COSTA RICA SURF TEAM
Contest Results from Contest #2 - Playa Dominical - October 19-20, 2001
Category Place Name
Open 1 Gilbert Brown (P.V.)
2 William Johnson (Jaco)
3 Jose Montoya (Dom.)
Wahines 1 Lisbeth Vindas (Jaco)
2 Andria Diaz (Jaco)
3 Jenny Hinds (Dom.)
CNSC Calendario (The Costa Rica National Surf Circuit)
Playa Negra - November 17th-18th
Tamarindo - December 15th-16th
Salsa Brava - January 19th - 20th
Quepos (Playitas) - February 16th - 17th
Marbella - March 9th - 10th
Hermosa - April 20th - 21st
Email: info@surfdaynite.com for more details...
Categories:
OPEN ~ JUNIORS (under 18) ~ BOYS (under 16) ~ GROMMETS (under 14) ~ MINI-GROM (Under 12) ~ LONGBOARD ~ BODYBOARD ~ WOMEN
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Fpilurzo
Torneo de la ASP arrancó hoy en Hawaii, Listos rivales de Federico Pilurzu en la Triple Corona
Vecino de Playa Langosta de Tamarindo se presentará ante surfistas de Islas Canarias, Hawai y Brasil
http://www.surfspot.com/media/reef/reef.html - to see live coverage.
San José, Costa Rica (12 de noviembre del 2007). El representante de Costa Rica en la Triple Corona de Hawai, Federico Pilurzu, empezará a “correr” olas a partir de mañana cuando tenga que enfrentarse ante un tablista local, otro de las Islas Canarias y un tercer hombre de Brasil.
El Reef Hawaiian Pro se inició hoy en Haleiwa donde la Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) organizó un evento de seis estrellas que congrega a los mejores tablistas del mundo.
La participación de Pilurzu –actual bicampeón open de Centroamérica- en la Triple Corona se concretó luego de que compitiera en el O?Neill ColdWater Clasicc en Santa Cruz (California), en el Maresia Surf Internacional en Santa Catarina y en el Obongo Pro Surfing en Sao Paulo -ambos en Brasil- en octubre pasado.
En la actualidad tras la actualización de las posiciones en esos eventos Federico se ubica en la casilla 99 del ranking mundial en la que ostenta 5713 puntos validos para ingresar en la serie de tres eventos.
La segunda prueba de la Triple Corona tendrá lugar en Sunset Beach, en Oahu (Hawai) a partir del 25 de noviembre según establece la página web oficial de la ASP.
Primera salida
Esa fuente digital indica que mañana, aproximadamente a las 3 p. m. (hora de Costa Rica¡), Pilurzu tendría que competir ante Jonathan González de las Islas Canarias, Fabio Gouveia (Brasil) y el hawaino Chad Chidester.
“La verdad me siento tranquilo para comenzar a luchar por un campo a la siguiente ronda, espero lograrlo para dejar en alto el nombre del surfing de Costa Rica”, indicó Pilurzu en un correo electrónico.
Además de la corona del Istmo el vecino del cantón de Santa Cruz (Guanacaste) ingresará en los registros históricos del deporte nacional de las olas porque a partir de mañana se convertirá en el único surfista que ha representado a Costa Rica en la Triple Corona.
“Todos sabemos que acá están figuras cuyos nombre es legendario en el mundo del surf como Sunny García, Nataniel Curran o Kekoa Bacalso; es decir que se trata de gente con un nivel muy alto que me obligará a ofrecer el máximo de rendimiento para avanzar en cada heat ”, resaltó el monarca de Centroamérica.
En caso de que logre terminar en alguno de los primeros dos lugares en la prueba de mañana Federico pasará de la ronda de 128 tablistas a la serie de 64 hombres.
Acerca de Federico Pilurzu
El surfeador, Federico Pilurzu, es el único representante de Costa Rica -y Centroamérica- que participa constantemente en la serie de torneos del WQS de la ASP. En la actualidad ostenta el título de bicampeón centroamericano de la división open cetros que ganó durante las finales realizadas en Costa Rica (2006) y Guatemala (2007); además, en el año 2001 logró el campeonato nacional de Costa Rica.
*******************
FEDERICO PILURZU DEFEATS WORLD-CLASS U.S. OPEN CHAMPION ROB MACHADO AT SOORUZ LACANAU PRO TO ADVANCE AT FRANCE'S 6-STAR CONTEST
TWO WEEKS TRAINING SESSION IN ZARAUTZ, SPAIN HELPED WQS- #143 RANKED COSTA RICAN SURFER RECOVER FROM ANKLE INJURY
by - Ellen Zoe Golden EllenZoe@aol.com 800-548-1753 In Costa Rica 011-506-867-21-97
San Jose, Costa Rica August 17, 2006 - In 4-foot waves that finally arrived after two flat days delayed his Round 2 heat , Costa Rican surfer Federico Pilurzu showed enough radical and controlled moves to take 1 st place over the renowned waterman Rob Machado at the Sooruz Lacanau Pro in France.
Considered the French Pro of surfing, this was Pilurzu's first European 6-star World Qualifying (WQS) event of the year, and the defeat over Machado,who won the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing in July,advances him to Round 3 of the tournament which features other WQS surfers such as France's Jeremy Flores, and two dozen pros from the World Championship Tour (WCT) in a fight that continues today through August 20 at Grand Plage, Lacanau, Gironde, and offers $125,000 in prize money.
"Federico's victory over Rob Machado is not only great for him, but for all of Costa Rica," said Antonio Pilurzu, President of the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica, immediately after the heat. "The kids here can now see that they too can do something more with their skills. They can watch Federico compete and win in these international contests, and have proof that just as they have results in Costa Rica, they too can go up against good surfers and be confident. It's not impossible. They just have to go and do it."
Meanwhile, Federico is still competing on the WQS while wearing a splint on the ankle that has been injured for month, and limited his mobility a few weeks ago at the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) WQS Rip Curl Board Masters in Newquay, United Kingdom.
However, after a short break from a rigorous competitive schedule,including winning the Central American Championships in Costa Rica in July, then placing #19 at the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing two weeks later, then Newquay,Pilurzu regrouped at the northern beach break of Zarautz, Spain. There he met friend and local Aritz Aranburu, a fellow WQS competitor (currently ranked #81), who this past March 2006, visited Pilurzu in Costa Rica, where he participated and won, the Costa Rican Circuito Nacional de Surf tournament. In Zarautz, Pilurzu did physical training with Aritz's coach and rested the ankle in preparation for the Sooruz Lacanau Pro.
The strategy paid off. Reported Pilurzu after these two successful Sooruz Lacanau Pro heats: "I've got pain on the first wave, but it goes away after that. The conditions are okay, the event is underway and I made it through so everything's going the best way for me so far!"
"When you compete against such good surfers, the mind takes more than 80 percent of the work, " Federico explains. "Everybody rips, and the guy that has the most clear and confident mind somehow wins. The waves come to you, and you make no mistakes. I've just been trying to have a good time, be relaxed and focused during the event. Just thinking positive, and giving my best each time!"
Pilurzu's is already looking ahead. He is currently wait-listed for the August 21 to 27 Super Series, Rip Curl Pro in Hossegor/Seignosse, Landes-France ($150,000 in prizes), and is confirmed to compete in the 5-star Buondi Billabong Pro in Ericeira, Portugal between August 29 and September 3, which pays $100,000 in awards.
Now ranked #143 out of 800 surfers on the WQS chart, and his goal is to become one of the top 100 surfers in the world to compete in the two 6-star contests in Hawaii at the end of November and December.
Federico sube 62 peldaños en el escalafón mundial
Surfo de Tamarindo competirá en Inglaterra
Luego de que el sábado pasado terminara la presentación en el US Open de surf en Huntington Beach, California, el tablista de Playa Tamarindo, Federico Pilurzu, avanzó 62 posiciones en el ranking mundial de la Asocciation of Surfing Professionals (ASP) organización que elabora el escalafón denominado World Qualifying Series (WQS).
Según establece la página web oficial de la ASP antes de que arrancara el torneo en Estados Unidos el competidor, de 23 años de edad, se encontraba situado en la casilla 197 del mundo.
Pero luego, tras haber llegado a la ronda donde únicamente participaron los 24 mejores competidores en el US Open , el vecino del cantón de Santa Cruz logró un enorme salto para subir al lugar 135.
De acuerdo con el site de la ASP, Federico ahora suma un total de 2449 puntos. En el primer lugar del WQS se encuentra el australiano Dayan Neve (7594) quien en la actual temporada acumula premios por $22 400 (¢ 11,5 millones).
“Una de las metas que tengo en este momento consiste en avanzar la mayor cantidad de heats en cada una de la fechas de la temporada y una vez que finalice el calendario de la ASP 2006 terminar por lo menos entre los primeros 100 surfos del mundo”, explicó Federico mediante un correo electrónico.
Las reglas de la ASP indican que una vez concluidas las jornadas de esa entidad creada en 1976 avanzarán al World Championship Tournament (WCT) los primeros 15 mejor situados en el ranking quienes competirán entre sí para determinar al campeón del mundo, cetro que en la actualidad le pertenece al siete veces monarca, Kelly Slater.
“Este es un circuito donde llega lo mejor del planeta, todos los que se inscriben en los torneos son nombres muy sonados en el mundo de las tablas; por eso, estar en este tipo de competencias significa un fogueo de primera clase para quien desee mejorar el rendimiento”, añadió Federico en el email .
Tras el final del US Open en el segundo lugar del WQS se encuentra el estadounidense Gabel Kling (7467), quien ha ganado una bolsa de $19 400 (¢ 9,9 millones) en este año.
El tercer peldaño en el puntaje acumulado le pertenece a Ricky Basnett (Sudáfrica: 7326) quien durante el 2006 lleva sumados $19 750 (¢10,1 millones) en premios.
La próxima competencia de Pilurzu se iniciará mañana cuando se lance al agua en Newquay, Inglaterra, donde se realizará una nueva prueba del WQS esta vez en el Viejo Continente.
Este torneo está calificado con seis estrellas máximo grado de dificultad debido a las condiciones del oleaje, las mareas y el viento.
Las personas que deseen más información al respecto se pueden comunicar con Luis Castrillo, periodista de la Federación de Surf de Costa Rica, tel. (506) 3639921.
Vecino de Playa Langosta de Tamarindo se presentará ante surfistas de Islas Canarias, Hawai y Brasil
http://www.surfspot.com/media/reef/reef.html - to see live coverage.
San José, Costa Rica (12 de noviembre del 2007). El representante de Costa Rica en la Triple Corona de Hawai, Federico Pilurzu, empezará a “correr” olas a partir de mañana cuando tenga que enfrentarse ante un tablista local, otro de las Islas Canarias y un tercer hombre de Brasil.
El Reef Hawaiian Pro se inició hoy en Haleiwa donde la Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) organizó un evento de seis estrellas que congrega a los mejores tablistas del mundo.
La participación de Pilurzu –actual bicampeón open de Centroamérica- en la Triple Corona se concretó luego de que compitiera en el O?Neill ColdWater Clasicc en Santa Cruz (California), en el Maresia Surf Internacional en Santa Catarina y en el Obongo Pro Surfing en Sao Paulo -ambos en Brasil- en octubre pasado.
En la actualidad tras la actualización de las posiciones en esos eventos Federico se ubica en la casilla 99 del ranking mundial en la que ostenta 5713 puntos validos para ingresar en la serie de tres eventos.
La segunda prueba de la Triple Corona tendrá lugar en Sunset Beach, en Oahu (Hawai) a partir del 25 de noviembre según establece la página web oficial de la ASP.
Primera salida
Esa fuente digital indica que mañana, aproximadamente a las 3 p. m. (hora de Costa Rica¡), Pilurzu tendría que competir ante Jonathan González de las Islas Canarias, Fabio Gouveia (Brasil) y el hawaino Chad Chidester.
“La verdad me siento tranquilo para comenzar a luchar por un campo a la siguiente ronda, espero lograrlo para dejar en alto el nombre del surfing de Costa Rica”, indicó Pilurzu en un correo electrónico.
Además de la corona del Istmo el vecino del cantón de Santa Cruz (Guanacaste) ingresará en los registros históricos del deporte nacional de las olas porque a partir de mañana se convertirá en el único surfista que ha representado a Costa Rica en la Triple Corona.
“Todos sabemos que acá están figuras cuyos nombre es legendario en el mundo del surf como Sunny García, Nataniel Curran o Kekoa Bacalso; es decir que se trata de gente con un nivel muy alto que me obligará a ofrecer el máximo de rendimiento para avanzar en cada heat ”, resaltó el monarca de Centroamérica.
En caso de que logre terminar en alguno de los primeros dos lugares en la prueba de mañana Federico pasará de la ronda de 128 tablistas a la serie de 64 hombres.
Acerca de Federico Pilurzu
El surfeador, Federico Pilurzu, es el único representante de Costa Rica -y Centroamérica- que participa constantemente en la serie de torneos del WQS de la ASP. En la actualidad ostenta el título de bicampeón centroamericano de la división open cetros que ganó durante las finales realizadas en Costa Rica (2006) y Guatemala (2007); además, en el año 2001 logró el campeonato nacional de Costa Rica.
*******************
FEDERICO PILURZU DEFEATS WORLD-CLASS U.S. OPEN CHAMPION ROB MACHADO AT SOORUZ LACANAU PRO TO ADVANCE AT FRANCE'S 6-STAR CONTEST
TWO WEEKS TRAINING SESSION IN ZARAUTZ, SPAIN HELPED WQS- #143 RANKED COSTA RICAN SURFER RECOVER FROM ANKLE INJURY
by - Ellen Zoe Golden EllenZoe@aol.com 800-548-1753 In Costa Rica 011-506-867-21-97
San Jose, Costa Rica August 17, 2006 - In 4-foot waves that finally arrived after two flat days delayed his Round 2 heat , Costa Rican surfer Federico Pilurzu showed enough radical and controlled moves to take 1 st place over the renowned waterman Rob Machado at the Sooruz Lacanau Pro in France.
Considered the French Pro of surfing, this was Pilurzu's first European 6-star World Qualifying (WQS) event of the year, and the defeat over Machado,who won the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing in July,advances him to Round 3 of the tournament which features other WQS surfers such as France's Jeremy Flores, and two dozen pros from the World Championship Tour (WCT) in a fight that continues today through August 20 at Grand Plage, Lacanau, Gironde, and offers $125,000 in prize money.
"Federico's victory over Rob Machado is not only great for him, but for all of Costa Rica," said Antonio Pilurzu, President of the Federacion de Surf de Costa Rica, immediately after the heat. "The kids here can now see that they too can do something more with their skills. They can watch Federico compete and win in these international contests, and have proof that just as they have results in Costa Rica, they too can go up against good surfers and be confident. It's not impossible. They just have to go and do it."
Meanwhile, Federico is still competing on the WQS while wearing a splint on the ankle that has been injured for month, and limited his mobility a few weeks ago at the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) WQS Rip Curl Board Masters in Newquay, United Kingdom.
However, after a short break from a rigorous competitive schedule,including winning the Central American Championships in Costa Rica in July, then placing #19 at the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing two weeks later, then Newquay,Pilurzu regrouped at the northern beach break of Zarautz, Spain. There he met friend and local Aritz Aranburu, a fellow WQS competitor (currently ranked #81), who this past March 2006, visited Pilurzu in Costa Rica, where he participated and won, the Costa Rican Circuito Nacional de Surf tournament. In Zarautz, Pilurzu did physical training with Aritz's coach and rested the ankle in preparation for the Sooruz Lacanau Pro.
The strategy paid off. Reported Pilurzu after these two successful Sooruz Lacanau Pro heats: "I've got pain on the first wave, but it goes away after that. The conditions are okay, the event is underway and I made it through so everything's going the best way for me so far!"
"When you compete against such good surfers, the mind takes more than 80 percent of the work, " Federico explains. "Everybody rips, and the guy that has the most clear and confident mind somehow wins. The waves come to you, and you make no mistakes. I've just been trying to have a good time, be relaxed and focused during the event. Just thinking positive, and giving my best each time!"
Pilurzu's is already looking ahead. He is currently wait-listed for the August 21 to 27 Super Series, Rip Curl Pro in Hossegor/Seignosse, Landes-France ($150,000 in prizes), and is confirmed to compete in the 5-star Buondi Billabong Pro in Ericeira, Portugal between August 29 and September 3, which pays $100,000 in awards.
Now ranked #143 out of 800 surfers on the WQS chart, and his goal is to become one of the top 100 surfers in the world to compete in the two 6-star contests in Hawaii at the end of November and December.
Federico sube 62 peldaños en el escalafón mundial
Surfo de Tamarindo competirá en Inglaterra
Luego de que el sábado pasado terminara la presentación en el US Open de surf en Huntington Beach, California, el tablista de Playa Tamarindo, Federico Pilurzu, avanzó 62 posiciones en el ranking mundial de la Asocciation of Surfing Professionals (ASP) organización que elabora el escalafón denominado World Qualifying Series (WQS).
Según establece la página web oficial de la ASP antes de que arrancara el torneo en Estados Unidos el competidor, de 23 años de edad, se encontraba situado en la casilla 197 del mundo.
Pero luego, tras haber llegado a la ronda donde únicamente participaron los 24 mejores competidores en el US Open , el vecino del cantón de Santa Cruz logró un enorme salto para subir al lugar 135.
De acuerdo con el site de la ASP, Federico ahora suma un total de 2449 puntos. En el primer lugar del WQS se encuentra el australiano Dayan Neve (7594) quien en la actual temporada acumula premios por $22 400 (¢ 11,5 millones).
“Una de las metas que tengo en este momento consiste en avanzar la mayor cantidad de heats en cada una de la fechas de la temporada y una vez que finalice el calendario de la ASP 2006 terminar por lo menos entre los primeros 100 surfos del mundo”, explicó Federico mediante un correo electrónico.
Las reglas de la ASP indican que una vez concluidas las jornadas de esa entidad creada en 1976 avanzarán al World Championship Tournament (WCT) los primeros 15 mejor situados en el ranking quienes competirán entre sí para determinar al campeón del mundo, cetro que en la actualidad le pertenece al siete veces monarca, Kelly Slater.
“Este es un circuito donde llega lo mejor del planeta, todos los que se inscriben en los torneos son nombres muy sonados en el mundo de las tablas; por eso, estar en este tipo de competencias significa un fogueo de primera clase para quien desee mejorar el rendimiento”, añadió Federico en el email .
Tras el final del US Open en el segundo lugar del WQS se encuentra el estadounidense Gabel Kling (7467), quien ha ganado una bolsa de $19 400 (¢ 9,9 millones) en este año.
