Costa Rica Surf Report for May 20, 1999

Brought to you each Thursday by Greg Gordon info@crsurf.com and local surf businesses throughout Costa Rica. See http://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) Mauricio at Hotel Pasatiempo passtime@sol.racsa.co.cr in Tamarindo
5) Steve at Tropico Latino tropico@centralamerica.com in Santa Teresa
6) Tommy at Hotel Fuego del Sol cybersurfer@fuegodelsol.com in Hermosa (643-3737)
7) Todd Cutter at Alacran Surf Tours alacran@sol.racsa.co.cr in M. Antonio (777-1868)
8) The editor at Casa del Mar in Dominical (787-0068)
9) Mel Baker from A.T.E.C. atecmail@sol.racsa.co.cr in Puerto Viejo (750-0188)

TIDES (add 50 minutes each day) MAREAS (sume 50 minutos cada día)

High for Fri. (5/21) - 7:27 a.m.; Height - 8.8 ft.
Low - 1:31 p.m.; Height - .8 ft.

Alta para Vrn. (15/4) - 7:27.m.; Tamaño - 266 cm.
Baja - 1:31 p.m.; Tamaño - 24 cm.

SWELL DIRECTION -- DIRECIÓN DEL SWELL

Pacific - another big SW swell arrives Friday, best day will be Monday. Will drop off by next Wed.
Caribbean - small East pushing in for Saturday.

Pacifico - Un otro swell viene viernes, el mejor día es lunes. Va a caer para el proximo miercoles.
Caribean - Un pequeño swell de este llega sabado.

AREA REPORTS -

NICOYA (N)
(1) Patti at Best Western, Tamarindo Vista Villas AREA WAVE HEIGHTS (faces) AND CONDITIONS (glassy/choppy): Thursday waves heights coming in at 5-7+ at all sw exposed breaks. Glassy conditions early am, but onshores coming in early morning. Switching to onshores on arriving storms in the afternoon for glassy & barreling surf. Swell to turn south with south breaks coming in at 10+ on Saturday. Should hold thru Tuesday. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): Big waves on outside south breaks with glassy conditions. Wind switch early, but dawn patrol kind of week. High tides on Thursday 5am and 5pm. BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: Any south or sw facing beaches. Ollie's is coming in with great conditions all weekend. Playa Avellanes and T Bay should be clean and big.

(2) Nela from Las Tortugas Hotel in Playa Grande - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS (faces) AND CONDITIONS (glassy/choppy): We have had a big sothwest swell for a while now. Today it was rough in the morning at high tide but smoothed out this afternoon when the wind went offshore. It is still raw and tricky in the several feet overhead range. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): High tide is in the morning and the waves should be good till the tide moves into the afternoon next week. There will be some afternoon surf if it rains and glasses off with the tides becoming right for Tamarindo in the afternoon over the week end. BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: Out in front of the hotel in the morning, and then in the afternoon if it glasses off. Later in the week at Tamarindo in the morning and evening.

(3) From Hotel del Paris in Nosara - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS (faces) AND CONDITIONS (glassy/choppy): 4-6' ALL THE TIME / SOME SETS WITH 8' GLASSY IN THE MORNING AND A LITLE BIT CHOPPY IN THE AFTERNOON WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): BEST WAVES COMING SINCE 3 WEEKS BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: GUIONES IN FRONT OF THE PALM TREE NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS: EVERY NIGHT AT THE CAFE DE PARIS NBA SEMIFINAL ON TV AND NBA FINAL

(4) From Mauricio at Hotel Pasatiempo in Tamarindo - la presente es para darles el informe de surfing. Tamano de las olas? Playa Tamarindo, las olas han estado entre 4 y 6 pies, sus alrededores como playa negra, playa Avellanas y play a Grande se han encontrado con olas superiores a las de playa Tamarindo. Ha estad glaciado durante la manana y la tarde, con buena fuerza y con siertos spots tuviando creemos que para el proximo fin de semana el swell se mantendra, suponemos que porque es invierno las condiciones van a hacer glaciado durante la manana y la tarde. Los mejores lugares para surfear podrian ser playa negra y la boca del rio de playa avellanas sin olvidar sus secret spots alrededor. Se espera un proximo torneo a nivel local para los proximos dias.

(5) From Steve Longrigg at Tropico Latino - Santa Teresa has been excellent the last few days a.m. overhead sets, tubes, glassy.

JACO & HERMOSA (JH)
(6) From Hotel Fuego del Sol- http://fuegodelsol.com - Hello from Playa Hermosa, Jaco - It's bombing right now at Terrazzas (4-6ft) where we saw some local talent in the deepest barrels I've seen in a while. There is a BIG SWELL (9-12ft seas) on the way so, that should surely wake up our reefs which are about 4ft. right now. They should get 8ft. plus and the beaches will be closed out and Points will be good our next swell prediction Definitely, know your limits along our beaches. There has been a lot of injuries especially, on our reefs and points with wackly tides. PURA VIDA!!!!!

QUEPOS & MANUEL ANTONIO (QMA)
(7) 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 information, 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 Quiksilver 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 !!

SURF TOURNAMENT MAY 28-29-30 AT SALSA BRAVA, SPONSORED BY ORVIN BROWN AT STANFORD'S

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

DOMINICAL (D)
(8) Greg's house, Casa del Mar, Dominical - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS (faces) AND CONDITIONS: 8 to 10 face waves, some bigger sets. Nobody out at mostly closed out beachbreak, point looks good at higher tides WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): Some p.m. rain and double overhead surf. BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: Both points early. NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS:

BEACH CLEANUP ON SUNDAY - MAY 23rd - 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Meet at Hotel Rio Lindo (Italian Restaurant)
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!

UNA LIMPIEZA ESTE DOMINGO - 23 DE MAYO - 2 a 4 en la tarde
Encontraremos al Hotel Rio Lindo
Premios de: San Clemente, Funky Orchid, Gringo Mike's, and Plaza Pacifica Supermercado !
Fiesta con comida y bebidas a Roca Verde despues de la limpieza !
para las Basura Busters!!!!!

CARRIBEAN (C)
(9) Mel Baker from ATEC - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS (faces) AND CONDITIONS (glassy/choppy): I ONLY CHECKED BEACHBREAK WHERE THE WAVES HAVE INCREASED FROM YESTERDAY (WED.) TO 3-4 FT. FROM 1-3' OCCASIONAL SURGE THAT WAS THERE. LOOKS LIKE IT WILL KEEP COMING UP. STILL HOT HERE WITH EVENING SHOWERS, STEADY LIGHT ONSHORE BREEZE. NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS: SURF TOURNAMENT MAY 28-29-30 AT SALSA BRAVA, SPONSORED BY ORVIN BROWN AT STANFORD'S.