Costa Rica's Weekly Surf Report for September 9, 1999

Brought to you each Thursday by local surf businesses throughout Costa Rica. See http://www.crsurf.com/links.html for pics., forecast links, and tide charts.

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) in Tamarindo - tamvv@sol.racsa.co.cr

2) Louis at Hotel Las Tortugas (653-0458) in Playa Grande - nela@cool.co.cr

3) Kristian Faerron at Witches Rock surfwitches@hotmail.com

4) Chuck at Chosita del Surf in Jaco (643-3328)
chucks@sol.racsa.co.cr

5) Mike at Villa Hermosa Hotel (643-3373)
taycole@sol.racsa.co.cr

6) Tommy at Hotel Fuego del Sol in Hermosa (643-3737)
cybersurfer@fuegodelsol.com

7) Todd at Alacran Surf Tours in Manuel Antonio (777-1868)
alacran@sol.racsa.co.cr

8) Paco at Hotel Rio Lindo in Dominical (787-0078) hotelriolindo@costarica.net

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. (9/3) - 5:25 a.m.; Height - 10.3 ft.
Low - 11:32 a.m.; Height - -1.7 ft.

Alta para Vrn. (13/8) - 5:25 a.m.; Tamaño - 310 cm.
Baja - 11:32 p.m.; Tamaño: -50 cm.

SWELL DIRECTION -- DIRECIÓN DEL SWELL

Pacific - A swell from the SSW should arrive by Sunday afternoon. By next Tuesday it will have filled in all S and SW beaches with strong currents and well overhead surf. The best day will be next Tuesday.

Caribbean - Tropical disturbances in the Carribean Sea will bring wind chopped waves thoughout the weekend. The best day should be Sunday.

Pacifico - Un swell de sur-sudoeste debe llegar para domingo en la tarde. Para el próximo martes, había llenado todos las playas de sur y sudoeste con corrientes fuertes y olas muchas mas grande de su cabeza. El mejor día será el próximo martes.
Caribean - Tormentas tropicales en el mar llevará olas picadas del viento entre todo el fin de semana. El mejor día debe ser domingo.


AREA REPORTS

NICOYA (N)
(1) Patti at Best Western, Tamarindo Vista Villas - She is on vacation this week..Sorry!!
(2) From Louis at Hotel Las Tortugas in Playa Grande - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS: A nice South/Southwest swell has been running for several days. Sunday, even with light on-shore wind, the shape was fair to good and overhead on the sets. The tides are moving into the afternoon and now we are almost completely dependent on afternoon rain storms to glass off the wave faces fo r high tide. On occassion we are slipping down to the river mouth for early morning sessions when the swell is large enough. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): The good sessions are getting further and further apart as we move into the rainy season. The wind is still coming off shore in the afternoon almost every day with rain showers with some possibility for good surf. The tides will be right over the weekend for this condition. BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: In front of the hotel in the afternoon or the river mouth in the morning. NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS: The letherback turtles are beginning to arrive at Playa Grande for their nesting ritual in the evening.

(3) From Kristian at Witches Rock - The waves at witch's and ollie's have been flat, these past two days. (sent Tues. 9-7)

JACO & HERMOSA (JH)
(4) From Chuck in Jaco - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS: "La Chosita Del SURF" Jaco is 3-4 foot faces , fair form mid-day, moderate on shore winds which have turned offshore this p.m. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): My guess is the weekend should remain @ the same size but with morefavorable tides in the a.m. and p.m. , normal afternoon rains but nice sunnydays, no storm systems close enough in the atlantic to affect us yet like in TEMPORAL. Watch the latest system @ 600 miles east of lesser antilles, it's pretty far south and in a good area for stengthening BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: Stick to the beach breaks, small to med. swell is what they like ! NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS: I regret to inform c.r. of the passing of one of our most destinguished and loved founding fathers of jaco, JON DANKER, I wish his family our condolences and our prayers. On a more positive note, yes there will be an amateur contest in jaco on oct. 23, 24 Sponsored by Radikales surfwear, Hotel Terraza Del Pacifico and La Chosita Del Surf and the rest of the jaco community, this is a nonprofit contest all entrance fees go directly to collegio tecnico de jaco to be used to help build a new gymnasium ! Divisions will be prejunior, junior, open, womens and a masters divisions. 1st place in prejunior and junior , open and women will be new ERIE and Banzaii surfboards ! Lots of other prizes as well , If your business is located in the Jaco area, we are looking for small contributions such as dinners for 2, canopy for 2, maybe a weekend for 2 in one of the nicer hotels to be the masters first place prize and we also will be needing judges , if you are interested in helping out Please call or e-mail me tel# is 643-3328, 643 -1308 Thanks again A FRIEND IN COSTA RICA chuck

(5) From Mike at Villa Hermosa - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS: Building swell ,glassy head high really good form peaks high around 2 WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): BUILDING SWELL, PROBABLY 2 TO 3 FEET OVERHEAD AT EXPOSED SPOTS BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: HERMOSA AT HIGHER TIDES, MAYBE ESCONDIDO MIGHT SHOW SOMETHING, IF BIG ENOUGH. JACO GETS REALLY GOOD THIS TIME OF YEAR WITH SIZE(RIVERMOUTH) NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS: GOOD RATES

(6) From Tommy at Hotel Fuego del Sol - We are having Christian Fletcher doing our surf camp the last week in October. Get your Airs down with Christian. Details at http://fuegodelsol.com Pura Vida!!!!

QUEPOS & MANUEL ANTONIO (QMA)
(6) From Alacran Tours in Manuel Antonio - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS: This last week we have had 3 to 5 foot swells come though in Manuel Antonio Beach with waves in Playitas from waist to shoulder high. Playa Cocales (across the river in Quepos) was really nice on Sunday with waist to shoulder high waves. Winds were stagnant, neither helping nor hindering the surf. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): This week we are expecting bigger swells ranging anywhere from 5 to 8 foot swells and sets up to 10+. The weather should be very fair with sunny skies the majortiy of the day and then the normal afternoon rain shower BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: Best spots to surf are; Playitas, in front of Mar y Sombra and with the low tide in the morning the Damas River Mouth for those looking for heavier rights NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS: For those of you that have clients interested in private surf lessons/tours we here at Alacran Tours out of Quepos are offering private bilingual guides and lessons. By the high season we will also be offering bilinugal guides in the Jaco and Tamarindo area as well. If you have any clients or know of any guides that are interested in this service, please do not hesitate to contact us at 777-1868. Have a great weekend and rip it up!

DOMINICAL & SOUTHERN PACIFIC (D)
(7) From Hotel Rio Lindo in Dominical - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS: Waves have been overhead all week. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND: SSW swell is expected to arrive on Monday with 2x overhead conditions, and morning high tides. BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: Left Point, 3 hours before high tide. UPCOMING EVENTS: Come by Paco's Pool Bar for a great frozen fruit drink.

CARRIBEAN (C)
(8) From Mel Baker at A.T.E.C. in Puerto Viejo - see national report