El tercer peldaño en el puntaje acumulado le pertenece a Ricky Basnett (Sudáfrica: 7326) quien durante el 2006 lleva sumados $19 750 (¢10,1 millones) en premios.
La próxima competencia de Pilurzu se iniciará mañana cuando se lance al agua en Newquay, Inglaterra, donde se realizará una nueva prueba del WQS esta vez en el Viejo Continente.
Este torneo está calificado con seis estrellas máximo grado de dificultad debido a las condiciones del oleaje, las mareas y el viento.
Las personas que deseen más información al respecto se pueden comunicar con Luis Castrillo, periodista de la Federación de Surf de Costa Rica, tel. (506) 3639921.
cnsteam
These photos are of the Circuito Nacional de Surf team of Costa Rica. They were taken over a five year span, including surf contests in Dominical, Hermosa, Tamarindo, Playa Grande, and Puerto Viejo.
Move your mouse over the pics to see who, where, and when.
Move your mouse over the pics to see who, where, and when.
CRSURF News - December 2006
Free shipping!
New Google Surf Map
Click for Reggae Music
CRSURF News - December 2006
Although it seemed like there were more surfers than ever visiting Costa Rica in 2006, tourism actually dropped by almost 50 percent. One of the major causes was the increase in airfare to and from Central America. In 2007, the airfare only drops a little, $380 from Miami and $465 from Orlando if you travel on Martin Air. Martin Air is also a great choice for surfers since you can reserve your boards to fly them for free. Carriers like Lacsa charge $25 per board and many U.S. airlines charge $80 each way to bring boards.
Keep your eyes open for specials by local travel agencies – Surf Express and Worldwide Adventures can get bulk rates and know the cheapest times to fly. Another trusted agency is Tico Travel in Fort Lauderdale – www.ticotravel.com.
When you’re in Costa Rica, you may get a chance to see the best local surfers compete for a chance to be on the National Surf Team. In 2006, the team competed in Huntington Beach, California are returned 8th in the world, 2nd in Latin America only to Brazil. The Circuito Nacional de Surf (CNS) has already hosted two contests and the third is scheduled for January 6th and 7th in Jaco. It’s amazing to see the number of grommets competing, girls and boys, enough that the CNS is putting on separate contests for the Juniors divisions. Go to www.crsurf.com to see the entire schedule for some contests are open to foreign competitors and offer some hefty cash prizes.
Most all of the surfers competing on the CNS tour do not have any sponsors. It’s expensive from them to travel to all six contests – food, lodging, entry fees, and transportation make it almost impossible to succeed. So I have been asked to help find sponsors for these surfers. If someone has a business that they wish to promote in Costa Rica – a great way to do that is to sponsor a local surfer. You’ll be recognized on many surfing websites as well as have your logo displayed on the board ridden by the competitor you choose. For a list of surfers to sponsor, send an email to info@crsurf.com
If your passion is to help save lives on the beaches of Costa Rica, I am working with the lifeguard program in Dominical to raise funds for salaries and equipment. If we can find enough sponsors, we hope to expand the program to other beaches on both coasts.
New Google Surf Map
Click for Reggae Music
CRSURF News - December 2006
Although it seemed like there were more surfers than ever visiting Costa Rica in 2006, tourism actually dropped by almost 50 percent. One of the major causes was the increase in airfare to and from Central America. In 2007, the airfare only drops a little, $380 from Miami and $465 from Orlando if you travel on Martin Air. Martin Air is also a great choice for surfers since you can reserve your boards to fly them for free. Carriers like Lacsa charge $25 per board and many U.S. airlines charge $80 each way to bring boards.
Keep your eyes open for specials by local travel agencies – Surf Express and Worldwide Adventures can get bulk rates and know the cheapest times to fly. Another trusted agency is Tico Travel in Fort Lauderdale – www.ticotravel.com.
When you’re in Costa Rica, you may get a chance to see the best local surfers compete for a chance to be on the National Surf Team. In 2006, the team competed in Huntington Beach, California are returned 8th in the world, 2nd in Latin America only to Brazil. The Circuito Nacional de Surf (CNS) has already hosted two contests and the third is scheduled for January 6th and 7th in Jaco. It’s amazing to see the number of grommets competing, girls and boys, enough that the CNS is putting on separate contests for the Juniors divisions. Go to www.crsurf.com to see the entire schedule for some contests are open to foreign competitors and offer some hefty cash prizes.
Most all of the surfers competing on the CNS tour do not have any sponsors. It’s expensive from them to travel to all six contests – food, lodging, entry fees, and transportation make it almost impossible to succeed. So I have been asked to help find sponsors for these surfers. If someone has a business that they wish to promote in Costa Rica – a great way to do that is to sponsor a local surfer. You’ll be recognized on many surfing websites as well as have your logo displayed on the board ridden by the competitor you choose. For a list of surfers to sponsor, send an email to info@crsurf.com
If your passion is to help save lives on the beaches of Costa Rica, I am working with the lifeguard program in Dominical to raise funds for salaries and equipment. If we can find enough sponsors, we hope to expand the program to other beaches on both coasts.
CR Surf Report for November 2007
Sewage in Tamarindo – The latest water quality test done at various spots along the beach in Tamarindo revealed a fecal coliform count up to 79 times higher than the safe level for swimming. The Minister of Health and Minister of the Environment both came out to investigate the issue and another round of tests are expected next week. Last year Tamarindo was awarded the title of a “Blue Flag” beach, which entails having high water quality standards.
Federico Pilurzo is going to the Triple Crown – The first ever representative from Costa Rica will be competing in two of the three most prestigious surf contests in the world, in Haleiwa and Sunset Beach. At the latest contest in Brazil, Pilurzo earned enough points to crack the top 100 on the World Qualifying Series, another first for Costa Rica. Federico lives in Playa Langosta and his family, who own the Cala Luna Hotel, has played a big role in promoting surfing around the country.
Save the Date to Save the Earth - On Sunday April 20, 2008, the 4th Annual Osa Peninsula Earth Day Festival is again expected to attract hundreds of participants from communities throughout the Peninsula, providing an opportunity to network and celebrate together the abundance of Nature. In 2004, the Osa joined with other communities around the world kicking off a festival in downtown Puerto Jimenez with a great showing of community support and involvement. For the past four years, we have continued to build on this success by offering a free event which celebrates the environment and reflects the growing diversity of our community. The Festival hosts numerous environmental exhibits with a wide variety of interactive educational opportunities for children and adults, as well as exciting and diverse live entertainment, musical line-ups, contests and speakers all in a family-fun atmosphere. The theme for this year is Living in Peace with Nature, presenting a variety of practical applications for ecological stewardship. The Osa Earth Day Festival maintains free admission and when possible, free transportation to draw the largest cross-section from rural communities so that we can celebrate this internationally recognized event in the most inclusive manner. The Festival's success depends on financial support from businesses and organizations such as yours. If you would like to get more information, contact Tricia at womenoftheosa@gmail.com.
Heavy Rains Flood Caribbean and Pacific coasts – If you are planning a trip over the next few weeks, and plan to go off the beaten track, make sure you get a vehicle with good clearance. The secondary roads will have a lot of potholes, if there is a road at all. Many have been flooded out, or mudslides and fallen trees have blocked them. The main highways will be clear, but expect delays. Luckily the rainy season is coming to an end soon, so as the country dries out the repairs can begin.
Top Flights Out – How about a Thanksgiving trip from November 19th to the 24th? Only $324 on Spirit Air leaving from Fort Lauderdale. Or a trip leaving April 12th, 2008 and returning on the 23rd costs only $278.00 right now. If you want to fly Martin Air since boards fly for free, there room on the jet from the 13th to the 23rd of April next year for $298, leaving Miami. Just for reference, Martin Air flies out of Miami on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. They have flights from Orlando on Monday, Thursday, and Friday only. Go to www.martinair.com to check out the best rates.
Federico Pilurzo is going to the Triple Crown – The first ever representative from Costa Rica will be competing in two of the three most prestigious surf contests in the world, in Haleiwa and Sunset Beach. At the latest contest in Brazil, Pilurzo earned enough points to crack the top 100 on the World Qualifying Series, another first for Costa Rica. Federico lives in Playa Langosta and his family, who own the Cala Luna Hotel, has played a big role in promoting surfing around the country.
Save the Date to Save the Earth - On Sunday April 20, 2008, the 4th Annual Osa Peninsula Earth Day Festival is again expected to attract hundreds of participants from communities throughout the Peninsula, providing an opportunity to network and celebrate together the abundance of Nature. In 2004, the Osa joined with other communities around the world kicking off a festival in downtown Puerto Jimenez with a great showing of community support and involvement. For the past four years, we have continued to build on this success by offering a free event which celebrates the environment and reflects the growing diversity of our community. The Festival hosts numerous environmental exhibits with a wide variety of interactive educational opportunities for children and adults, as well as exciting and diverse live entertainment, musical line-ups, contests and speakers all in a family-fun atmosphere. The theme for this year is Living in Peace with Nature, presenting a variety of practical applications for ecological stewardship. The Osa Earth Day Festival maintains free admission and when possible, free transportation to draw the largest cross-section from rural communities so that we can celebrate this internationally recognized event in the most inclusive manner. The Festival's success depends on financial support from businesses and organizations such as yours. If you would like to get more information, contact Tricia at womenoftheosa@gmail.com.
Heavy Rains Flood Caribbean and Pacific coasts – If you are planning a trip over the next few weeks, and plan to go off the beaten track, make sure you get a vehicle with good clearance. The secondary roads will have a lot of potholes, if there is a road at all. Many have been flooded out, or mudslides and fallen trees have blocked them. The main highways will be clear, but expect delays. Luckily the rainy season is coming to an end soon, so as the country dries out the repairs can begin.
Top Flights Out – How about a Thanksgiving trip from November 19th to the 24th? Only $324 on Spirit Air leaving from Fort Lauderdale. Or a trip leaving April 12th, 2008 and returning on the 23rd costs only $278.00 right now. If you want to fly Martin Air since boards fly for free, there room on the jet from the 13th to the 23rd of April next year for $298, leaving Miami. Just for reference, Martin Air flies out of Miami on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. They have flights from Orlando on Monday, Thursday, and Friday only. Go to www.martinair.com to check out the best rates.
TOP NEWS from CRSURF.com - November 2006
Contests
The Costa Rican National Team just made it home from the International Surfing Games in Huntington Beach California. They placed 7th out of 33 teams, and were 2nd for Latin America – beating out teams from Tahiti, Venezuela, Peru, Mexico, and Argentina. The team was made up of Gilbert Brown (Puerto Viejo), Nino Myrie (Puerto Viejo), Luis Vindas (Jaco), Diejo Naranjo (Jaco), Lisbeth Vindas (Jaco), Nataly Bernold (Tamarindo), Ivan Castillo (Quepos), and Walter Gatgens (Quepos). For pictures and updated National Team news, check out www.surfingcr.net.
Manuel Antonio Surf School and TULE shapes are the proud organizers of a surf contest to be held the weekend of the 4th and 5th of November at Playitas in Manuel Antonio. Grand prize for 1st place in categories Junior and Open is a custom board made by TULE Shapes with MASS logo and an awesome trophy. The inscription has a cost of c5000 ($8) with the chance to participate in the categories: Boogie board, Junior or Open. Call 506-777-4282 to sign up or email info@masurfschool.com .
The organizers of the Reef Classic Latin Pro Costa Rica confirmed that the event is going to take place from November 10 until the 12 at Playa Hermosa, Jacó. It will be a six star event delivering $15,000 in cash prizes. After being postponed for several issues, the event is confirmed as part of the year end leg of the ALAS Latin and Caribbean Tour 2006 that will have five attractive contests to be held at Barbados, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Also in November is the 5th Annual 2006 COSTA RICA SURF & SPIKE at the JACO BEACH BEST WESTERN HOTEL. The Surfing competition will be Thursday 11/23 to Saturday 11/25/06 (3 days of competition) Also will be the Beach Volleyball Pro/Am competition: Fri. 11/24 – Sat. 11/25/06 (2 day competition) And the Sinjin Smith & Randy Stoklos Beach Volleyball Camp: Thurs. 11/23/06 (1 day camp)
Contact info@crsurf.com to get your trip package reservations. Family Surf Vacations. Lessons can be custom built for your experience and budget.
Environment
The fight to save Pavones from a giant Tuna Farm approved to be built near it is not over. Check the CRSURF website for updates as well as www.tortugamarina.org Letters from concerned scientists, tourists and residents will help convince the government that it’s a bad idea to raise thousands of tuna to be sold out of the country in such a delicate, diverse ecosystem.
If you want to be eco-conscious in choosing a place to stay when visiting Costa Rica, check to see if the hotel has a certificate for Sustainable Tourism Practices. Visit the website http://www.turismo-sostenible.co.cr/EN/home.shtml to learn more.
The Costa Rican National Team just made it home from the International Surfing Games in Huntington Beach California. They placed 7th out of 33 teams, and were 2nd for Latin America – beating out teams from Tahiti, Venezuela, Peru, Mexico, and Argentina. The team was made up of Gilbert Brown (Puerto Viejo), Nino Myrie (Puerto Viejo), Luis Vindas (Jaco), Diejo Naranjo (Jaco), Lisbeth Vindas (Jaco), Nataly Bernold (Tamarindo), Ivan Castillo (Quepos), and Walter Gatgens (Quepos). For pictures and updated National Team news, check out www.surfingcr.net.
Manuel Antonio Surf School and TULE shapes are the proud organizers of a surf contest to be held the weekend of the 4th and 5th of November at Playitas in Manuel Antonio. Grand prize for 1st place in categories Junior and Open is a custom board made by TULE Shapes with MASS logo and an awesome trophy. The inscription has a cost of c5000 ($8) with the chance to participate in the categories: Boogie board, Junior or Open. Call 506-777-4282 to sign up or email info@masurfschool.com .
The organizers of the Reef Classic Latin Pro Costa Rica confirmed that the event is going to take place from November 10 until the 12 at Playa Hermosa, Jacó. It will be a six star event delivering $15,000 in cash prizes. After being postponed for several issues, the event is confirmed as part of the year end leg of the ALAS Latin and Caribbean Tour 2006 that will have five attractive contests to be held at Barbados, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Also in November is the 5th Annual 2006 COSTA RICA SURF & SPIKE at the JACO BEACH BEST WESTERN HOTEL. The Surfing competition will be Thursday 11/23 to Saturday 11/25/06 (3 days of competition) Also will be the Beach Volleyball Pro/Am competition: Fri. 11/24 – Sat. 11/25/06 (2 day competition) And the Sinjin Smith & Randy Stoklos Beach Volleyball Camp: Thurs. 11/23/06 (1 day camp)
Contact info@crsurf.com to get your trip package reservations. Family Surf Vacations. Lessons can be custom built for your experience and budget.
Environment
The fight to save Pavones from a giant Tuna Farm approved to be built near it is not over. Check the CRSURF website for updates as well as www.tortugamarina.org Letters from concerned scientists, tourists and residents will help convince the government that it’s a bad idea to raise thousands of tuna to be sold out of the country in such a delicate, diverse ecosystem.
If you want to be eco-conscious in choosing a place to stay when visiting Costa Rica, check to see if the hotel has a certificate for Sustainable Tourism Practices. Visit the website http://www.turismo-sostenible.co.cr/EN/home.shtml to learn more.
The Rich Coast – Costa Rica – 3 Points of View (November 2008)
I finally am living out my dream. Twenty years of hard work and saving pennies, and now here it is in front of my eyes. It’s beautiful, a four story condominium with me in the penthouse suite. Pool, Jacuzzi, and lots of living space inside. Rather than flatten some more forest for custom homes, I think that this gives me more security, and the second floor up gets a world class white water view. My friends in the U.S. could come down with their families and have a perfect place to stay. Then they could rent it out the other weeks of the year, so their income would just keep rolling in. What an investment for their retirement, and for mine. The local community loves me since I’ll hire them for security, lawn maintenance, plumbing, cable installation, and road repair. And the big resort nearby just opened a bilingual school, so when I bring my kids down they can learn to mix in. Then it’s off to the golf course, or maybe I’ll head to the docks for some fishing. Pura vida!
******************************************
I am shocked to see the billboards blocking the road scarred landscape – exclaiming “Live the dream!” in English with a retiree reeling in sailfish or nailing a putt. Condos and high-rise hotels are going up before the permits get passed in more than just Jaco and Tamarindo. How can they build it so close to the river, or so close to the beach with only a septic tank? My vacation lineup now is some development’s leech field. Damn ear infections and stomach viruses kept me out of the water for two days on my last surf trip. How can they cut down rainforest and mangroves for an ocean view or their driveway? People need to realize that Costa Rica holds 5% of the WORLD’s BIODIVERSITY in a country the size of West Virginia. The trees and mangroves not only prevent erosion, but filter out pollutants and provide habitat for rare birds and beasts, including lynx and jaguars. If when the runoff goes straight out the estuary, all of the pollutants go with it. And the oceans hold humpback whales, dolphins, turtles, and the fish which feed the nation and its tourists. These greedy gringos wouldn’t do it back in their home country, the government wouldn’t let them. But here there is little to no enforcement, and if you get caught a little ‘multa’ and mitigation gets you off the hook.
*******************************************
I am on the critically endangered species list, after losing 90% of my population in only the last 20 years. About 33,000 of us are left on the planet. We are gentle creatures, eating just jellyfish and sea grass, and on this diet some of us live past 100 years. The only time we come to land is for our mothers to lay their eggs on a sandy beach or dune. About two months later we hatch from our fragile shells, and only a few in every thousand survive. But we have survived for over 110 million years, through many ice ages, global warming and cooling, even before the dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Now humans are our biggest threat in our maturity. We suffer when you catch us in drift nets, eat our eggs thinking it is an aphrodisiac, and pollute our waters with poisons and plastic bags. When you build your tall buildings, your lights blaring near the beach discourage our mothers from nesting and disorient our babies as they search nearly blind for the ocean. If nothing is done, my species will soon go extinct.
*********************************************
Do we continue to believe
that our happiness supersedes
the survival of the leatherback turtle?
