CR Surf Report for 5-21-06

Costa Rica's Weekly Surf Report
Volume 8, Issue 334
May 15th, 2006

TOP NEWS

Next week Invitational Quiksilver Pro in La Libertad El salvador, with a price purse of 16,000 dolars Gilbert Brown and Nino are going too be representing for WAVES COSTA RICA buena suerte chicos! - from www.wavescr.com

New surfing in Costa Rica site tracks the national contest circuit - www.surfingcr.net

Tico Travel Pro-Am coming up June 18th-25. See the details and signup info on the CRSURF homepage.

Central America Surf Contest at Playa Esterillos - July 13th -15th, with $14,000 in prizes. Countries Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panamá y Costa Rica will be participating in the 3 day event.

Contact info@... to get your trip package reservations.

NATIONAL FORECAST

Pacific - 1-2 foot overhead surf from the SSW continues from Monday to Wednesday, then drops down to overhead on Thursday morning, a foot smaller on the Nicoya coast. Friday it drops another foot, and stays at head high with some overhead sets for the weekend from the SW. Monday it drops to chest high before the next SSW overhead pulses roll in next Tuesday.

Caribbean - Monday the chest high surf starts getting more inconsistent and by Tuesday it drops down to waist with only a chest high set once an hour. Wednesday it's back to knee to waist, Thursday, too. On Friday the waves stay around waist high, but no relief until next Sunday with an occasional chest high wave from the ESE.

To do your own forecast - use our links at http://www.crsurf.com/surflink.html

TIDES for 5/21/06

High Tide: 8.16 ft at 9:14 am
Low Tide: 1.32 ft at 3:25 pm
(add ~50 min. each day)

New Moon - 5/26

** Surf Reporters **
Hotel Totem in Playa Cocles (750-0758) - totem368@...
Manuel Antonio Surf School (777-4842) - info@...
Witchs Rock Surf Camp in Tamarindo - stephenmonticone@...
John Lyman Photography in Playa Negra - lymanphoto@...
Samara Surf School (656-0055) in Samara - jesse@...
Land Assurance (787-0291) in Dominical - info@...
Coconut Harrys in Nosara - www.coconutharrys.com
Witchs Rock Surf Trips (670-1020) in Playa de Coco - rocasurf@...
Diana at PuraMar Surf School (653-1355) in Tamarindo - puramartamarindo@...
Hotel Las Tortugas (653-0423) in Playa Grande - surfegg@...
Chosita del Surf (643-1308, fax 643-3328) in Jaco - chucks@...
Rancho Coral (778-8648) in Esterillos - wearesurfing@...

** Sponsors **
Hotel La Dolce Vita (778-7015 ) in Esterillos - info@...
La Sirena Hotel (1-800-493-8426) in Quepos - info@...
Third World Surf (643-1497) in Jaco - thirdworldproductionscr@...
Ranchos Ituana (640-0095) in Mal Pais - peter@...
Tres Monos Lodge (640-0090, 825-1381) in Mal Pais - karla_malpais@...
Nature Cabina for rent near Dominical Beaches - qpb@...
Kevin's Transfers (643-2604 / cell:(712) 361-9218) in Jaco - comeeds@...
A Surfer's Dream House in Playa Negra - info@...
Villas Rio Mar (787-0052 fax 787-0054) in Playa Dominical - info@...
Tico Travel - Surf Trips (1-800-493-8426) - info@...
Costa Paraiso Lodge (787-0025) in Dominicalito - info@...
Surfer's Guide to Costa Rica www.surfingtravel.com
Pablos Picasso Hotel and Restaurant (658-8158) in Playa Negra -pabloscr@...
Hotel Poseidon (Toll free:888-643-1242 or 643-1642) reservations@...
Hotel Cafe de Paris (682-0087, fax 682-0089) in Nosara - info@...
Cashew Hill Jungle Lodge (750-0256) in Puerto Viejo - reservations@...
Cabinas Las Olas (658-8315 Fax: 222-8685) in Playa Avellanas - olassa@...
Teen Spanish and Surf Camps (1-800-765-0025) - info@...
Cafe Playa Negra (658-8351) - cafeplayanegra@...
Green Iguana Surf Camp (825-1381) in Dominical - admin@...
School of the World (643-2462) in Jaco - info@...
Roca Bruja Surf Tours (670-1020) in Playa del Coco - rocasurf@...
*****************

AREA REPORTS (sent in on 5/20)

** From Louis at Hotel Las Tortugas in Playa Grande -

AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS - Tamano de las olas y condiciones: This just overhead swell is breaking nicely in the morning, and fun in the afternoon, even though the wind is on shore. Light crowds and a good
vibe prevailing with the lack of Italian being spoken in the water.
WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves) - Que va a pasar este fin de semana (clima y olas): If conditions stay mellow, it should stay good.
BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA - El mejor lugar a
surfear este fin de semana en su area: Pick your spot at the north end of the bay.

