Costa Rica's Weekly Surf Report for September 23, 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. Thierry at Café de Paris in Nosara
cafepari@nosara.com

4) Steve at Tropicos Latino (640-0062) in Playa Santa Teresa troplat@sol.racsa.co.cr

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

6) Allan at Terraza del Pacifico in Jaco (643-3222 fax: 643-3424) jacowave@sol.racsa.co.cr

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

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

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

10) 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. (9/24) - 2:01 p.m.; Height - ? ft.
Low - 8:02 a.m.; Height - ? ft.

Alta para Vrn. (24/9) - 2:01 p.m.; Tamaño - ? cm.
Baja - 8:02 a.m.; Tamaño: ? cm.

SWELL DIRECTION -- DIRECIÓN DEL SWELL

Pacific - A strong forecasted SW has arrived, and should stay until next Tuesday. Best days will be Sunday and Monday EARLY!! (hightide and offshore around dawn)

Caribbean - The best day is next Wednesday. There will be an increase is size by Monday with good surf for the middle of next week from a tropical storm.

Pacifico - Un swell grande de sudoeste ha llegado, y debe quedar hasta el próximo martes. Los días mejores serán domingo y lunes TEMPRANO!! (marea alta y vientos offshore alrededor la madrugada)
Caribean -El mejor día será miercoles. Hay olas mas grandes para lunes con oleajes para la media de la semana del una tormenta tropical


AREA REPORTS

NICOYA (N)
(1) Patti at Best Western, Tamarindo Vista Villas - still M.I.A……
(2) From Louis at Hotel Las Tortugas in Playa Grande - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS: The rain has finally let off to reveal a consistent headhigh to just overhead swell. Conditions are still pretty messy with the high tide moving in to the afternoon and the possible good surf dependent on afternoon showers to glass it off. Without offshores, the likelihood of super clean waves is almost nil. (measure the front of the wave and how it appears to break (glassy, choppy, mushy, barreling) WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): The high tide will be even later for a possible session here and there. (a guess on the size of the waves and the weather if possible) BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: In front of the hotel at three quarter, chicken head rock at high, and Playa Grande side of the Tamarindo River mouth anytime during incoming. NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS: The letherback turtles are beginning to arrive at Playa Grande for their nesting ritual in the evening.
(3) From Thierry at Café de Paris in Nosara - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS: Guiones : Swell, 4 - 6 feet, quite good. Messy Pelada : swell 6 - 8 feet, better then Guiones a little messy . Could be better if the win stop. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): Guiones and Pelada : sunny since 2 days. If the weather stay like this must be better abd better. BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: Guiones and Pelada not big difference and very close from each other.
(4) From Steve at Tropicos Latino at Santa Teresa - WAVE HEIGHTS & CONDITIONS: Still SW and head high with some bigger sets. much better weather this week and hence some pretty clean days.. best it's been for a while. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND: With a SW swell on the way, should be a great weekend if the weather stays fine. BEST PLACE TO SURF NEAR YOU THIS WEEKEND: Low tide is moving into the mornings so it's barrels at Santa Teresa or blood 6 guts at the reefs

JACO & HERMOSA (JH)
(5) From Chuck in Jaco - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS: Jaco- 4-6ft. midday kind of fun some wind onshore and a bit to straight on closed out basically, but still got some waves out front! WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): this swell has been @ for a while, I expect it to drop a bit but I don't know, hope it turns a bit more so the shape improves the tides are definetly getting better for us by sat. BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: If the swell holds could get some small escondida but the crowd scene might be a little crazy! Of course the beach breaks are the least crowded ! NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS: Watch for the contest posters soon to be mailed and put up all over Costa Rica dates are the 23-24 oct . more next week ! Tom from Fuego Del Sol says Cristian Fletcher could be putting on AIR-SHOW !!! for us ! 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

(6) From Terraza del Pacifico - El Hotel Terraza del Pacífico esta organizando el día 25 de setiembre, un torneo de Surf Nocturno llamado "Independence Night", para este evento contaremos con la participación de 32 surfeadores en una sola categoría Open Internacional, el costo de la inscripción es de $30 por persona y se podrán inscribir el día 24 de setiembre en las instalaciones del nuestro Hotel. El monto de los premios asciende a $1.200 mas accesorios y tablas de surf. Si requiere mas informacion puede comunicarse al E-mail terraza@sol.racsa.co.cr ó visitenos en www.terraza-del-pacífico.com good surf

(7) From Tommy at Hotel Fuego del Sol - Hola Desde Playa Hermosa!!!! http://fuegodelsol.com Big Hello from a pounding Playa Hermosa! We are currently under south southwest conditions. It looks as if we are going to have conditions EXACTLY the same as last weekend. We should see clean ups in the 10 ft. range this weekend at exposed south facing beaches. Most spots should see 6 foot plus. We are having Christian Fletcher as our guest instructor at our Surf Camp from Oct 24-30th. It should be a great time and a humbling exhibition from the cutting edge of Surfing . Call Tommy at (506) 643 3737 for more info or, check out our web-site http://fuegodelsol.com. I want to thank everyone for their support. Now, YOU have your first Surfer Run Hotel here in Costa Rica offering You REAL surf programs and REAL FUN. We are about EVERYONE'S surfing here at Hotel Fuego del Sol . Alohas& Mahalo Nui Loa!!!!

QUEPOS & MANUEL ANTONIO (QMA)
(8) From Alacran Tours in Manuel Antonio - **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.** AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS: This past week, we experienced a great surf week with the swell entering on Thursday which produced strong surf through Saturday in Playitas as well as in front of Mar y Sombra. Waves were best in Playitas about 3 hrs before high tide. High tide bests were further south at Mar y Sombra/Bajos. Waves were between 5-7 ft at their best...low tide was steady at Boca Quepos which is a left...beware, do not drink the water. Sunday through Thursday best waves are in Playitas. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves): With a new south west entering on Friday, we will be expecting chest high+ waves in Playitas, El Rey and perhaps out at the new mouth of Damas. Weather has been fairly consistent with sunny days and cloudy late afternoons..have not seen too much rain yet...so we expect it any day now!! BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: For best breaks, check out Playitas a couple hours before high tide (rights and lefts) if the winds are favorable; Del Rey, or even north to Bejuco or Esterillos are always good alternatives if its flat in Man. Antonio NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS: Alacran Surf Tours will be opening a new office in Quepos soon, so be sure to check it out next time you are in town. We'll keep you posted. If any of your clients are heading to Arenal or Monteverde and need hotel recommendations/reservations, activity res/info, feel free to give us a call at 777-1868. LOS ALACRANES

DOMINICAL & SOUTHERN PACIFIC (D)
(9) From Hotel Rio Lindo in Dominical - AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS: More rain, choppy closed out surf. WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND: Hopefully a weather change, winds onshore around 10:30. BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA: Beachbreak- 2 hours before high tide (one sesh per day until Monday) UPCOMING EVENTS: Next beach cleanup coming soon. Ask Lillian at La Escuelita if you want to help. 787-0090.

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