******************************************
I am shocked to see the billboards blocking the road scarred landscape – exclaiming “Live the dream!” in English with a retiree reeling in sailfish or nailing a putt. Condos and high-rise hotels are going up before the permits get passed in more than just Jaco and Tamarindo. How can they build it so close to the river, or so close to the beach with only a septic tank? My vacation lineup now is some development’s leech field. Damn ear infections and stomach viruses kept me out of the water for two days on my last surf trip. How can they cut down rainforest and mangroves for an ocean view or their driveway? People need to realize that Costa Rica holds 5% of the WORLD’s BIODIVERSITY in a country the size of West Virginia. The trees and mangroves not only prevent erosion, but filter out pollutants and provide habitat for rare birds and beasts, including lynx and jaguars. If when the runoff goes straight out the estuary, all of the pollutants go with it. And the oceans hold humpback whales, dolphins, turtles, and the fish which feed the nation and its tourists. These greedy gringos wouldn’t do it back in their home country, the government wouldn’t let them. But here there is little to no enforcement, and if you get caught a little ‘multa’ and mitigation gets you off the hook.
*******************************************
I am on the critically endangered species list, after losing 90% of my population in only the last 20 years. About 33,000 of us are left on the planet. We are gentle creatures, eating just jellyfish and sea grass, and on this diet some of us live past 100 years. The only time we come to land is for our mothers to lay their eggs on a sandy beach or dune. About two months later we hatch from our fragile shells, and only a few in every thousand survive. But we have survived for over 110 million years, through many ice ages, global warming and cooling, even before the dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Now humans are our biggest threat in our maturity. We suffer when you catch us in drift nets, eat our eggs thinking it is an aphrodisiac, and pollute our waters with poisons and plastic bags. When you build your tall buildings, your lights blaring near the beach discourage our mothers from nesting and disorient our babies as they search nearly blind for the ocean. If nothing is done, my species will soon go extinct.
*********************************************
Do we continue to believe
that our happiness supersedes
the survival of the leatherback turtle?
CR Surf Report for October 2007
This is the month for rains and flooding, café con leche lineups, and rainbows. The southern swells are fewer, but more powerful. It can be waist high in Tamarindo and overhead in Dominical. The locals are happy with the scene, and here’s some happenings for the next month.
Thousands of Costa Ricans are supporting Las Baulas National Marine Park, which is home to the endangered leatherback turtle nesting grounds. Environmentalists demand lawful expropriations of beachfront properties located in the park, stretching from Playa Grande and the other by the Tamarindo rivermouth. Homeowners are demanding just compensation for their property, which at market prices make it hard for the Costa Rica government to purchase. Many private charities have already pledged to match the cost, but it has to be approved by the Legislature. For information about the sea turtles and the (which is really an estuary) www.Pretoma.org
Projecto Ninos in Nosara raises money for school supplies by selling rooms and tours donated by local businesses. They have house rentals and surf lessons for sale on Ebay, where the proceeds go right into the local school system. Their goal is to improve the quality of education in Costa Rica by developing strong educational programs that promote literacy, the arts, sciences and personal well being.To learn more, go to www.projectoninos.com
Roxy Costa Rica Surf Safaris is hosting a welcome home party for the Special Olympics athletes returning from their competition in China. The dates are set for October 26th and 27th. The athletes will be given accommodations at Cabinas Las Olas in Playa Hermosa and enjoy a dinner celebration at Caliche’s Wishbone Restaurant in Jaco on Saturday evening. For more information, contact Mitzam Fontiveros at mitzam@wavescr.com.
The Montezuma International Film Festival will be held on November 1st to the 5th in Montezuma. It will showcase 100 films from across the world with live music, street parties, beach parties, special dinners, discussion panels and much more. All events are free and everyone in the world is invited to this first annual celebration of independent film. Go to www.montezumafilmfestival.com for more information and to see a list of movies.
Finally, Frederico Pilurzo, the only surfer from Costa Rica competing frequently in the WQS, is in 105th place and competing in October for a spot in the Top 100. Why is this level so important? Because those who make it get invited to surf in the Triple Crown surf contests in Hawaii, which would be a first for any Costa Rican.
Thousands of Costa Ricans are supporting Las Baulas National Marine Park, which is home to the endangered leatherback turtle nesting grounds. Environmentalists demand lawful expropriations of beachfront properties located in the park, stretching from Playa Grande and the other by the Tamarindo rivermouth. Homeowners are demanding just compensation for their property, which at market prices make it hard for the Costa Rica government to purchase. Many private charities have already pledged to match the cost, but it has to be approved by the Legislature. For information about the sea turtles and the (which is really an estuary) www.Pretoma.org
Projecto Ninos in Nosara raises money for school supplies by selling rooms and tours donated by local businesses. They have house rentals and surf lessons for sale on Ebay, where the proceeds go right into the local school system. Their goal is to improve the quality of education in Costa Rica by developing strong educational programs that promote literacy, the arts, sciences and personal well being.To learn more, go to www.projectoninos.com
Roxy Costa Rica Surf Safaris is hosting a welcome home party for the Special Olympics athletes returning from their competition in China. The dates are set for October 26th and 27th. The athletes will be given accommodations at Cabinas Las Olas in Playa Hermosa and enjoy a dinner celebration at Caliche’s Wishbone Restaurant in Jaco on Saturday evening. For more information, contact Mitzam Fontiveros at mitzam@wavescr.com.
The Montezuma International Film Festival will be held on November 1st to the 5th in Montezuma. It will showcase 100 films from across the world with live music, street parties, beach parties, special dinners, discussion panels and much more. All events are free and everyone in the world is invited to this first annual celebration of independent film. Go to www.montezumafilmfestival.com for more information and to see a list of movies.
Finally, Frederico Pilurzo, the only surfer from Costa Rica competing frequently in the WQS, is in 105th place and competing in October for a spot in the Top 100. Why is this level so important? Because those who make it get invited to surf in the Triple Crown surf contests in Hawaii, which would be a first for any Costa Rican.
The Green Season - October 2006
October is a hit or miss month for Costa Rica. The southern Pacific swells become less frequent and the northern swells have not kicked in yet. It's also the rainiest month of year, with showers that can last up to 18 hours straight. The rivers flow out into the break the color of cafe con leche, bringing with it a sure case of an ear or stomach infection. So if you're headed down during this month, here are some tips.
First, the farther north you go, the less rainy it is. Yes, it will still rain most every day, but the showers do not last as long and there are less storms in the morning hours. Conversely, the morning showers in the southern zone (from Quepos south) mess with the early offshore breezes, taking away the dawn patrol glass sessions. What's more important are the tides, beachbreaks often work best at midtide going towards high tide.
Second, prepare to walk around in the rain by bringing things that dry quickly and take ziploc bags for your electronics and medicines. One trick I learned is to make a 50-50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar and pour a little bit in your ears after each surf session to lessen the chance of ear infections. Make sure your footwear has good traction in muddy conditions. Break out the repellent at dawn and dusk when the mosquitos are at their worst. And during the midday hours, apply the sunblock. Even if it's cloudy, you're still only 9 degrees north of the equator, and who likes being burned to a crisp on their vacation.
Third, think vehicle safety. When you get your rental, check the tire tread, the defrost, the spare tire and jack, and the window washer fluid. (On one trip to Pavones, the rental was missing the jack and I didn't know it unitl 10 p.m. when I tried to fix a flat tire) Drive slower since many rain puddles hide deep potholes. Many streams that are passable in the dry season also morph into raging currents during a heavy shower. And don't get lax on leaving your things in the vehicle so they won't get wet bringing them to your room. There are thefts from vehicles ALL year round.
These tips make it sound like going to Costa Rica in October is not a good idea. That is what the majority of tourists think, and therefore it's a great time to go - to avoid the crowds! A lot of hotels and surf camps have rainy season specials to fill rooms, so ask for them when inquiring about rates. While you're down there, check out Carnival on the Caribbean Coast, with lots of dancing, parades, drinking, and reggae / soca / calypso music. And the local Boruca tribe celebrates el Festival de los Diablos at the end of October, a tradition going back hundreds of years to when the tribesmen made masks to disguise the leader when the Spaniards first came as conquistadors.
First, the farther north you go, the less rainy it is. Yes, it will still rain most every day, but the showers do not last as long and there are less storms in the morning hours. Conversely, the morning showers in the southern zone (from Quepos south) mess with the early offshore breezes, taking away the dawn patrol glass sessions. What's more important are the tides, beachbreaks often work best at midtide going towards high tide.
Second, prepare to walk around in the rain by bringing things that dry quickly and take ziploc bags for your electronics and medicines. One trick I learned is to make a 50-50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar and pour a little bit in your ears after each surf session to lessen the chance of ear infections. Make sure your footwear has good traction in muddy conditions. Break out the repellent at dawn and dusk when the mosquitos are at their worst. And during the midday hours, apply the sunblock. Even if it's cloudy, you're still only 9 degrees north of the equator, and who likes being burned to a crisp on their vacation.
Third, think vehicle safety. When you get your rental, check the tire tread, the defrost, the spare tire and jack, and the window washer fluid. (On one trip to Pavones, the rental was missing the jack and I didn't know it unitl 10 p.m. when I tried to fix a flat tire) Drive slower since many rain puddles hide deep potholes. Many streams that are passable in the dry season also morph into raging currents during a heavy shower. And don't get lax on leaving your things in the vehicle so they won't get wet bringing them to your room. There are thefts from vehicles ALL year round.
These tips make it sound like going to Costa Rica in October is not a good idea. That is what the majority of tourists think, and therefore it's a great time to go - to avoid the crowds! A lot of hotels and surf camps have rainy season specials to fill rooms, so ask for them when inquiring about rates. While you're down there, check out Carnival on the Caribbean Coast, with lots of dancing, parades, drinking, and reggae / soca / calypso music. And the local Boruca tribe celebrates el Festival de los Diablos at the end of October, a tradition going back hundreds of years to when the tribesmen made masks to disguise the leader when the Spaniards first came as conquistadors.
CR Surf Happenings for September 2008
TRAVEL - American Airlines is offering trips to Costa Rica for $229 RT from Miami and Fort Lauderdale on select dates in September and October. The BIG NEWS is that our partners at Tico Travel have an exclusive deal to bring one board for FREE round trip! Contact us now at travel@crsurf.com to lock these rates in and avoid paying too much for boards and baggage.
If you need some Dakine luggage to get your boards and baggies securely to San Jose, check your local surf shop, and if it’s not in stock, then go online to www.crsurfshop.com. Find boardbags, books, backpacks, and straps- all you need for your next trip. And free shipping, too, anywhere in the continental U.S.
If you have not been to the CRSURF website lately, drop in to check out some of the new features. New artwork is being sent in every week, and the photographers keep showcasing the waves that we dream of. We also have created a Radio widget that plays commercial free Reggae Music 24/7 through Last.fm. And the new Costa Rica Google Surf Map has break descriptions for over 70 spots. It’s the place to go when you’re researching your next surf trip.
COMMUNITY - Thanks to a big donation from a visiting surfer, Tamarindo’s Luis Castro will have enough money to pay for his knee surgery. Castro has represented the Witchs Rock Surf Camp team for years in professional contests, and they have helped him raise funds so he can keep on doing what he loves to do for a career.
In Playa Samara on the Nicoya Peninsula and near Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast, there are now opportunities to volunteer and teach English to kids through the program at Tropical Adventures. Don't think you could teach English? Have no fear. They have a fool-proof system where they send you your material before you arrive and you'll pick up where the volunteer before you left off. The instructions are simple and they are there to support you. If teaching is not your forte, then you can choose from wildlife conservation to community service programs as well. They also have opportunities for children to get involved. For more info, go to www.tropicaladventures.com.
The Caribbean Coast has been festive all month with its celebration of Carnival. There have been parades in the streets of Limon, lots of live bands, dancing, food, drink, and partiers. It wrapped up with a beauty pageant for the “Queen of the Carnival” and a big concert in the central park on Limon.
CONTESTS - The weekend of the 29th – 31st is the Costa Rica Federacion de Surf’s (FCS) Legend’s Contest, held behind the Terraza del Pacifico Hotel in Playa Hermosa. Attending will be some of the former Costa Rica champs, and others crucial to building the foundations of surfing in Costa Rica. On Friday the 29th there will be a luau celebrating the contestents which will be followed by a night surfing contest, open to all ages.
The BIG news is that in 2009 the ISA World Surfing Games will be hosted by Costa Rica. From July 31st to August 8, teams from over 40 countries will converge on the beach in Playa Hermosa to see which country is producing the top talents. Next year should be huge since many countries in Latin America have not been able to attend in year’s past due to lack of resources, so this opportunity so close to home will draw out the best in Central and South American surfers. CRSURF has set up a ‘hotel map’ of the area so anyone can preview the rooms and reserve spaces. Go to – www.crsurf.com/ISA09-hotels.html.
ENVIRONMENT – The ComunicArt Festival was celebrated on the afternoon of August 8 in the community of Punta Banco, Southern Zone. It was the culmination of a development project by artists and educators in conjunction with PRETOMA, or the Programa Restauracion de Tortugas Marinas. The artists worked to involve the community's children and adults during a month to carry artistic activities and raise community awareness about the need for the conservation of sea turtles and marine resources in general.
Utilizing recycled materials, community members designed costumes and jewelry for example elegant and fun earrings made from glass bottle tops. Clever puppets, made to represent the challenges that sea turtles face and how people can amend their actions to aid in their conservation, were also constructed. Also, Punta Banco's community school was decorated with murals and paintings that depicting sea turtles, their life cycles, and the most pressing challenges they face.
"The community's willingness to collaborate has been these events secret to success. It's surprising how much even the youngest members of the community know about sea turtles", said Ashlie Gaos, ComuniArt's program coordinator.
The festival also served to inaugurate the community's organic farm which will be cared for and cultivated by school children who are in charge of collecting the town's organic garbage to use as fertilizer. Proceeds from the jewelry pieces sold during the festival will go towards starting up Punta Banco's recycling program. To learn more about PRETOMA, visit – www.tortugamarina.org.
If you need some Dakine luggage to get your boards and baggies securely to San Jose, check your local surf shop, and if it’s not in stock, then go online to www.crsurfshop.com. Find boardbags, books, backpacks, and straps- all you need for your next trip. And free shipping, too, anywhere in the continental U.S.
If you have not been to the CRSURF website lately, drop in to check out some of the new features. New artwork is being sent in every week, and the photographers keep showcasing the waves that we dream of. We also have created a Radio widget that plays commercial free Reggae Music 24/7 through Last.fm. And the new Costa Rica Google Surf Map has break descriptions for over 70 spots. It’s the place to go when you’re researching your next surf trip.
COMMUNITY - Thanks to a big donation from a visiting surfer, Tamarindo’s Luis Castro will have enough money to pay for his knee surgery. Castro has represented the Witchs Rock Surf Camp team for years in professional contests, and they have helped him raise funds so he can keep on doing what he loves to do for a career.
In Playa Samara on the Nicoya Peninsula and near Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean coast, there are now opportunities to volunteer and teach English to kids through the program at Tropical Adventures. Don't think you could teach English? Have no fear. They have a fool-proof system where they send you your material before you arrive and you'll pick up where the volunteer before you left off. The instructions are simple and they are there to support you. If teaching is not your forte, then you can choose from wildlife conservation to community service programs as well. They also have opportunities for children to get involved. For more info, go to www.tropicaladventures.com.
The Caribbean Coast has been festive all month with its celebration of Carnival. There have been parades in the streets of Limon, lots of live bands, dancing, food, drink, and partiers. It wrapped up with a beauty pageant for the “Queen of the Carnival” and a big concert in the central park on Limon.
CONTESTS - The weekend of the 29th – 31st is the Costa Rica Federacion de Surf’s (FCS) Legend’s Contest, held behind the Terraza del Pacifico Hotel in Playa Hermosa. Attending will be some of the former Costa Rica champs, and others crucial to building the foundations of surfing in Costa Rica. On Friday the 29th there will be a luau celebrating the contestents which will be followed by a night surfing contest, open to all ages.
The BIG news is that in 2009 the ISA World Surfing Games will be hosted by Costa Rica. From July 31st to August 8, teams from over 40 countries will converge on the beach in Playa Hermosa to see which country is producing the top talents. Next year should be huge since many countries in Latin America have not been able to attend in year’s past due to lack of resources, so this opportunity so close to home will draw out the best in Central and South American surfers. CRSURF has set up a ‘hotel map’ of the area so anyone can preview the rooms and reserve spaces. Go to – www.crsurf.com/ISA09-hotels.html.
ENVIRONMENT – The ComunicArt Festival was celebrated on the afternoon of August 8 in the community of Punta Banco, Southern Zone. It was the culmination of a development project by artists and educators in conjunction with PRETOMA, or the Programa Restauracion de Tortugas Marinas. The artists worked to involve the community's children and adults during a month to carry artistic activities and raise community awareness about the need for the conservation of sea turtles and marine resources in general.
Utilizing recycled materials, community members designed costumes and jewelry for example elegant and fun earrings made from glass bottle tops. Clever puppets, made to represent the challenges that sea turtles face and how people can amend their actions to aid in their conservation, were also constructed. Also, Punta Banco's community school was decorated with murals and paintings that depicting sea turtles, their life cycles, and the most pressing challenges they face.
"The community's willingness to collaborate has been these events secret to success. It's surprising how much even the youngest members of the community know about sea turtles", said Ashlie Gaos, ComuniArt's program coordinator.
The festival also served to inaugurate the community's organic farm which will be cared for and cultivated by school children who are in charge of collecting the town's organic garbage to use as fertilizer. Proceeds from the jewelry pieces sold during the festival will go towards starting up Punta Banco's recycling program. To learn more about PRETOMA, visit – www.tortugamarina.org.
CR Surf Report for September 2007
This month is great for surfing empty lineups. The south swells are a little farther apart, but more powerful. Waves double overhead plus file in from the South Pacific and the rains can make for a nice glass off session. And it WILL rain a lot, since the peak of the wet season is only a month away. Here’s a couple of emails I’ve received from visitors searching for their vacation waves –
“Are there any good mellow longboard points in the Jaco area and can you name me a few good hotels to stay at that would be close to a good longbaord spot?” – David
Hola David,
Near Jaco, there are two good longboard spots. One is 40 minutes north, Boca Barranca, a left that breaks over 500 yards when it's on. The all inclusive spot is the Fiesta Resort - http://www.fiestaresort.com/. There are some other smaller, simple cabinas there, but you'll have to drive there to make reservations as they don't really advertise (no website)
The other spot is 15 minutes south of Jaco, called Esterillos. It can get big, but break way far out in deep water, making the drops less agro and providing a long ride before it mushes out. Hotel La Dolce Vita is a comfortable spot to stay, right on the beach. - http://www.resortladolcevita.com/
Hope this helps. Be sure to print out tide charts from the CRSURF site before you go. Have a fun trip!!
