
Friday - June 4 - First heat at 7:00 a.m. until 5 p.m., 1st night heats at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday - June 5 - First heat at 7:00 a.m. until 5 p.m., Night Finals at 7:00 p.m. & Bikini Contest
Sunday - June 6 - Finals in the afternoon
(High tide is at 7:00 in the morning, so early and late heats are better)
· There will either be 64 or 128 contestants for the day contest, and 32 or 64 for the night contest
· www.WAVECAM.COM will be setting up a live feed video camera at Terraza before the end of May !!

DOMINICAL'S TEAM RIDERS ARE LOOKING FOR SPONSORS !! Get good publicity for your business..Contact Greg.

DOMINICAL (D)
(7) Greg's house, Casa del Mar, Dominical - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS (faces) AND CONDITIONS: waves this morning were chest to overhead with a couple of 8 foot faces at the rivermouth. Glassy until 9.m., light wind until 1 p.m., and then stronger wind and rain in the p.m. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): Rain of course is in the forecast. Also, a SW swell that has trekked across the S. Pacific will give us six or seven days of quality 1-2 foot overhead (and better) waves. The point should be on by Monday. BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: Beachbreak in the afternoon - right before or after it rains. NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS: BEACH CLEANUP ON SUNDAY - MAY 23rd - 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Meet at Hotel Rio Lindo. Prizes from San Clemente, Funky Orchid, Gringo Mike's, and Plaza Pacifica Supermercado. Party with food and drinks at Roca Verde after the clean-up.

CARRIBEAN (C)
(8) Mel Baker from ATEC -AREA WAVE HEIGHTS (faces) AND CONDITIONS (glassy): The sea is still flat, no predictions as to changes.

KEEP YOUR BEACHES CLEAN - ORGANIZE A CLEANUP IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS. From the BASURA-BUSTERS !