** From Diana at Pura Mar Surf Shop in Tamarindo:

AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS - Tamano de las olas y condiciones: The swell of the week has tapered off leaving us with waves waist to chest high. Winds are generally off-shore only in the mornings and evenings now that the rains have begun. The water is warm and clear. El swell de esta semana ya ha pasado dejandonos con olas de a la cintura de la pecho. El viento generalmente sopla off-shore en las mananas y al atardecer ahora que han empezado las lluvias. El agua es caliente y clara.
WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves) - Que va a pasar este fin de semana (clima y olas): The swell is diminishing, so expect small waves at the morning high tides. Possible afternoon rains. El swell esta pasando, asi que espere olas pequenas en las mananas a la marea alta. Posibilidad de lluvias en las tardes.
BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA - El mejor lugar a surfear este fin de semana en su area: Langosta and Playa Grande have the best of what's left of the swell. Langosta y Playa Grande tiene lo mejor de lo que queda del swell.

** From John Lyman Photography in Playa Negra -

AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS - Tamano de las olas y condiciones: The waves have had major size the last few days. Choppy onshore conditions the first half of this past week has given way to clean, classy overhead ++ for the second half of the week.
WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves) - Que va a pasar este fin de semana (clima y olas): The big swell is slowly losing it's punch but there are still plenty of head high sets. Look for another, smaller swell to fill in Tuesday and Wednesday. The wind has been cooperating the last few mornings and late afternoons and should stay that way through the first half of this week. Partly cloudy skies with rain and scattered thunderstorms possible in the afternoons.
BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA - El mejor lugar a surfear este fin de semana en su area: We have the high tide running through the late mornings all this upcoming week. Playa Negra will be the call as the swell diminishes. It's been good in the mornings and afternoons.
NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS- Noticias y dias especiales: Check out John Lyman Photos at http://tamarindobeach.net/photos_lyman/index.html

** From Jesse at Samara Surf School -

Surfs up.. Choppy, rainy conditions, but great glass afterwards.
Great whitewater and intermediate waves. Come on over and surf infront of the Las Brisas Del Pacifico Hotel. Drop us a line. Pura Vida - www.samarasurfschool.com

** From Andrea at Waves CR Surf Camp in Playa Hermosa -

AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS - Tamano de las olas y condiciones: double over head, glassy and offshorish during the afternoon sessions
WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves) - Que va a pasar este fin de semana (clima y olas): hopefully the swell will hold, expect more sick waves and lots of barrels. lots of broken boards lately
BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA - El mejor lugar a surfear este fin de semana en su area: any place in Hermosa , every break has been epic for the last couple of weeks, tipical winter hermosa conditions
NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS- Noticias y dias especiales: Next week invitational Quiksilver Pro in La Libertad El salvador, with a price purse of 16,000 dolars Gilbert Brown and Nino are going too be representing for WAVES COSTA RICA buena suerte chicos!

** Brice at Land Assurance Reforestation Service in Dominical:

General Information for Dominical surfers
· Dominical is getting more crowded with each passing season. However, there is still plenty of room and plenty of waves for everyone. Be courteous and save your aggression for driving the bumpy roads where you'll need it.
o Playa Dominical is known as the most consistent surf spot in Costa Rica. There is almost always a wave worth riding.
o It is also known as a powerful break. I've been on much bigger waves at other breaks, but I've never been hammered quite as hard as by a big, mid-tide wave at Dominical.
o It is almost impossible to surf at dead low tide as the waves close out into very shallow water. I recently broke my back at a lower tide by doing a head butt into the sand.
o The mid-tides are great for more advanced surfers. The waves at mid-tide are faster and hollower and always less crowded.
o The high tide wave is the most popular but on smaller days is too mushy and frustrates short boarders. This is a good condition to pull out the long board and frustrate the short boarders even more.
o The bigger the wave, the more you should focus on high tide.
o On big wave days the current can be strong. It is usually best to walk to the end of the beach at the foot of the current and let it push you up or down as the case may be.
o The beach runs from the south east to the north west. Looking straight out to sea perpendicular to the beach you are looking at an angle of 210 degrees south west. This means that a swell coming from 210 degrees is most likely going to be closing out, where a swell coming from under 200 degrees or over 220 (rare) will have better form.
o Usually, but not always, when the waves come from less than 210 degrees the current flows south to north.
o When it rains, the river can act up and dump some pretty nasty, cold and muddy water. So, if it is raining, most people tend to stick further south near the cell tower.
o It may be my own bias because I am goofy, but the beach seems to favor left rides over rights (say 3 lefts for every 2 rights?).

** From the Totem Hotel in Playa Cocles (Caribbean Coast) -

AREA WAVE HEIGHTS AND CONDITIONS - Tamano de las olas y condiciones: 3 - 5 pies.
WHAT TO EXPECT THIS WEEKEND (weather and waves) - Que va a pasar este fin de semana (clima y olas): sol y ola
BEST PLACE TO SURF THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR AREA - El mejor lugar a surfear este fin de semana en su area: Playa Cocles Beach Break
NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS- Noticias y dias especiales: nada