And from another traveler –
“Hi there, I'm planning on going on vacation to Costa Rica and I want to SURF. However, my girlfriend wants to lay on the beach and SWIM, and, if possible, snorkel a bit. My hope to make this work is that I'm not a very good surfer, yet my girlfriend is a strong swimmer. From what I've read, the The NW is perfect for surfing, however, I wasn't so sure if swimming will work. Alternatively, the SE doesn't sound like it's worth going for surfing at all, yet there seems to be good swimming and snorkeling options. So - the least thing I want is a crisis with my GF and no surf, and I was wondering if you can help me out with some advice! Thanks a bunch,” - Philipp
Hola Philipp -
I just did an around the country trip with my wife, same scenario. The problem lies in the fact that if there's surf, the water is not clear enough for snorkeling.
You will have to break up the trip. Stay in a spot close to both swimming and surfing beaches. For snorkeling, the Caribbean beach Manzanillo has great snorkeling right off the beach. Stay at Hotel Totem in Cocles and it's a 15 minute drive south to there. And the beach right out back has good surfing if there's waves, and good swimming if not. You can also drive north to Cahuita (20 min) to find snorkeling options.
On the SW Pacific Coast I highly recommend Costa Paraiso for a romantic time - http://www.costa-paraiso.com/ It's next a secluded beach to walk down to find smaller waves, and you can do some great snorkeling tours through Southern Expeditions - http://www.southernexpeditionscr.com/ (The owner won't take people out if the conditions aren't good for seeing lots of marine life) And for swimming, the best is to take her to the Whale's Tail in Uvita, where at low tide you can walk out on a 1/4 mile sandbar and swim in calm water, looking back on the mountains.
On the NW Pacific, the Catalina Islands have great snorkeling. Check out - http://www.govisitcostarica.com/listings/listingDetails.asp?coid=1017 for a complete description. For surf and tides, just check CRSURF.com the week before your trip to print out the tide chart and check the forecast.
“Are there any good mellow longboard points in the Jaco area and can you name me a few good hotels to stay at that would be close to a good longbaord spot?” – David
Hola David,
Near Jaco, there are two good longboard spots. One is 40 minutes north, Boca Barranca, a left that breaks over 500 yards when it's on. The all inclusive spot is the Fiesta Resort - http://www.fiestaresort.com/. There are some other smaller, simple cabinas there, but you'll have to drive there to make reservations as they don't really advertise (no website)
The other spot is 15 minutes south of Jaco, called Esterillos. It can get big, but break way far out in deep water, making the drops less agro and providing a long ride before it mushes out. Hotel La Dolce Vita is a comfortable spot to stay, right on the beach. - http://www.resortladolcevita.com/
Hope this helps. Be sure to print out tide charts from the CRSURF site before you go. Have a fun trip!!
And from another traveler –
“Hi there, I'm planning on going on vacation to Costa Rica and I want to SURF. However, my girlfriend wants to lay on the beach and SWIM, and, if possible, snorkel a bit. My hope to make this work is that I'm not a very good surfer, yet my girlfriend is a strong swimmer. From what I've read, the The NW is perfect for surfing, however, I wasn't so sure if swimming will work. Alternatively, the SE doesn't sound like it's worth going for surfing at all, yet there seems to be good swimming and snorkeling options. So - the least thing I want is a crisis with my GF and no surf, and I was wondering if you can help me out with some advice! Thanks a bunch,” - Philipp
Hola Philipp -
I just did an around the country trip with my wife, same scenario. The problem lies in the fact that if there's surf, the water is not clear enough for snorkeling.
You will have to break up the trip. Stay in a spot close to both swimming and surfing beaches. For snorkeling, the Caribbean beach Manzanillo has great snorkeling right off the beach. Stay at Hotel Totem in Cocles and it's a 15 minute drive south to there. And the beach right out back has good surfing if there's waves, and good swimming if not. You can also drive north to Cahuita (20 min) to find snorkeling options.
On the SW Pacific Coast I highly recommend Costa Paraiso for a romantic time - http://www.costa-paraiso.com/ It's next a secluded beach to walk down to find smaller waves, and you can do some great snorkeling tours through Southern Expeditions - http://www.southernexpeditionscr.com/ (The owner won't take people out if the conditions aren't good for seeing lots of marine life) And for swimming, the best is to take her to the Whale's Tail in Uvita, where at low tide you can walk out on a 1/4 mile sandbar and swim in calm water, looking back on the mountains.
On the NW Pacific, the Catalina Islands have great snorkeling. Check out - http://www.govisitcostarica.com/listings/listingDetails.asp?coid=1017 for a complete description. For surf and tides, just check CRSURF.com the week before your trip to print out the tide chart and check the forecast.
CR Surf Happenings for August 2008
COMMUNITY - The Tamarindo Lifeguard Program so far is a success. The three guards are in the tower six days a week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last month they rescued 20 people from the currents and assisted in numerous surf-related injuries. In addition there was a Tamarindo Scavenger Hunt which took place at Hotel Pasatiempo that raised $1,300 for them. And the Surf Club Sports Bar in Langosta added another $780 by hosting Lifeguard Bingo.
Dominicals' lifeguard program also is expanding and restructuring. The current captain Matt Haley from New Jersey is taking a leave of absence, and in his place will be Andrew Webster from Encinitas, California. He will have some big shoes to fill, as Matt and his crew handled dozens of rescues every year. Both programs need support, so if you can offer assistance, contact info@crsurf.com.
CONTESTS - The next Puerto Viejo Open Pro surf tournament is set for Aug. 9 at 8 a.m. at the beach break in Playa Cocles. Mark it on your calendars, as these tournaments are always lots of fun. For entry information, contact Beto at 8885-9688, or email reservations@cashewhilllodge.co.cr.
In June and July, the Christian Surfers group from Daytona Florida joined with local non profits to help out in Dominical and Jaco. Titled the Costa Rica Eternal Crown, the contests were open to the entire community as a way to promote surfing and clean living. The visiting surfers brought down trophies and tshirts for the participants, as well as helped out on community service projects like beach cleanups, building, cleaning, and painting. They hope it continues to grow each year in order to attract more surfers from around the globe.
Also in June was the Solstice Open. The annual event was held June 21st-23rd in front of Cabinas Las Olas in Playa Hermosa. In this, the event’s fourth year, it raised $3,000 that will go toward Playa Hermosa’s recycling program, improvements to the local elementary school, efforts to promote the ecological Blue Flag designation, and the Punta Mala-Playa Hermosa Wildlife Refuge. They also held a beach cleanup at Playa Guacalillo, one of the most littered beaches on the Gulf of Nicoya.
Frederico Pilurzo, a former Costa Rica National Champion, is now on the WQS, and doing very well on the tour. Recently he competed in the Honda US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, where he had made it through his early heats. Keep an eye out for him at future WQS contest venues blowing fins out the back as the only high flier from Central America.
ENVIRONMENT – There is a new video out made by CAVU that demonstrates the problem that communities have all over Costa Rica - the loss of water quality and quantity. Copy this link and watch the video to learn about the dilemma that Uvita currently faces - http://www.cavusite.org/assets/view/190/. For more than a decade CAVU's founders have been conducting low-level aerial surveys documenting environmental and social health issues in the United States and throughout Central America. Passengers on these flights have included conservationists, geographers, members of the media, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, policy makers and government officials. In Central America, having viewed nearly the entire isthmus from a thousand feet, as well as having gained an intimate familiarity with many of the issues people face on the ground, CAVU's founders felt uniquely positioned to have a significant impact on the preservation and restoration of the region's biological corridors.
** Waves Costa Rica, a well known surf school associated with Quiksilver /Roxy launched a conservationist campaign called “Por Siempre Hermosa” (Forever Beautiful) The campaign consists on several stages. It uses different resources such as beach cleaning, reforestation, awareness talks, and environmental education for the people to raise a conscience of Playa Hermosa being a Pacific treasure calling the attention of thousand and tourists and locals, looking for Waves, nature rivers, and a cosy environment provided by small hotels and restaurants personally attended by their owners.
“We are giving out free stickers and Quiksilver’s “Blue Book” to all the people interested in disseminating our message by sticking it to their surfboards, cars, or anywhere they could be seen,” said Andrea Diaz, Waves Costa Rica Director. The campaigns’ slogan goes “It is on our hands to preserve it”, there are stickers in English and Spanish. Along with Quiksilver’s’ “Blue Book” which talks about 10 things you can do to protect your beach. Those willing to acquire them can go Waves Costa Rica Surf School located in Playa Jaco, or visit the website www.wavescr.com
TRAVEL - American Airlines offering trips to Costa Rica for $240 RT from Miami and Fort Lauderdale on select dates in August. Lacsa and Spirit Air have flights that low in October. Contact us now at travel@crsurf.com to lock these rates in and avoid paying too much for boards and baggage.
And if you can’t find Dakine travel gear in your local surf shop, the next place to look is online at www.crsurfshop.com. Find boardbags, books, backpacks, and straps- all you need for your next trip. And free shipping, too, anywhere in the continental U.S. Looking for some summer reading?? We have all the latest travel and surf guides to Costa Rica. And for the kids there is the colorful illustrated book All the Way to the Ocean, that presents two young friends learning about pollution and why it’s bad, with a foreward by Laird Hamilton.
Dominicals' lifeguard program also is expanding and restructuring. The current captain Matt Haley from New Jersey is taking a leave of absence, and in his place will be Andrew Webster from Encinitas, California. He will have some big shoes to fill, as Matt and his crew handled dozens of rescues every year. Both programs need support, so if you can offer assistance, contact info@crsurf.com.
CONTESTS - The next Puerto Viejo Open Pro surf tournament is set for Aug. 9 at 8 a.m. at the beach break in Playa Cocles. Mark it on your calendars, as these tournaments are always lots of fun. For entry information, contact Beto at 8885-9688, or email reservations@cashewhilllodge.co.cr.
In June and July, the Christian Surfers group from Daytona Florida joined with local non profits to help out in Dominical and Jaco. Titled the Costa Rica Eternal Crown, the contests were open to the entire community as a way to promote surfing and clean living. The visiting surfers brought down trophies and tshirts for the participants, as well as helped out on community service projects like beach cleanups, building, cleaning, and painting. They hope it continues to grow each year in order to attract more surfers from around the globe.
Also in June was the Solstice Open. The annual event was held June 21st-23rd in front of Cabinas Las Olas in Playa Hermosa. In this, the event’s fourth year, it raised $3,000 that will go toward Playa Hermosa’s recycling program, improvements to the local elementary school, efforts to promote the ecological Blue Flag designation, and the Punta Mala-Playa Hermosa Wildlife Refuge. They also held a beach cleanup at Playa Guacalillo, one of the most littered beaches on the Gulf of Nicoya.
Frederico Pilurzo, a former Costa Rica National Champion, is now on the WQS, and doing very well on the tour. Recently he competed in the Honda US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, where he had made it through his early heats. Keep an eye out for him at future WQS contest venues blowing fins out the back as the only high flier from Central America.
ENVIRONMENT – There is a new video out made by CAVU that demonstrates the problem that communities have all over Costa Rica - the loss of water quality and quantity. Copy this link and watch the video to learn about the dilemma that Uvita currently faces - http://www.cavusite.org/assets/view/190/. For more than a decade CAVU's founders have been conducting low-level aerial surveys documenting environmental and social health issues in the United States and throughout Central America. Passengers on these flights have included conservationists, geographers, members of the media, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, policy makers and government officials. In Central America, having viewed nearly the entire isthmus from a thousand feet, as well as having gained an intimate familiarity with many of the issues people face on the ground, CAVU's founders felt uniquely positioned to have a significant impact on the preservation and restoration of the region's biological corridors.
** Waves Costa Rica, a well known surf school associated with Quiksilver /Roxy launched a conservationist campaign called “Por Siempre Hermosa” (Forever Beautiful) The campaign consists on several stages. It uses different resources such as beach cleaning, reforestation, awareness talks, and environmental education for the people to raise a conscience of Playa Hermosa being a Pacific treasure calling the attention of thousand and tourists and locals, looking for Waves, nature rivers, and a cosy environment provided by small hotels and restaurants personally attended by their owners.
“We are giving out free stickers and Quiksilver’s “Blue Book” to all the people interested in disseminating our message by sticking it to their surfboards, cars, or anywhere they could be seen,” said Andrea Diaz, Waves Costa Rica Director. The campaigns’ slogan goes “It is on our hands to preserve it”, there are stickers in English and Spanish. Along with Quiksilver’s’ “Blue Book” which talks about 10 things you can do to protect your beach. Those willing to acquire them can go Waves Costa Rica Surf School located in Playa Jaco, or visit the website www.wavescr.com
TRAVEL - American Airlines offering trips to Costa Rica for $240 RT from Miami and Fort Lauderdale on select dates in August. Lacsa and Spirit Air have flights that low in October. Contact us now at travel@crsurf.com to lock these rates in and avoid paying too much for boards and baggage.
And if you can’t find Dakine travel gear in your local surf shop, the next place to look is online at www.crsurfshop.com. Find boardbags, books, backpacks, and straps- all you need for your next trip. And free shipping, too, anywhere in the continental U.S. Looking for some summer reading?? We have all the latest travel and surf guides to Costa Rica. And for the kids there is the colorful illustrated book All the Way to the Ocean, that presents two young friends learning about pollution and why it’s bad, with a foreward by Laird Hamilton.
CRSURF news for August 2007
It’s bad when a surf forecaster goes down to Costa Rica hoping for waves and there are none. That’s what happened to me on my last trip, from Monday, July 16th to the 23rd. There was a Southwest swell expected to arrive that Thursday, and so the plan was to hole up in Jaco and make the dawn patrol run to Hermosa until the waves picked up. Then we could explore options like Boca Barranca and Escondida, both within an hour’s drive. But nothing showed!
The first couple of days we got what we expected, waist high surf with a chest high set coming through every fifteen agonizing minutes. We would drive to the Tree, Corners, Tulin, and back to Corners – all pretty much flat. But the mantra was always – “It’s better than Florida!” We even surfed during the peak high tides in Jaco Beach, when the other beachbreaks would mush up on the sand. Our consolation was a few extra beers and Tsunami Sushi, followed by an obligatory ice cream Trit.
By Wednesday we had enough boat wake and our trio made the call to drive down to Dominical. There at hightide it was still mushing out, but at low tide it showed more promise. There the waves were chest high, and a few sets could be called head high – at least right when you dropped in. What made it fun was the company I was with and the friendly locals we hung out with pre and post surf.
Friday we hoped the swell would show (it didn’t) and so after the morning sesh, drove back up the washboard highway to Quepos and from there the ultrasmooth coastal highway to Jaco. Checked in back at the same spot, Apartamentos el Sol, and went for a surf. Still small, and now there were lightning storms each afternoon, turning winds howling onshore and making time in the water muy sketchy.
Two days left, and after bloodshot eyes scanned wave model after wave model, now no swell was coming until at least Monday – the day we were leaving. The vote was made to cancel the hotel reservation the night before near San Jose, and to dawn patrol it before a mad dash to the airport. We needed surf badly and we knew that only Hermosa would produce it.
Saturday I had thought the swell was there, and for a $40 boat trip to Escondida I was proved wrong. The boat pulled up, and we didn’t even see one wave break on that pristine stretch of coast. Could have been the tide, could have been my bad luck. All I knew is that I was giving up on guessing when and where the waves were. My friends gave me faith, and we were rewarded with an empty lineup and chest to head high surf all day Sunday. Six hours of water time to make up for six days of waiting.
The last session was best, as it should have been. We caught a spot between Corners and the Tree where the sets filed in a foot overhead, with a defined shoulder to whack and an inside section hollow enough to tuck into. We were on it by 5:15 a.m., and had two hours of indulgence before the trek back, which went flawlessly. What a difference that last session made.
Which brings me to a conundrum that every surfer traveling to Costa Rica faces. Do you bring your own boards or rent them when you get there? We rented this time and it paid off. Chuck at Walking on Water Surf Shop in Jaco has over 75 boards to rent – short and long, guns and fishes, from 5.7 to 11.6. They cost $120 a week, about the same if we had brought our boards with us on Spirit Air (which charges $50 each way) But we didn’t have to worry about the airlines losing our boards or damaging them, and we could trade in our boards for other ones that fit the conditions. That was key on this trip, where on the first two days we could have ridden longboards and the last couple of days traded down in size. No worries about buying travel boardbags, either. Just something to think about when you’re planning your next weeklong trip to the Rich Coast and the swell is looking fickle.
The first couple of days we got what we expected, waist high surf with a chest high set coming through every fifteen agonizing minutes. We would drive to the Tree, Corners, Tulin, and back to Corners – all pretty much flat. But the mantra was always – “It’s better than Florida!” We even surfed during the peak high tides in Jaco Beach, when the other beachbreaks would mush up on the sand. Our consolation was a few extra beers and Tsunami Sushi, followed by an obligatory ice cream Trit.
By Wednesday we had enough boat wake and our trio made the call to drive down to Dominical. There at hightide it was still mushing out, but at low tide it showed more promise. There the waves were chest high, and a few sets could be called head high – at least right when you dropped in. What made it fun was the company I was with and the friendly locals we hung out with pre and post surf.
Friday we hoped the swell would show (it didn’t) and so after the morning sesh, drove back up the washboard highway to Quepos and from there the ultrasmooth coastal highway to Jaco. Checked in back at the same spot, Apartamentos el Sol, and went for a surf. Still small, and now there were lightning storms each afternoon, turning winds howling onshore and making time in the water muy sketchy.
Two days left, and after bloodshot eyes scanned wave model after wave model, now no swell was coming until at least Monday – the day we were leaving. The vote was made to cancel the hotel reservation the night before near San Jose, and to dawn patrol it before a mad dash to the airport. We needed surf badly and we knew that only Hermosa would produce it.
Saturday I had thought the swell was there, and for a $40 boat trip to Escondida I was proved wrong. The boat pulled up, and we didn’t even see one wave break on that pristine stretch of coast. Could have been the tide, could have been my bad luck. All I knew is that I was giving up on guessing when and where the waves were. My friends gave me faith, and we were rewarded with an empty lineup and chest to head high surf all day Sunday. Six hours of water time to make up for six days of waiting.
The last session was best, as it should have been. We caught a spot between Corners and the Tree where the sets filed in a foot overhead, with a defined shoulder to whack and an inside section hollow enough to tuck into. We were on it by 5:15 a.m., and had two hours of indulgence before the trek back, which went flawlessly. What a difference that last session made.
Which brings me to a conundrum that every surfer traveling to Costa Rica faces. Do you bring your own boards or rent them when you get there? We rented this time and it paid off. Chuck at Walking on Water Surf Shop in Jaco has over 75 boards to rent – short and long, guns and fishes, from 5.7 to 11.6. They cost $120 a week, about the same if we had brought our boards with us on Spirit Air (which charges $50 each way) But we didn’t have to worry about the airlines losing our boards or damaging them, and we could trade in our boards for other ones that fit the conditions. That was key on this trip, where on the first two days we could have ridden longboards and the last couple of days traded down in size. No worries about buying travel boardbags, either. Just something to think about when you’re planning your next weeklong trip to the Rich Coast and the swell is looking fickle.
CR Surf Travel News - August 2006
July was a great month for surf contests. The Adio Central American Championships were held July 14th and 15th in Esterillos and had surfers from Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica participating. Conditions early were great, offshores and well overhead on the sets. Afternoons were challeging, with choppy closed out surf, which made wave selection crucial. In the end, Frederico Pilurzo from Tamarindo and Lisbeth Vindas from Jaco placed first in the Open and Women's divisions respectively.
The second contest was held in Tamarindo on the 29th and 30th, hosted by Century 21 and the local business council. The money raised is going to be used to help pay for the lifeguard program and also help a Surfrider group started up by Lou Maresca, a Vero Beach semi-expat. Hopefully the event brings lot of sponsors and competitors and can grow next year. The results will be posted in next month's news.
Waves were consistent for July, headhigh to overhead almost every day, but no grinding Southwest swells appeared. There were three or four days out of the month where it was double overhead, and another three when it was only chest high in Playa Hermosa.
Speaking of Playa Hermosa, a lot of traveling surfers often give it a bad rap. Dumping closeouts, boards broken, red tide, crowds from Florida and California, theivery, the list goes on. I am wondering if these stories are being circulated just to keep even more people from filling the lineup. All the stories are true, I've witnessed all of them at one time or another. But the good side cannot be forgotten either. Dawn patrols with no one out, rocks that make the wave break early if you know where to check and at what tide to surf, long stretches of empty beaches to the south, comfortable and affordable lodging right off the beach, and only 90 minutes from San Jose airport. It's not too bad after all, and I'll take it anyday over the June doldrums in Florida or the cold waters off California.
In order to help plan your next surf trip, I've added a section where you can write in a question and I'll answer it. Send your question to info @crsurf.com with "The Resident Question" in the subject line. This month's question -
"I am visiting Costa Rica for the first time this summer to study Spanish. I'll be in the North Pacific coastal area, near Tamarindo, for about a month. I have a couple of surfing related questions that I hope you can answer. 1. Should I bring my own longboard or skip it and rent one in Tamarindo for a month? How much are rentals in Tamarindo? 2. Are there any Surf-Guide Services in Tamarindo you might recommend? 3. Where are the best longboarder friendly waves?"
And the answer - I would rent a longboard or buy one, then resell it when your done. Rentals go for an average of $15 per day. My friend Diana can help find you great spots to surf and gives lessons too. Her shop is Pura Mar Surf Shop (www.puramar.com) and her email is puramartamarindo@yahoo.com . The best place to surf is right there in Tamarindo, around midtide coming in. Ollie's Point is another great spot, with a long right breaking wave, but you'll need to take a boat from Playa de Coco. Check www.costaricasurftrips.com for prices.
The second contest was held in Tamarindo on the 29th and 30th, hosted by Century 21 and the local business council. The money raised is going to be used to help pay for the lifeguard program and also help a Surfrider group started up by Lou Maresca, a Vero Beach semi-expat. Hopefully the event brings lot of sponsors and competitors and can grow next year. The results will be posted in next month's news.
Waves were consistent for July, headhigh to overhead almost every day, but no grinding Southwest swells appeared. There were three or four days out of the month where it was double overhead, and another three when it was only chest high in Playa Hermosa.
Speaking of Playa Hermosa, a lot of traveling surfers often give it a bad rap. Dumping closeouts, boards broken, red tide, crowds from Florida and California, theivery, the list goes on. I am wondering if these stories are being circulated just to keep even more people from filling the lineup. All the stories are true, I've witnessed all of them at one time or another. But the good side cannot be forgotten either. Dawn patrols with no one out, rocks that make the wave break early if you know where to check and at what tide to surf, long stretches of empty beaches to the south, comfortable and affordable lodging right off the beach, and only 90 minutes from San Jose airport. It's not too bad after all, and I'll take it anyday over the June doldrums in Florida or the cold waters off California.
In order to help plan your next surf trip, I've added a section where you can write in a question and I'll answer it. Send your question to info @crsurf.com with "The Resident Question" in the subject line. This month's question -
"I am visiting Costa Rica for the first time this summer to study Spanish. I'll be in the North Pacific coastal area, near Tamarindo, for about a month. I have a couple of surfing related questions that I hope you can answer. 1. Should I bring my own longboard or skip it and rent one in Tamarindo for a month? How much are rentals in Tamarindo? 2. Are there any Surf-Guide Services in Tamarindo you might recommend? 3. Where are the best longboarder friendly waves?"
And the answer - I would rent a longboard or buy one, then resell it when your done. Rentals go for an average of $15 per day. My friend Diana can help find you great spots to surf and gives lessons too. Her shop is Pura Mar Surf Shop (www.puramar.com) and her email is puramartamarindo@yahoo.com . The best place to surf is right there in Tamarindo, around midtide coming in. Ollie's Point is another great spot, with a long right breaking wave, but you'll need to take a boat from Playa de Coco. Check www.costaricasurftrips.com for prices.
CR Surf Travel Co. delivers donated books to Costa Rican kids
All the Way to the Ocean, written by Joel Harper, teaches kids not to pollute the ocean.
July 5th, 2008 – On a recent surf trip in Costa Rica, Greg Gordon, the owner of CR Surf Travel Co. – www.crsurf.com – delivered 10 new copies of the book, All the Way to the Ocean, donated by the author Joel Harper. The goal was to help raise awareness about why it is bad to litter and how to teach young kids not to do it. The book tells the story of two skateboarding friends who talk about littering while playing in their neighborhood. The colorful illustrations drawn by Mark Spusta were meant to show kids the effects of pollution on marine life.
The funds used to translate the book into Spanish came from the Save our Seas Foundation. Their mission is – “To want to make the planet a healthier place by helping to preserve the oceans that we love and respect. Its purpose is to implement and support diverse programs of education, protection, and conservation all around the world.”
Mr. Gordon gave the books to the Playa Dominical elementary school’s first grade class and then read the book aloud while the students shared copies to read. Afterwards he discussed with the group about which types of fish and animals lived off their coastline and what they could do to protect them. Already the school leads a monthly beach cleanup, helps with a sea turtle egg hatchery, and holds an environmental festival each year.
Laird Hamilton wrote in the foreword for the book – “We have a great responsibility to protect the ocean and the wonderful creatures that live there. If we all do just a little, together we can give a lot.”
If you want to help get more copies of the book translated into Spanish and donated to schools in Costa Rica, then contact info@crsurf.com. Copies in English can be purchased on the CR Surf Shop at www.crsurfshop.com. For more information about the book, check www.allthewaytotheocean.com and to learn more about the Save Our Seas Foundation, go to www.saveourseas.com.
July 5th, 2008 – On a recent surf trip in Costa Rica, Greg Gordon, the owner of CR Surf Travel Co. – www.crsurf.com – delivered 10 new copies of the book, All the Way to the Ocean, donated by the author Joel Harper. The goal was to help raise awareness about why it is bad to litter and how to teach young kids not to do it. The book tells the story of two skateboarding friends who talk about littering while playing in their neighborhood. The colorful illustrations drawn by Mark Spusta were meant to show kids the effects of pollution on marine life.
The funds used to translate the book into Spanish came from the Save our Seas Foundation. Their mission is – “To want to make the planet a healthier place by helping to preserve the oceans that we love and respect. Its purpose is to implement and support diverse programs of education, protection, and conservation all around the world.”
Mr. Gordon gave the books to the Playa Dominical elementary school’s first grade class and then read the book aloud while the students shared copies to read. Afterwards he discussed with the group about which types of fish and animals lived off their coastline and what they could do to protect them. Already the school leads a monthly beach cleanup, helps with a sea turtle egg hatchery, and holds an environmental festival each year.
Laird Hamilton wrote in the foreword for the book – “We have a great responsibility to protect the ocean and the wonderful creatures that live there. If we all do just a little, together we can give a lot.”
If you want to help get more copies of the book translated into Spanish and donated to schools in Costa Rica, then contact info@crsurf.com. Copies in English can be purchased on the CR Surf Shop at www.crsurfshop.com. For more information about the book, check www.allthewaytotheocean.com and to learn more about the Save Our Seas Foundation, go to www.saveourseas.com.
CRSURF News and Happenings - June 2008
As school lets out and summer vacation begins, the waves in Costa Rica are expected to be more crowded this month. Luckily there are still some spots that are not that well traveled and if you ask around and are willing to drive a little off the pavement, you can still score empty surf. The key is to watch the tides, get up early, and surf until the wind switches on shore.
If you want to compete in a surf contest there are two chances this month. First is on June 21st and 22nd with the opening round of the Corona Triple Crown, taking place in Dominical. A big group from Christian Surfers in Daytona is expected to compete, as well as the best local and national surfers. Also starting that weekend is the Soulstice Open in Playa Hermosa behind Cabinas Las Olas (June 21-24). This contest is to raise money for local charities around Jaco. Entry fees are $40 and you can find more info on their Myspace page - http://www.myspace.com/soulsticeopen. (Of course this means that while all the locals are in the contest, other breaks will be less crowded!)
On the environmental front, a new bill introduced in the Costa Rican Assembly would wipe out the ruling that homeowners would have to give up 75 meters of their property inside the Las Baulas National Park in Playa Grande. To summarize the issue, the government had ruled the properties were inside the park and were supposed to buy out the owners. But the owners valued the property much higher than what the government could afford so the matter was tabled for the last few years. Now the government is backtracking on its position. The big losers are the leatherback turtles, with the number of their nests decreasing 90% in ten years and Playa Grande being one of the three most important nesting spots in the world.
On a lighter note, there’s a new book for teens that talks about saving turtles in Tamarindo. Turtle Feet, Surfer Beat is the story of Penelope who moves to Tamarindo with her parents for a month and learns about the peril of the leatherback turtle. The 86-page book written by Marina Kuperman is printed on recycled paper and has a journal in the back for a girl's own eco-adventure. Read more at - www.turtlefeetsurfersbeat.com.
If you are ready to book your eco-adventure with friends or family, there are some great specials on flights, rentals, and hotels. I’ve found flights on Lacsa from Miami from $191 RT. There are Rav4’s for rent for $380 a week, with taxes and insurance included. Chuck from Walking on Water Surf Shop in Jaco said to mention CRSURF if you want a great deal on board rentals. And a few choice hotels are offering a “stay 4 nights, get the fifth free” special. CR Surf Travel Co. can help get you there, as we are partners with Tico Travel and licensed under Dugan’s Travels. Just email travel@crsurf.com with your questions.
For the most recent surf news, photos, reports, forecasts, and travel specials, check out www.crsurf.com.
If you want to compete in a surf contest there are two chances this month. First is on June 21st and 22nd with the opening round of the Corona Triple Crown, taking place in Dominical. A big group from Christian Surfers in Daytona is expected to compete, as well as the best local and national surfers. Also starting that weekend is the Soulstice Open in Playa Hermosa behind Cabinas Las Olas (June 21-24). This contest is to raise money for local charities around Jaco. Entry fees are $40 and you can find more info on their Myspace page - http://www.myspace.com/soulsticeopen. (Of course this means that while all the locals are in the contest, other breaks will be less crowded!)
On the environmental front, a new bill introduced in the Costa Rican Assembly would wipe out the ruling that homeowners would have to give up 75 meters of their property inside the Las Baulas National Park in Playa Grande. To summarize the issue, the government had ruled the properties were inside the park and were supposed to buy out the owners. But the owners valued the property much higher than what the government could afford so the matter was tabled for the last few years. Now the government is backtracking on its position. The big losers are the leatherback turtles, with the number of their nests decreasing 90% in ten years and Playa Grande being one of the three most important nesting spots in the world.
On a lighter note, there’s a new book for teens that talks about saving turtles in Tamarindo. Turtle Feet, Surfer Beat is the story of Penelope who moves to Tamarindo with her parents for a month and learns about the peril of the leatherback turtle. The 86-page book written by Marina Kuperman is printed on recycled paper and has a journal in the back for a girl's own eco-adventure. Read more at - www.turtlefeetsurfersbeat.com.
If you are ready to book your eco-adventure with friends or family, there are some great specials on flights, rentals, and hotels. I’ve found flights on Lacsa from Miami from $191 RT. There are Rav4’s for rent for $380 a week, with taxes and insurance included. Chuck from Walking on Water Surf Shop in Jaco said to mention CRSURF if you want a great deal on board rentals. And a few choice hotels are offering a “stay 4 nights, get the fifth free” special. CR Surf Travel Co. can help get you there, as we are partners with Tico Travel and licensed under Dugan’s Travels. Just email travel@crsurf.com with your questions.
For the most recent surf news, photos, reports, forecasts, and travel specials, check out www.crsurf.com.
Playa Hermosa Paradise at Marea Brava Beachfront Suites and Villas - May 2008
The crash of the surf woke me up just after sunrise. Was I dreaming last night that I had arrived in paradise?
It was a bumpy ride from Dominical to Quepos, and another hour north to Playa Hermosa. I was arriving late, and hoped that someone was still up and knew I had a reservation. I pulled in and the night watchman was very friendly, contacting the night manager and then helping me with my bags and surfboard. When I entered the room, all I remember was thinking how big everything looked and how good a hot shower with good water pressure felt, and how comfy the mattress was. I slept with the angelitos that night, dreaming of long rides in the morning.
Another set boomed out back, and I knew that to beat the tide and get good offshore winds, I would have to get up. I stepped out on to the back balcony and soaked up the scenery. A few surfers were already out catching overhead waves right behind my room so I popped my fins in my 6'6" and paddled out. It was cool looking back towards the beach and thinking, "That's where I'm staying." Behind the hotel is a jungle covered hill with a few houses perched along the ridge.
After a couple of hours in the water I was getting thirsty and hungry so I took one in. The sand was a lot hotter on my feet than earlier and I was stoked that the hotel was right there. I used the outdoor shower to rinse off and then took a quick dip in the pool, which was just the right temperature. After drying off using the pool towels provided by the courteous staff, it was time to get some breakfast.
In the room where I stayed there was a complete kitchen setup with an oven, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, blender, full fridge and freezer, plenty of dishes, glasses, cookware, and even an outdoor barbeque grill. It was perfect for a group of six to load up with food and beverages at the local supermercado and then enjoy cooking fresh seafood right on the spacious front patio. But all I needed was some coffee and a filling breakfast. Luckily, only a couple of hundred meters up the road is one of the tastiest restaurants on the Pacific Coast, the Jungle Cafe. It is known primarily for its big breakfast omelets and unique dinner creations using the freshest fish and poultry.
What happens after going surfing at dawn for two hours and then spending the rest of the morning enjoying breakfast while reading the local newspaper, the Tico Times? It was time to find some shade for a little siesta. The Marea Brava has some great places for just lounging around. There's a shaded tent with lounge chairs right on the beach, and another palm frond palapa set back by the pool. There is actually two pools, a shallow one for the little ninos and another for the big kids, with floaties and boogie boards for guests to use along with a swim up bar serving tropical libations. If you want to get uber-relaxed, try out their professional messages which they do in a private cabana right off the sand. I ended up in one of their many double hammocks, shaded by the palms all around me. The hammocks were not the typical threaded ones, but had a soft cotton weave that made it nearly impossible to get up from.
When you are staying at the Marea Brava, there is always a tough choice to make. To try out some of their great adventure activities or just relax by the pool and on the beach. Marea Brava offers kayaking, white water rafting, jetski rentals, ATV tours, horseback riding, and zipline tours. They can arrange a guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park, located only an hour's drive away. They can customize the activities for one day or for the whole trip. And they pick you up right from the front office, so you don't even need transportation.
For this trip, surfing was my primary purpose. In Playa Hermosa you can catch good waves in the morning or late afternoon when the wind dies. It is better at midtide coming in, and the best months for overhead waves are from March to October. While waiting for the tide to fill in, I took a walk around the hotel and met a nice family visiting from California. It was their first time in Costa Rica and they were enjoying their trip immensely. The really liked the rooms and how peaceful the place felt, there were no sounds of construction or obnoxious guests. Just the surf, the wind through the palms, the occasional call of a toucan, the scrape of an iguana on the rooftop, or thud from a falling mango.
The clouds gathered quickly in the afternoon and when the first few big drops of rain fell, I retreated back indoors. Early in the rainy season, Playa Hermosa usually gets a daily deluge that lasts only an hour, and maybe gets a second shower in the evening. While waiting for the clouds to clear, you can enjoy the 42" flat panel TV with satellite cable and a DVD player or just listen to tunes on the stereo. There is another TV in the master bedroom, while the second room fits another double bed and two extra wide single beds. The living room is furnished with a wrap around leather sofa and ottoman, and in the dining area there is a table set up for six.
I guessed that all the rooms could not be this lavish, so I asked the front desk if I could see some of the other accommodations. First they took me to a regular room, which was still enormous and from the second floor had a nice ocean view. Those had minifridges and a microwave, with a queen sized bed. The next larger room was a suite which would fit a four person family quite nicely. It had a double bed in one bedroom and a bunk bed in the other room. There was also a small sitting room that included a microwave and refrigerator. And then the last one floored me. It was the penthouse, a third floor ocean view to dream of with all the features of their other two bedroom villas - the huge kitchen, entertainment centers, back and front patios, and enough beds for six guests. And every room had its own A/C unit, so those who need it cool can it keep it cool without freezing the rest of the family.
Then I asked, "What about the surfer who is traveling solo and just needs a bed and a safe place for their gear?" Well, Marea Brava accomodates this type of traveler as well. They have a 12 person air-conditioned ranchero with six sets of bunk beds. There are three full private bathrooms to share among the guests in those quarters and a safe in the front office to keep valuables and passports. So everyone is taken care of at this hotel, and you can stay in the ranchero for as little as $35 a night.
The other rooms are still quite affordable. l/s = low season and h/s = high season. For the two person room ($107 l/s, $133 h/s). The four person suite ($133.00 l/s, $158 h/s). The two bedroom villas that fit six ($158 l/s, $210 h/s). And the penthouse two bedroom villas ($185 l/s, $266 h/s). Remember to add the 16.39% room taxes and double check the dates you want to reserve since certain times of the year the cost of the rooms will be higher. You can get all the details and make a reservation by going to their website - www.mareabravacostarica.com or calling them toll free - 1.866.727-2577.
The sun poked back out around four and the wind died off, leaving me another glassy surf session before dark. The sunsets at Playa Hermosa are always amazing, and I used up the batteries on my digital camera snapping shots as the clouds turned pink, then orange, then purple as the sun disappeared beyond the Pacific. This was a perfect last day in Costa Rica at the perfect location in Playa Hermosa. I was already planning my next trip back.
It was a bumpy ride from Dominical to Quepos, and another hour north to Playa Hermosa. I was arriving late, and hoped that someone was still up and knew I had a reservation. I pulled in and the night watchman was very friendly, contacting the night manager and then helping me with my bags and surfboard. When I entered the room, all I remember was thinking how big everything looked and how good a hot shower with good water pressure felt, and how comfy the mattress was. I slept with the angelitos that night, dreaming of long rides in the morning.
Another set boomed out back, and I knew that to beat the tide and get good offshore winds, I would have to get up. I stepped out on to the back balcony and soaked up the scenery. A few surfers were already out catching overhead waves right behind my room so I popped my fins in my 6'6" and paddled out. It was cool looking back towards the beach and thinking, "That's where I'm staying." Behind the hotel is a jungle covered hill with a few houses perched along the ridge.
After a couple of hours in the water I was getting thirsty and hungry so I took one in. The sand was a lot hotter on my feet than earlier and I was stoked that the hotel was right there. I used the outdoor shower to rinse off and then took a quick dip in the pool, which was just the right temperature. After drying off using the pool towels provided by the courteous staff, it was time to get some breakfast.
In the room where I stayed there was a complete kitchen setup with an oven, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, blender, full fridge and freezer, plenty of dishes, glasses, cookware, and even an outdoor barbeque grill. It was perfect for a group of six to load up with food and beverages at the local supermercado and then enjoy cooking fresh seafood right on the spacious front patio. But all I needed was some coffee and a filling breakfast. Luckily, only a couple of hundred meters up the road is one of the tastiest restaurants on the Pacific Coast, the Jungle Cafe. It is known primarily for its big breakfast omelets and unique dinner creations using the freshest fish and poultry.
What happens after going surfing at dawn for two hours and then spending the rest of the morning enjoying breakfast while reading the local newspaper, the Tico Times? It was time to find some shade for a little siesta. The Marea Brava has some great places for just lounging around. There's a shaded tent with lounge chairs right on the beach, and another palm frond palapa set back by the pool. There is actually two pools, a shallow one for the little ninos and another for the big kids, with floaties and boogie boards for guests to use along with a swim up bar serving tropical libations. If you want to get uber-relaxed, try out their professional messages which they do in a private cabana right off the sand. I ended up in one of their many double hammocks, shaded by the palms all around me. The hammocks were not the typical threaded ones, but had a soft cotton weave that made it nearly impossible to get up from.
When you are staying at the Marea Brava, there is always a tough choice to make. To try out some of their great adventure activities or just relax by the pool and on the beach. Marea Brava offers kayaking, white water rafting, jetski rentals, ATV tours, horseback riding, and zipline tours. They can arrange a guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park, located only an hour's drive away. They can customize the activities for one day or for the whole trip. And they pick you up right from the front office, so you don't even need transportation.
For this trip, surfing was my primary purpose. In Playa Hermosa you can catch good waves in the morning or late afternoon when the wind dies. It is better at midtide coming in, and the best months for overhead waves are from March to October. While waiting for the tide to fill in, I took a walk around the hotel and met a nice family visiting from California. It was their first time in Costa Rica and they were enjoying their trip immensely. The really liked the rooms and how peaceful the place felt, there were no sounds of construction or obnoxious guests. Just the surf, the wind through the palms, the occasional call of a toucan, the scrape of an iguana on the rooftop, or thud from a falling mango.
The clouds gathered quickly in the afternoon and when the first few big drops of rain fell, I retreated back indoors. Early in the rainy season, Playa Hermosa usually gets a daily deluge that lasts only an hour, and maybe gets a second shower in the evening. While waiting for the clouds to clear, you can enjoy the 42" flat panel TV with satellite cable and a DVD player or just listen to tunes on the stereo. There is another TV in the master bedroom, while the second room fits another double bed and two extra wide single beds. The living room is furnished with a wrap around leather sofa and ottoman, and in the dining area there is a table set up for six.
I guessed that all the rooms could not be this lavish, so I asked the front desk if I could see some of the other accommodations. First they took me to a regular room, which was still enormous and from the second floor had a nice ocean view. Those had minifridges and a microwave, with a queen sized bed. The next larger room was a suite which would fit a four person family quite nicely. It had a double bed in one bedroom and a bunk bed in the other room. There was also a small sitting room that included a microwave and refrigerator. And then the last one floored me. It was the penthouse, a third floor ocean view to dream of with all the features of their other two bedroom villas - the huge kitchen, entertainment centers, back and front patios, and enough beds for six guests. And every room had its own A/C unit, so those who need it cool can it keep it cool without freezing the rest of the family.
Then I asked, "What about the surfer who is traveling solo and just needs a bed and a safe place for their gear?" Well, Marea Brava accomodates this type of traveler as well. They have a 12 person air-conditioned ranchero with six sets of bunk beds. There are three full private bathrooms to share among the guests in those quarters and a safe in the front office to keep valuables and passports. So everyone is taken care of at this hotel, and you can stay in the ranchero for as little as $35 a night.
The other rooms are still quite affordable. l/s = low season and h/s = high season. For the two person room ($107 l/s, $133 h/s). The four person suite ($133.00 l/s, $158 h/s). The two bedroom villas that fit six ($158 l/s, $210 h/s). And the penthouse two bedroom villas ($185 l/s, $266 h/s). Remember to add the 16.39% room taxes and double check the dates you want to reserve since certain times of the year the cost of the rooms will be higher. You can get all the details and make a reservation by going to their website - www.mareabravacostarica.com or calling them toll free - 1.866.727-2577.
The sun poked back out around four and the wind died off, leaving me another glassy surf session before dark. The sunsets at Playa Hermosa are always amazing, and I used up the batteries on my digital camera snapping shots as the clouds turned pink, then orange, then purple as the sun disappeared beyond the Pacific. This was a perfect last day in Costa Rica at the perfect location in Playa Hermosa. I was already planning my next trip back.
CRSURF News and Happenings - April 2008
April showers have started earlier than usual, due partly to La Nina, and with them have come the first big Southwest swells. The surf looks perfect from the beach, and the temptation to paddle right out is overwhelming. Stop – think safety first.
First, getting to the break. Repeat after me – “Just because it is a rental, it does not mean I have to drive like a madman.(or woman)” The speed limit is in KILOMETERS per hour, not miles. I say this because I was guilty in the past. One $1100 hit to the credit card deposit puts a damper on any vacation. And what if you accidentally killed someone, or became a new hood ornament for a bus? They don’t call part of the Pan-American Highway the “Cerro del Muerte” (the Ridge of Death) for nothing. If you’re guilty of speeding, you are probably guilty of running full speed through river gullies and trying to drive the beach at low tide, too. It is not worth the risk to life and Rav4.
So you made it to the beach. Jump out, grab the stick or log, wax it up, and race to the shore. Wait a sec – Safety Check. At a few popular breaks, thieves wait for unsuspecting surfers. Make sure you left everything of value back in your room, in a safe if possible. Before locking up, check the weather. Even if it’s cloudy the sun is strong, so lather up with some sunscreen or you’ll be a poster child for the World Skin Cancer Foundation. If the ocean looks more like a YooHoo drink, putting in some earplugs would be worth not getting an ear infection. And if there’s lightning around, just wait it out. No sense in becoming a statistic for the nearest hospital, which is most likely over an hour away.
Check your leash, and check the lineup. Where are the heavy rips? Where are the rocks? What’s your exit strategy and who is your paddle buddy? A buddy should be there to witness the waves you made, the wipeouts, and if you are in trouble. The local surfers in Costa Rica are friendly if you don’t invade the break, and can help you spot the easiest place to paddle out, and the safest take off zone. Remember that on the Pacific there can be 12 foot tidal surges, so it can from smooth seas to sketchy reefs and rocks in an hour. That’s where having a CRSURF surf tide chart always helps.
Dominical, Playa Cocles, Jaco, and Tamarindo are safer since the towns currently support a lifeguard program. They make as many as 40 saves a year, but there are still lots of empty beaches. This is because the funding for the program is limited, so lifeguards don’t have the full resources they need. That’s where you, the surf traveler, can help. CRSurf has donated $100 to the Dominical lifeguard program for the last five years. You can support those businesses that fund the lifeguards. And if you have a little extra to give, in money or time to train other lifeguards, send me a note at info@crsurf.com.
For the most recent surf news, reports, and forecasts, check out www.crsurf.com.
First, getting to the break. Repeat after me – “Just because it is a rental, it does not mean I have to drive like a madman.(or woman)” The speed limit is in KILOMETERS per hour, not miles. I say this because I was guilty in the past. One $1100 hit to the credit card deposit puts a damper on any vacation. And what if you accidentally killed someone, or became a new hood ornament for a bus? They don’t call part of the Pan-American Highway the “Cerro del Muerte” (the Ridge of Death) for nothing. If you’re guilty of speeding, you are probably guilty of running full speed through river gullies and trying to drive the beach at low tide, too. It is not worth the risk to life and Rav4.
So you made it to the beach. Jump out, grab the stick or log, wax it up, and race to the shore. Wait a sec – Safety Check. At a few popular breaks, thieves wait for unsuspecting surfers. Make sure you left everything of value back in your room, in a safe if possible. Before locking up, check the weather. Even if it’s cloudy the sun is strong, so lather up with some sunscreen or you’ll be a poster child for the World Skin Cancer Foundation. If the ocean looks more like a YooHoo drink, putting in some earplugs would be worth not getting an ear infection. And if there’s lightning around, just wait it out. No sense in becoming a statistic for the nearest hospital, which is most likely over an hour away.
Check your leash, and check the lineup. Where are the heavy rips? Where are the rocks? What’s your exit strategy and who is your paddle buddy? A buddy should be there to witness the waves you made, the wipeouts, and if you are in trouble. The local surfers in Costa Rica are friendly if you don’t invade the break, and can help you spot the easiest place to paddle out, and the safest take off zone. Remember that on the Pacific there can be 12 foot tidal surges, so it can from smooth seas to sketchy reefs and rocks in an hour. That’s where having a CRSURF surf tide chart always helps.
Dominical, Playa Cocles, Jaco, and Tamarindo are safer since the towns currently support a lifeguard program. They make as many as 40 saves a year, but there are still lots of empty beaches. This is because the funding for the program is limited, so lifeguards don’t have the full resources they need. That’s where you, the surf traveler, can help. CRSurf has donated $100 to the Dominical lifeguard program for the last five years. You can support those businesses that fund the lifeguards. And if you have a little extra to give, in money or time to train other lifeguards, send me a note at info@crsurf.com.
For the most recent surf news, reports, and forecasts, check out www.crsurf.com.
CRSURF NEWS for April 2007
Professional surfing in Costa Rica has reached a new level of success in March as Frederico Pilurzo made it to the finals of the $25000 Vans Pier Classic, a WQS event held in Huntington Beach, California that featured the best surfers in the world. Pilurzo earned second place, with Micah Byrne winning the event, and Eric Geiselman and Michael Hoisington coming in third and fourth place, respectively. This is the highest result of a Costa Rican surfer in a WQS event, and currently Frederico is 198th in the world on this year’s standings.
The second edition of the Central American Championship of Surf takes place from March 30th to April 1st at Playa Los Pinos in Guatemala. Teams from the host country Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica will be competing for bragging rights at $4600 in prizes.
For the April travelers, be prepared for the Semana Santa crowds. During the week of Easter, many thousands of Ticos travel out to the beach for their vacation. There will be lots of ‘bailes’ (dances) and guaro (a local liquor made from sugar cane) so you may have to travel a little farther to find a quiet beach. What is nice is that after April 15th the crowds disperse as quickly as they come, and as the high season ends so do the higher prices.
The second edition of the Central American Championship of Surf takes place from March 30th to April 1st at Playa Los Pinos in Guatemala. Teams from the host country Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica will be competing for bragging rights at $4600 in prizes.
For the April travelers, be prepared for the Semana Santa crowds. During the week of Easter, many thousands of Ticos travel out to the beach for their vacation. There will be lots of ‘bailes’ (dances) and guaro (a local liquor made from sugar cane) so you may have to travel a little farther to find a quiet beach. What is nice is that after April 15th the crowds disperse as quickly as they come, and as the high season ends so do the higher prices.
CRSURF News and Happenings - March 2008
March is one of the best months to take a trip to Costa Rica. It’s deep into the dry season, so that means longer mornings with offshore winds. The south swells start to pump up from New Zealand and Chile. And the Caribbean Coast is still firing from north-eastern swells sweeping south from the states. It’s almost a sure shot that you’re going to get waves and the roads to get there easily passable.
Spring Break and Semana Santa weeks will be the busiest, but the sunsets are just as scenic and there is usually a quiet spot to surf right down the beach from the masses. The locals from San Jose often make pilgrimages to Matapalo and Witchs/Ollies so expect these spots to get mobbed, but for all the right reasons. These places go off, especially when it’s too big everywhere else. A lot of the popular beachbreaks start to close out in anything bigger than four feet overhead, the evidence is the surfboard graveyard that covers the ceiling of San Clemente Restaurant in Dominical.
So where do you go when it’s too big? I like Esterillos, Pavones, Boca Barranca, Matapalo, and Ollies Point. The reason is the length of each wave and how it can handle the size. Sure, the ginormous sets that loom up to pound the inexperienced on the inside will always appear. But Ollie’s throws barrels for hundreds of meters, Matapalo has peaks taller than the trees. Esterillos can break up to a quarter mile out, Barranca breaks a quarter mile into the Gulf of Nicoya. And Pavones offers a chance for a minute-plus ride and a dollar beer to drink while walking back to the rivermouth (soda for the grommets).
There are some mysto left point breaks and righthand reef breaks that I could also mention, but those gems you’ll just have to discover for yourself. If you are a beginner, Tamarindo offers the largest number of surf camps and instructors per square mile in the world. The bay is well suited for blocking swell at the south end of it. Manuel Antonio and Dominicalito also are great spots to get surf lessons since those beaches are protected by a few islands. There’s a more complete list of breaks on the CRSURF website.
If you any questions about where and when to go, just send a note to info@crsurf.com And of course check www.crsurf.com for the latest surf report, wave forecast, and local news to help you on your travels.
Next contests on the Circuito Nacional de Surf:
Playa Carmen on March 15-16
Dominical on April 5-6.
Spring Break and Semana Santa weeks will be the busiest, but the sunsets are just as scenic and there is usually a quiet spot to surf right down the beach from the masses. The locals from San Jose often make pilgrimages to Matapalo and Witchs/Ollies so expect these spots to get mobbed, but for all the right reasons. These places go off, especially when it’s too big everywhere else. A lot of the popular beachbreaks start to close out in anything bigger than four feet overhead, the evidence is the surfboard graveyard that covers the ceiling of San Clemente Restaurant in Dominical.
So where do you go when it’s too big? I like Esterillos, Pavones, Boca Barranca, Matapalo, and Ollies Point. The reason is the length of each wave and how it can handle the size. Sure, the ginormous sets that loom up to pound the inexperienced on the inside will always appear. But Ollie’s throws barrels for hundreds of meters, Matapalo has peaks taller than the trees. Esterillos can break up to a quarter mile out, Barranca breaks a quarter mile into the Gulf of Nicoya. And Pavones offers a chance for a minute-plus ride and a dollar beer to drink while walking back to the rivermouth (soda for the grommets).
There are some mysto left point breaks and righthand reef breaks that I could also mention, but those gems you’ll just have to discover for yourself. If you are a beginner, Tamarindo offers the largest number of surf camps and instructors per square mile in the world. The bay is well suited for blocking swell at the south end of it. Manuel Antonio and Dominicalito also are great spots to get surf lessons since those beaches are protected by a few islands. There’s a more complete list of breaks on the CRSURF website.
If you any questions about where and when to go, just send a note to info@crsurf.com And of course check www.crsurf.com for the latest surf report, wave forecast, and local news to help you on your travels.
Next contests on the Circuito Nacional de Surf:
Playa Carmen on March 15-16
Dominical on April 5-6.
CR Surf Travel News for March 2007
March is one of the best months to visit Costa Rica . Not only is the Caribbean coast the most consistent for big surf, but the first Southern swells arrive on the Pacific. Also, it’s still the dry season, so offshores and sunny skies are on tap for most of the month. The only drawback is that it’s high season, and that means a high number of surfers in the lineup, and a higher cost of travel. To help those on a tight budget, but dying to catch some tropical juice, listed below are a few of my favorite hostels.
San Jose – You need a place to camp out in the city, if you get in late or have to leave early the next day. One of my favorite joints is The Backpackers Hostel – www.costaricabackpackers.com For $10 per person it has a swimming pool, tropical gardens, hammocks, sunbathing decks, BBQ night, bar-restaurant, cheap phone calls, cable tv, movie theater room and ALL FREE, internet, coffee, storage, parking, kitchen use. What more do you need? They also can get you a shuttle to the airport for $14.
Tamarindo – The Botella de Leche hostel – www.labotelladeleche.com – Dorms with A/C are as cheap as $10 per person ($12 pp for a double) and the house has a huge living area, all access kitchen, outdoor pool, and is within a five minute walk to the beach in Tamarindo. With most hotels charging $60 and up per night, this is a great option for staying in town. They also offer free coffee and tea, lockers, free bicycle use, surf lessons, surfboard rental, and ding repairs.
Santa Teresa - Just north of Mal Pais is the Cuesta Arriba Hostel, located 100 meters from the ‘La Lora’ surf break. For $10 per night per person ($12 in the high season), you get a fully equipped kitchen, free breakfast, TV lounge, and a free bicycle. It’s six to a huge shared coed room - sounds like fun! There’s also a laundry service and it’s open 24hrs. Go to www.santateresahostels.com for more information.
Jaco - I always stay at Chuck’s Cabinas Rutan, only $7.50 per night per person (up to 3 people per room) They have secure accommodations and are only two blocks from the beach in Jaco. This is a true surfer’s cabina, with surfboard storage, outdoor (and indoor) showers, and onsite board repair. Check out www.surfoutfitters.com for more info.
In Dominical I recommend Cabinas Antorchas - www.campingantorchas.net . Besides having safe campsites and lockers available on the property, they have shared rooms for $6 pp per night ($8 from Nov. to April). The best thing about this place is that it’s only 50 yards to the one of the most consistent waves in Costa Rica .
San Jose – You need a place to camp out in the city, if you get in late or have to leave early the next day. One of my favorite joints is The Backpackers Hostel – www.costaricabackpackers.com For $10 per person it has a swimming pool, tropical gardens, hammocks, sunbathing decks, BBQ night, bar-restaurant, cheap phone calls, cable tv, movie theater room and ALL FREE, internet, coffee, storage, parking, kitchen use. What more do you need? They also can get you a shuttle to the airport for $14.
Tamarindo – The Botella de Leche hostel – www.labotelladeleche.com – Dorms with A/C are as cheap as $10 per person ($12 pp for a double) and the house has a huge living area, all access kitchen, outdoor pool, and is within a five minute walk to the beach in Tamarindo. With most hotels charging $60 and up per night, this is a great option for staying in town. They also offer free coffee and tea, lockers, free bicycle use, surf lessons, surfboard rental, and ding repairs.
Santa Teresa - Just north of Mal Pais is the Cuesta Arriba Hostel, located 100 meters from the ‘La Lora’ surf break. For $10 per night per person ($12 in the high season), you get a fully equipped kitchen, free breakfast, TV lounge, and a free bicycle. It’s six to a huge shared coed room - sounds like fun! There’s also a laundry service and it’s open 24hrs. Go to www.santateresahostels.com for more information.
Jaco - I always stay at Chuck’s Cabinas Rutan, only $7.50 per night per person (up to 3 people per room) They have secure accommodations and are only two blocks from the beach in Jaco. This is a true surfer’s cabina, with surfboard storage, outdoor (and indoor) showers, and onsite board repair. Check out www.surfoutfitters.com for more info.
In Dominical I recommend Cabinas Antorchas - www.campingantorchas.net . Besides having safe campsites and lockers available on the property, they have shared rooms for $6 pp per night ($8 from Nov. to April). The best thing about this place is that it’s only 50 yards to the one of the most consistent waves in Costa Rica .
CR Surf Travel Report - February 2008
As I am packing my bags for a flight down to Costa Rica for another ‘business’ trip, I thought I would make it a little easier for those travelers wondering which airlines are the most surfer friendly. Here’s what I found….
From the MARTIN AIR website, they allow three pieces of luggage including one carryon. Passengers may carry maximum 2 surfboards, in the same bag, as one piece of luggage as long as the bag does not exceed 70lbs in weight and is no longer than 10 feet.
On SPIRIT AIRLINES the charge for surfboards is $50 one-way and may only be paid at the airport. Also, I was surprised to see that starting February 20th, the fee for transporting any luggage is $10.00 per bag if payment is made online in advance. When paying at the airport fees will increase to $20.00 per item. Also, Spirit Airlines can only guarantee the transportation of one item as checked luggage per fare-paying customer at the airport. Additional bags are accepted only when reserved in advance online. If not reserved, Spirit cannot guarantee that there will be space for additional bags and will not be held responsible for any additional items brought to the airport by the customer.
If you want to fly TACA, they allow up to 2 surfboards in one bag permitted per passenger and there is a $50 charge each way. BUT, there is no charg between Miami and San Jose for first 2 surfboards per passenger.
For DELTA AIRLINES, if it's 62–80 inches, the total of length plus width plus height of your bag, it’s $100 each bag each way. No more than two bags total, or you pay another $75 fee. If it's over 80 inches, total of length plus width plus height, it's not permitted.
On AMERICAN AIRLINES, one surfboard will cost you $80 to fly it. And if the bag is in excess of the two pieces you’re allowed, excess baggage charges apply in addition to the $80 special items fee.
So how about CONTINENTAL? Continental Airlines will accept one surfboard or one surfboard bag containing up to four boards per customer as checked baggage, with the following charges each way: 1 surfboard $95.00, 1 surfboard bag containing up to two boards $95.00, 1 surfboard bag containing up to three boards $380.00, 1 surfboard bag containing up to four boards $665.00. This service charge is in addition to any excess baggage charges that may apply. Also, the skeg/fin must be removed or well padded. And it can’t be over 70 pounds or 115 inches (length + width + height) What’s interesting is also they have embargos on oversized luggage during the peak season, BUT this doesn’t include flights to Costa Rica. (nice)
On COPA AIRLINES, which flies indirectly to Costa Rica, surfboards cost $50. There’s no mention if it’s one-way or round trip.
UNITED AIRLINES charges $100.00 for anything over 62 inches in length. They recommend that you contact your travel agent before making a reservation.
Which brings up a great point. Why not use a travel agent? If you think you are saving money trying to set up a trip by yourself, you are missing the chance to work with someone who knows the industry, where to find the best deals, a safe hotel, a reliable car rental. You’re not saving a dime if you show up at the airport and your boards cost you $200 to fly them roundtrip, or if you have to leave them at the airport. So send me a note, info@crsurf.com, and I can help you save on your next Costa Rica trip. I can even help you plan your trip for where and when the waves will be best.
Greg Gordon, owner
CR Surf Travel Company
From the MARTIN AIR website, they allow three pieces of luggage including one carryon. Passengers may carry maximum 2 surfboards, in the same bag, as one piece of luggage as long as the bag does not exceed 70lbs in weight and is no longer than 10 feet.
On SPIRIT AIRLINES the charge for surfboards is $50 one-way and may only be paid at the airport. Also, I was surprised to see that starting February 20th, the fee for transporting any luggage is $10.00 per bag if payment is made online in advance. When paying at the airport fees will increase to $20.00 per item. Also, Spirit Airlines can only guarantee the transportation of one item as checked luggage per fare-paying customer at the airport. Additional bags are accepted only when reserved in advance online. If not reserved, Spirit cannot guarantee that there will be space for additional bags and will not be held responsible for any additional items brought to the airport by the customer.
If you want to fly TACA, they allow up to 2 surfboards in one bag permitted per passenger and there is a $50 charge each way. BUT, there is no charg between Miami and San Jose for first 2 surfboards per passenger.
For DELTA AIRLINES, if it's 62–80 inches, the total of length plus width plus height of your bag, it’s $100 each bag each way. No more than two bags total, or you pay another $75 fee. If it's over 80 inches, total of length plus width plus height, it's not permitted.
On AMERICAN AIRLINES, one surfboard will cost you $80 to fly it. And if the bag is in excess of the two pieces you’re allowed, excess baggage charges apply in addition to the $80 special items fee.
So how about CONTINENTAL? Continental Airlines will accept one surfboard or one surfboard bag containing up to four boards per customer as checked baggage, with the following charges each way: 1 surfboard $95.00, 1 surfboard bag containing up to two boards $95.00, 1 surfboard bag containing up to three boards $380.00, 1 surfboard bag containing up to four boards $665.00. This service charge is in addition to any excess baggage charges that may apply. Also, the skeg/fin must be removed or well padded. And it can’t be over 70 pounds or 115 inches (length + width + height) What’s interesting is also they have embargos on oversized luggage during the peak season, BUT this doesn’t include flights to Costa Rica. (nice)
On COPA AIRLINES, which flies indirectly to Costa Rica, surfboards cost $50. There’s no mention if it’s one-way or round trip.
UNITED AIRLINES charges $100.00 for anything over 62 inches in length. They recommend that you contact your travel agent before making a reservation.
Which brings up a great point. Why not use a travel agent? If you think you are saving money trying to set up a trip by yourself, you are missing the chance to work with someone who knows the industry, where to find the best deals, a safe hotel, a reliable car rental. You’re not saving a dime if you show up at the airport and your boards cost you $200 to fly them roundtrip, or if you have to leave them at the airport. So send me a note, info@crsurf.com, and I can help you save on your next Costa Rica trip. I can even help you plan your trip for where and when the waves will be best.
Greg Gordon, owner
CR Surf Travel Company
CRSURF News and Happenings - January 2008
Feliz dos mil ocho – Happy 2008! This year my resolution was to spend more time in Costa Rica. There is so much happening there and I feel that when I’m not at the 9 degree latitude line, I am missing waves, concerts, and waterfalls. So of course I’ve got my ticket to go by the end of the month.
The ticket I found online through the Martin Air website. Martin Air won’t be flying from Orlando anymore, but they have great deals from Miami and they fly up to two boards free. A little closer to central Florida is Spirit Air with $8 flights each way, but don’t forget about the $60 in taxes and $50 in board fees and their problem of losing boards in transit. Another option with free boards service from Miami is TACA. Of American, Continental, and US Airways all fly to San Jose and Liberia, but it ain’t too cheap and you might as well pack body parts in your boardbag because it costs an arm and a leg to fly boards down.
So what is there to do in January? Plenty. The Mal Pais Manifesto Gathering is from Jan. 18th to the 23rd. Go to www.manifestogathering.com for more information about this fun musical event in the southern Nicoya Peninsula. Also, the Costa-Bazooka festival - 7 Days of Music in Costa Rica. Two days with eight bands in San Jose on the 7th and 8th. Then five more days in Quepos on the 9th – 12th. Then the big finale at Rancho Allegre Saturday Jan. 12, 2008. The cost is $15 and you can go to www.costa-bazooka.com for more info.
For surf contests, on January 12th and 13th is the OP Pro behind the Backyard Bar in Playa Hermosa. This is the second stop of Costa Rica’s national surf circuit, which is producing some WQS contenders like Frederico Pilurzo of Tamarindo (see photo) and hundreds of local surf groms who get better with each contest. They compete again in Tamarindo behind Witchs Rock Surf Camp on February 2nd and 3rd.
And if you’re up in Tamarindo, why not check out the local Surfrider chapter meeting? They gather the last Thursday of each month at Surf Club Sports Bar in Playa Hermosa. So often we take back good times and memories from each visit, and so few times we give back. Costa Rica is having some major water quality and beach access problems, and that is what Surfrider is trying to help solve locally. It would terrible to return to a favorite beach, only to find it inaccessible or too polluted to surf.
This worst case scenario is happening right now on the Caribbean Coast. Developers want to put a marina in Puerto Viejo, right next to the Salsa Brava reef break. Not only may that destroy the wave, but the runoff could cause irreparable harm to the live reefs just a few kilometers north and south. Back on the Pacific, did you know that Costa Rica is the sole place in the world where the two populations of humpback whales, those from the northern and the southern hemispheres, coincide to mate and give birth to their calves? If you want to help Surfrider or need help planning your next trip, contact me at info@crsurf.com.
The ticket I found online through the Martin Air website. Martin Air won’t be flying from Orlando anymore, but they have great deals from Miami and they fly up to two boards free. A little closer to central Florida is Spirit Air with $8 flights each way, but don’t forget about the $60 in taxes and $50 in board fees and their problem of losing boards in transit. Another option with free boards service from Miami is TACA. Of American, Continental, and US Airways all fly to San Jose and Liberia, but it ain’t too cheap and you might as well pack body parts in your boardbag because it costs an arm and a leg to fly boards down.
So what is there to do in January? Plenty. The Mal Pais Manifesto Gathering is from Jan. 18th to the 23rd. Go to www.manifestogathering.com for more information about this fun musical event in the southern Nicoya Peninsula. Also, the Costa-Bazooka festival - 7 Days of Music in Costa Rica. Two days with eight bands in San Jose on the 7th and 8th. Then five more days in Quepos on the 9th – 12th. Then the big finale at Rancho Allegre Saturday Jan. 12, 2008. The cost is $15 and you can go to www.costa-bazooka.com for more info.
For surf contests, on January 12th and 13th is the OP Pro behind the Backyard Bar in Playa Hermosa. This is the second stop of Costa Rica’s national surf circuit, which is producing some WQS contenders like Frederico Pilurzo of Tamarindo (see photo) and hundreds of local surf groms who get better with each contest. They compete again in Tamarindo behind Witchs Rock Surf Camp on February 2nd and 3rd.
And if you’re up in Tamarindo, why not check out the local Surfrider chapter meeting? They gather the last Thursday of each month at Surf Club Sports Bar in Playa Hermosa. So often we take back good times and memories from each visit, and so few times we give back. Costa Rica is having some major water quality and beach access problems, and that is what Surfrider is trying to help solve locally. It would terrible to return to a favorite beach, only to find it inaccessible or too polluted to surf.
This worst case scenario is happening right now on the Caribbean Coast. Developers want to put a marina in Puerto Viejo, right next to the Salsa Brava reef break. Not only may that destroy the wave, but the runoff could cause irreparable harm to the live reefs just a few kilometers north and south. Back on the Pacific, did you know that Costa Rica is the sole place in the world where the two populations of humpback whales, those from the northern and the southern hemispheres, coincide to mate and give birth to their calves? If you want to help Surfrider or need help planning your next trip, contact me at info@crsurf.com.
From the Science Blogs
From the Science Blogs
Leatherback turtles: going where few air-breathers dare
Playa Grande neighbors go to court for damage to leatherback turtles
On July 1, an appeal for protection was filed before the Constitutional Court by the Playa Grande Neighbors Association, arguing serious damage is being caused to the leatherback turtles that come to nest on the Guanacaste beaches of Playa Grande and Playa Ventanas.
Julio Saenz, a member of the community group, said he was going “to present proof that scientific research led by the organization The Leatherback Trust (President Jim Spotila), has made it so that these endangered turtles are not coming back to nest on these beaches, which are part of the Las Baulas Marine National Park.”
The experiment being questioned was conducted for scientific reasons. However, the Playa Grande Neighbors Association has indicated that none of the turtles fitted with the radio transmitters returned to their nesting site. That’s the main reason for the appeal for protection (recurso de amparo) that they filed with the Constitutional Court, and which is now being reviewed by its magistrates.
Of the 27 turtles that were outfitted with the devices in the 2003-2004 season, none returned to their nesting site, despite the fact that leatherbacks return to their nests, on average, 3.7 years after the time they migrated.
This information was presented in the reports issued by researchers with The Leatherback Trust, and which the Playa Grande neighbors have copies of. Meanwhile, 40 other turtles that were not given a transmitter, also on the 2003-2004 season, did return to their nests the following season.
In this sense, the appeal for protection accuses The Leatherback Trust of violating a series of international agreements ratified by Costa Rica for the protection of flora and fauna, according to article 7 of the country’s Constitution. The complainants are asking the Constitutional Court to ban experiments done with the turtles, as they could generate “an irreversible effect against the environment, according to the appeal presented against SINAC, the Tempisque Conservation Area, and the Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE).
Bryan Wallace, In response to Pedro Vargas:
First, our project has a 20 year history of research efforts that have contributed to conservation of leatherbacks in Costa Rica, including the formation of the National Park, and the ELIMINATION of egg poaching, which was one of the main drivers in the population decline of these animals. Thus, our reputation for important, reliable scientific research and consistent, dedicated conservation efforts speaks for itself -in Costa Rica and around the world.
Second, as conservation scientists working with endangered species, we have a responsibility to maximize the conservation applications of our research while minimizing the impacts of that research on our study animals. The very nature of field research is such that it is impossible NOT to have some impact -however small- on one's study subjects. Despite this unavoidable fact, we used the most widely accepted, proven technique available to us at the time of the study to attach transmitters to leatherbacks (the harness) to study their movements and the environmental influences of those movements throughout the Pacific Ocean. No tracking study had ever been conducted on this population on the scale of this one, and no tracking study had ever obtained so much crucial information to be used for conservation of leatherbacks in Costa Rican waters, and international waters as well.
Third, speaking of conservation importance, through high-level analyses of these high-quality data, we were able to outline clear, pertinent recommendations for conservation of leatherbacks in their marine habitats. In addition to egg poaching, incidental capture of leatherbacks in fishing gear also has been implicated as a major driver of this population's decline. Thus, mitigating the interactions between leatherbacks and fishing gear is now the most important conservation issue facing us and the leatherbacks we are trying to save from extinction. The information we obtained in this study has allowed us, for the first time, to describe in great detail where leatherbacks go, why they go there, when they go there, and what can be done to keep them out of fishing gear.
Fourth, as a technical point, contrary to the claim in his post, there are currently no data clearly demonstrating adverse impacts of the harnesses on leatherbacks. The only studies that have explored this possibility have arrived at tentative, suggestive conclusions that harnesses might result in slightly slower travel rates or might be related to earlier start of migration. What is needed is a rigorous test of various techniques to figure out what the impacts actually might be.
Fifth, we have identified almost 2000 individual leatherbacks over the past 15 years of monitoring, but have seen fewer than 500 return to the beach after being counted for the first time. Thus, we have an unfortunately, but consistently, low rate of return of our turtles (about 25%). In fact, during the years that we put harnesses on turtles, we counted 417 individual turtles, of which only 18% have returned so far. The turtles that we put harnesses on (46 total) are in the proportion that haven't returned yet, but still might. Leatherbacks take between 2 and 7 years to return to the beach to nest, and in some cases, we've recorded turtles returning after intervals of more than 10 years! Everyone can rest assured that when these turtles come back, our patient field biologists will be waiting to count them.
The take-home message is this: we care about saving these turtles more than almost anyone, and we always try to do the best job we can to find out what we need to know to save them, and to take the actions necessary to save them. We hope that others will join us in saving the leatherbacks in the Eastern Pacific!
Thanks for reading,
bw
Posted by: Bryan Wallace | August 8, 2008 2:45 PM
Leatherback turtles: going where few air-breathers dare
Playa Grande neighbors go to court for damage to leatherback turtles
On July 1, an appeal for protection was filed before the Constitutional Court by the Playa Grande Neighbors Association, arguing serious damage is being caused to the leatherback turtles that come to nest on the Guanacaste beaches of Playa Grande and Playa Ventanas.
Julio Saenz, a member of the community group, said he was going “to present proof that scientific research led by the organization The Leatherback Trust (President Jim Spotila), has made it so that these endangered turtles are not coming back to nest on these beaches, which are part of the Las Baulas Marine National Park.”
The experiment being questioned was conducted for scientific reasons. However, the Playa Grande Neighbors Association has indicated that none of the turtles fitted with the radio transmitters returned to their nesting site. That’s the main reason for the appeal for protection (recurso de amparo) that they filed with the Constitutional Court, and which is now being reviewed by its magistrates.
Of the 27 turtles that were outfitted with the devices in the 2003-2004 season, none returned to their nesting site, despite the fact that leatherbacks return to their nests, on average, 3.7 years after the time they migrated.
This information was presented in the reports issued by researchers with The Leatherback Trust, and which the Playa Grande neighbors have copies of. Meanwhile, 40 other turtles that were not given a transmitter, also on the 2003-2004 season, did return to their nests the following season.
In this sense, the appeal for protection accuses The Leatherback Trust of violating a series of international agreements ratified by Costa Rica for the protection of flora and fauna, according to article 7 of the country’s Constitution. The complainants are asking the Constitutional Court to ban experiments done with the turtles, as they could generate “an irreversible effect against the environment, according to the appeal presented against SINAC, the Tempisque Conservation Area, and the Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE).
Bryan Wallace, In response to Pedro Vargas:
First, our project has a 20 year history of research efforts that have contributed to conservation of leatherbacks in Costa Rica, including the formation of the National Park, and the ELIMINATION of egg poaching, which was one of the main drivers in the population decline of these animals. Thus, our reputation for important, reliable scientific research and consistent, dedicated conservation efforts speaks for itself -in Costa Rica and around the world.
Second, as conservation scientists working with endangered species, we have a responsibility to maximize the conservation applications of our research while minimizing the impacts of that research on our study animals. The very nature of field research is such that it is impossible NOT to have some impact -however small- on one's study subjects. Despite this unavoidable fact, we used the most widely accepted, proven technique available to us at the time of the study to attach transmitters to leatherbacks (the harness) to study their movements and the environmental influences of those movements throughout the Pacific Ocean. No tracking study had ever been conducted on this population on the scale of this one, and no tracking study had ever obtained so much crucial information to be used for conservation of leatherbacks in Costa Rican waters, and international waters as well.
Third, speaking of conservation importance, through high-level analyses of these high-quality data, we were able to outline clear, pertinent recommendations for conservation of leatherbacks in their marine habitats. In addition to egg poaching, incidental capture of leatherbacks in fishing gear also has been implicated as a major driver of this population's decline. Thus, mitigating the interactions between leatherbacks and fishing gear is now the most important conservation issue facing us and the leatherbacks we are trying to save from extinction. The information we obtained in this study has allowed us, for the first time, to describe in great detail where leatherbacks go, why they go there, when they go there, and what can be done to keep them out of fishing gear.
Fourth, as a technical point, contrary to the claim in his post, there are currently no data clearly demonstrating adverse impacts of the harnesses on leatherbacks. The only studies that have explored this possibility have arrived at tentative, suggestive conclusions that harnesses might result in slightly slower travel rates or might be related to earlier start of migration. What is needed is a rigorous test of various techniques to figure out what the impacts actually might be.
Fifth, we have identified almost 2000 individual leatherbacks over the past 15 years of monitoring, but have seen fewer than 500 return to the beach after being counted for the first time. Thus, we have an unfortunately, but consistently, low rate of return of our turtles (about 25%). In fact, during the years that we put harnesses on turtles, we counted 417 individual turtles, of which only 18% have returned so far. The turtles that we put harnesses on (46 total) are in the proportion that haven't returned yet, but still might. Leatherbacks take between 2 and 7 years to return to the beach to nest, and in some cases, we've recorded turtles returning after intervals of more than 10 years! Everyone can rest assured that when these turtles come back, our patient field biologists will be waiting to count them.
The take-home message is this: we care about saving these turtles more than almost anyone, and we always try to do the best job we can to find out what we need to know to save them, and to take the actions necessary to save them. We hope that others will join us in saving the leatherbacks in the Eastern Pacific!
Thanks for reading,
bw
Posted by: Bryan Wallace | August 8, 2008 2:45 PM
Threat of Tuna Farms in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, IS BACK
Threat of Tuna Farms in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, IS BACK
(November 11, 2008 - San José, Costa Rica)
Last November 5, the Technical Secretariat of the Environment of Costa Rica (Setena) issued a resolution calling for the operation of Tuna Farms of Golfito to continue with its execution. The project, which consists of the installation of 10 cages that will fatten up to 120 tons of tuna per cycle, was suspended by order of the Constitutional Court on May 9 of 2007, due to the serious inconsistencies found regarding the threat of polluting the delicate ecosystem of the Golfo Dulce, and the impact on sea turtles. Setena had declared that the project was environmentally viable since August 19, 2005.
In order to elucidate the inconsistencies that the Constitutional Court pointed out, Setena requested the technical criteria of the Center for Marine and Limnological Research of the University of Costa Rica (Cimar). In the report, submitted last September 30, Cimar underlines that to predict the possible destiny of wastes and served waters with more certainty, a much more comprehensive study regarding ocean currents is needed than the one that was submitted in the Environmental Impact Study. Furthermore, it points out the need for a Plan of Action to deal with the sea turtles and whales that use these waters.
According to the Costa Rican NGO Pretoma, which filed the Constitutional Law Suit to stop the installation of Tuna Farms together with the Association of Neighbors of Punta Banco, Setena granted the environmental viability without having elucidated the inconsistency described by the Constitutional Court regarding the ecological impact that the Tuna Farms may have on the Golfo Dulce. To make matters worst, Setena doesn't even acknowledge that sea turtles nest in the area, in spite of the fact that for the last 11 years Pretoma has been doing sea turtle conservation projects in the community of Punta Banco, an olive ridley sea turtle nesting site located directly in front the area that the proposed Tuna Farms will occupy.
"The Constitutional Court had already expressed that Setena was in the obligation of ordering the performance of studies to previously guarantee, and with an acceptable degree of certainty, that the metabolic wastes produced would not affect the environment nor the delicate ecosystem of the Golfo Dulce", informed Randall Arauz, President of Pretoma, "The requested studies still haven't been performed, nor have the contaminant issue been elucidated, because of which the recommendation to continue with the execution of the Tuna Farms is contrary to the order of the Constitutional Court", explained Arauz.
According to Miguel Gómez, Pretoma's Campaigns Coordinator, sea turtles are under serious threat, as the structures with the cages would attract the sea turtles that visit the beaches of Punta Banco, Estrechura, and Río Coco to nest, and would interrupt the hatchlings on their way to the open sea. "We still don't see a serious plan to mitigate the impact of the Tuna Farms on sea turtles, but if Setena won't even acknowledge that sea turtles nest on these beaches, what can we expect?," said a disappointed Gómez.
On November 11 of 2008, Pretoma filed suit to revoke Setena's resolution, as well as an appeal to the Ministry of Environment.
For more information:
PRETOMA
Tel (506) 2241 5227
Fax (506) 2236 6017
Email: info@pretoma.org
Website: www.pretoma.org
PRETOMA is a Costa Rican Civil Association of Public Interest (Decreto Ejecutivo 34150-J), and is an active member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature IUCN and the World Society for the Protection of Animals WSPA.
For an interesting read on "How to Grow a Giant Tuna?"
(November 11, 2008 - San José, Costa Rica)
Last November 5, the Technical Secretariat of the Environment of Costa Rica (Setena) issued a resolution calling for the operation of Tuna Farms of Golfito to continue with its execution. The project, which consists of the installation of 10 cages that will fatten up to 120 tons of tuna per cycle, was suspended by order of the Constitutional Court on May 9 of 2007, due to the serious inconsistencies found regarding the threat of polluting the delicate ecosystem of the Golfo Dulce, and the impact on sea turtles. Setena had declared that the project was environmentally viable since August 19, 2005.
In order to elucidate the inconsistencies that the Constitutional Court pointed out, Setena requested the technical criteria of the Center for Marine and Limnological Research of the University of Costa Rica (Cimar). In the report, submitted last September 30, Cimar underlines that to predict the possible destiny of wastes and served waters with more certainty, a much more comprehensive study regarding ocean currents is needed than the one that was submitted in the Environmental Impact Study. Furthermore, it points out the need for a Plan of Action to deal with the sea turtles and whales that use these waters.
According to the Costa Rican NGO Pretoma, which filed the Constitutional Law Suit to stop the installation of Tuna Farms together with the Association of Neighbors of Punta Banco, Setena granted the environmental viability without having elucidated the inconsistency described by the Constitutional Court regarding the ecological impact that the Tuna Farms may have on the Golfo Dulce. To make matters worst, Setena doesn't even acknowledge that sea turtles nest in the area, in spite of the fact that for the last 11 years Pretoma has been doing sea turtle conservation projects in the community of Punta Banco, an olive ridley sea turtle nesting site located directly in front the area that the proposed Tuna Farms will occupy.
"The Constitutional Court had already expressed that Setena was in the obligation of ordering the performance of studies to previously guarantee, and with an acceptable degree of certainty, that the metabolic wastes produced would not affect the environment nor the delicate ecosystem of the Golfo Dulce", informed Randall Arauz, President of Pretoma, "The requested studies still haven't been performed, nor have the contaminant issue been elucidated, because of which the recommendation to continue with the execution of the Tuna Farms is contrary to the order of the Constitutional Court", explained Arauz.
According to Miguel Gómez, Pretoma's Campaigns Coordinator, sea turtles are under serious threat, as the structures with the cages would attract the sea turtles that visit the beaches of Punta Banco, Estrechura, and Río Coco to nest, and would interrupt the hatchlings on their way to the open sea. "We still don't see a serious plan to mitigate the impact of the Tuna Farms on sea turtles, but if Setena won't even acknowledge that sea turtles nest on these beaches, what can we expect?," said a disappointed Gómez.
On November 11 of 2008, Pretoma filed suit to revoke Setena's resolution, as well as an appeal to the Ministry of Environment.
For more information:
PRETOMA
Tel (506) 2241 5227
Fax (506) 2236 6017
Email: info@pretoma.org
Website: www.pretoma.org
PRETOMA is a Costa Rican Civil Association of Public Interest (Decreto Ejecutivo 34150-J), and is an active member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature IUCN and the World Society for the Protection of Animals WSPA.
For an interesting read on "How to Grow a Giant Tuna?"
Court Suspends Execution of Tuna Farms in Costa Rica
Court Suspends Execution of Tuna Farms in Costa Rica
(San José, Costa Rica – May 15, 2007)
Last May 9th, the Constitutional Court ordered the suspension of execution of the project to install tuna farms (Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A.) in Costa Rica's South Pacific region, until the Technical Secretariat of the Environment (SETENA, a branch of the Ministry of Environment in charge of approving EIAs) can previously guarantee, and with reasonable certainty, that the metabolic wastes produced by the fattening of tunas will not contaminate the environment, particularly the Golfo Dulce (voto 06315-07). SETENA must perform the technical studies to determine the direction and movement of the currents and the effect of the metabolic wastes on the Golfo Dulce, due to the contradictions in the technical information provided by the company itself. The main doubt is, do the currents have a dispersing effect over the metabolic wastes because they are swift and they move away from the Golfo Dulce, as claimed by officers of the company under oath, or are the currents slow and do they move towards the Golfo Dulce, dragging the metabolic wastes with them, as affirmed by the company's Environmental Impact Assessment?
“We are satisfied, especially with the application of the precautionary principle”, expressed Peter Aspinal, of the Tiskita Foundation. “Just as we have been warning, the risk posed by the massive generation of metabolic wastes and other contaminants, product of the industrial fattening of tunas, is too high to be taken lightly, and the contradictions show that that is precisely what the authorities did when they approved this project”, explained Aspinal.
The order is the result of the Constitutional Lawsuit (06-008255-0007-CO) filed by PRETOMA and the Association of Neighbors of Punta Banco, against the Director of the Department of Waters of the Ministry of Environment MINAE, the Executive President of INCOPESCA and the SETENA, for approving the project without a previous popular consultation and without considering the precautionary principle. An amalgam of organizations of the civil society joined in opposition to the project, including Foundation Vida Marina, Tiskita Foundation, the Association of Guaymi Indigenous Representatives, the Association of Fishermen of Pavones, the Association of Fishermen of Zancudo, the Municipality of Golfito, and numerous neighbors of Pavones, Puerto Jiménez and Golfito. The area's economy is based on low impact ecotourism, and there is a generalized concern that the operation of the tuna farms would not only threaten its scenic beauty, but its ecological integrity as well.
According to Denise Echeverría, of the Foundation Vida Marina, the decision of the Court sets an extremely important precedent in light of the accelerated development currently occurring in Costa Rica's South Pacific region. “There are other coastal development threats that could have equally devastating effects, or worse”, warned Echeverría. “Due to the Golfo Dulce's condition as tropical fjord, its delicate ecosystem and the marine biodiversity it hosts are extremely susceptible to environmental alterations produced by coastal infrastructure, such as tuna farms, piers, wave breakers, marinas, hotels and condominiums, because of which they must be carefully controlled under a precautionary regime”.
Other that the impact on the coastal environment, the sea turtles and the cetaceans, concerns exist stemming from the impact of the tuna farms on wild populations of yellow fin tuna, currently depleted by over fishing. “¿How is it that tuna farms are a solution to over fishing, if the proposal is to catch wild individuals to fatten them?”, asked Randall Arauz, President of PRETOMA. “To restore the valuable populations of yellow fin tuna in our Exclusive Economic Zone, the State should promote the reduction of fishing effort by international flag tuna vessels, and promote a national sustainable tuna fishery”, stressed Arauz.
Another Constitutional Lawsuit is still pending, filed by Vida Marina Foundation and the lawyer Alvaro Sagot, against Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.a. and SETENA, for failure to provide a transparent process during the process of community participatory consultation.
(San José, Costa Rica – May 15, 2007)
Last May 9th, the Constitutional Court ordered the suspension of execution of the project to install tuna farms (Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A.) in Costa Rica's South Pacific region, until the Technical Secretariat of the Environment (SETENA, a branch of the Ministry of Environment in charge of approving EIAs) can previously guarantee, and with reasonable certainty, that the metabolic wastes produced by the fattening of tunas will not contaminate the environment, particularly the Golfo Dulce (voto 06315-07). SETENA must perform the technical studies to determine the direction and movement of the currents and the effect of the metabolic wastes on the Golfo Dulce, due to the contradictions in the technical information provided by the company itself. The main doubt is, do the currents have a dispersing effect over the metabolic wastes because they are swift and they move away from the Golfo Dulce, as claimed by officers of the company under oath, or are the currents slow and do they move towards the Golfo Dulce, dragging the metabolic wastes with them, as affirmed by the company's Environmental Impact Assessment?
“We are satisfied, especially with the application of the precautionary principle”, expressed Peter Aspinal, of the Tiskita Foundation. “Just as we have been warning, the risk posed by the massive generation of metabolic wastes and other contaminants, product of the industrial fattening of tunas, is too high to be taken lightly, and the contradictions show that that is precisely what the authorities did when they approved this project”, explained Aspinal.
The order is the result of the Constitutional Lawsuit (06-008255-0007-CO) filed by PRETOMA and the Association of Neighbors of Punta Banco, against the Director of the Department of Waters of the Ministry of Environment MINAE, the Executive President of INCOPESCA and the SETENA, for approving the project without a previous popular consultation and without considering the precautionary principle. An amalgam of organizations of the civil society joined in opposition to the project, including Foundation Vida Marina, Tiskita Foundation, the Association of Guaymi Indigenous Representatives, the Association of Fishermen of Pavones, the Association of Fishermen of Zancudo, the Municipality of Golfito, and numerous neighbors of Pavones, Puerto Jiménez and Golfito. The area's economy is based on low impact ecotourism, and there is a generalized concern that the operation of the tuna farms would not only threaten its scenic beauty, but its ecological integrity as well.
According to Denise Echeverría, of the Foundation Vida Marina, the decision of the Court sets an extremely important precedent in light of the accelerated development currently occurring in Costa Rica's South Pacific region. “There are other coastal development threats that could have equally devastating effects, or worse”, warned Echeverría. “Due to the Golfo Dulce's condition as tropical fjord, its delicate ecosystem and the marine biodiversity it hosts are extremely susceptible to environmental alterations produced by coastal infrastructure, such as tuna farms, piers, wave breakers, marinas, hotels and condominiums, because of which they must be carefully controlled under a precautionary regime”.
Other that the impact on the coastal environment, the sea turtles and the cetaceans, concerns exist stemming from the impact of the tuna farms on wild populations of yellow fin tuna, currently depleted by over fishing. “¿How is it that tuna farms are a solution to over fishing, if the proposal is to catch wild individuals to fatten them?”, asked Randall Arauz, President of PRETOMA. “To restore the valuable populations of yellow fin tuna in our Exclusive Economic Zone, the State should promote the reduction of fishing effort by international flag tuna vessels, and promote a national sustainable tuna fishery”, stressed Arauz.
Another Constitutional Lawsuit is still pending, filed by Vida Marina Foundation and the lawyer Alvaro Sagot, against Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.a. and SETENA, for failure to provide a transparent process during the process of community participatory consultation.
CR Surf News
Yellow fin Tuna Project Threatens Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica
The Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica is one of three tropical fjords in the Pacific Ocean . This unique aquatic habitat is home to a great diversity of marine life including dolphins, sea turtles, tropical
fish including marlin, parrotfish, dorado, red snapper, over 87 species of stomatopods and decapods, and is an important place for humpback whales and whale sharks to both breed and give birth. The
beaches surrounding the Golfo Dulce also serve as a nesting ground for hawksbill, Olive Ridley and leatherback ocean turtles.
The topography of the Golfo Dulce is such that the mouth of the gulf has a depth of 50 m, while the interior region of the gulf reaches depth of over 200 m. These inner regions of great depth are highly saline and anoxic. Anaerobic sulfur-reducing bacteria, whose metabolism produces highly toxic by-products, thrive in these regions, while nitrates also become concentrated at these depths. It is therefore crucial that currents from the open ocean dilute these toxic compounds such that the gulf does not become uninhabitable.
The abundance of wildlife in the Golfo Dulce is thought to be attributed to its unique topography, which makes it a sanctuary for marine life. The shallow mouth of the gulf is subject to open ocean
currents and circulate more rapidly than the inner regions of greater depth, the latter having an estuary-like pattern of water circulation. This inner region of estuary-like water circulation and great depth provides an ideal breeding ground for both mollusks and large animals such as the humpback whale as they are protected from the dangers of the open ocean.
The mouth of the Golfo Dulce is therefore crucial both for the circulation of the purifying currents entering the gulf and for the passage of marine life that uses the gulf at various times throughout
the year. The company Granjas Atuneras S.A. has proposed to the Costa Rica government to place over 100 cages to farm yellow fin tuna in the mouth of the Golfo Dulce. These cages are circular and 50 m in diameter with a depth of 22 m, and will be placed in the coastal current entering the gulf. These cages will therefore interfere with the current that cleanses the Golfo Dulce, while becoming a lethal barrier to the wildlife entering the gulf and the turtles that use the adjacent beaches as their nesting grounds.
A no-fishing zone will be placed around the cages, prohibiting local fisherman from being able to fish in their most fruitful waters. The proposed project will be directly off the coast of the Guaymi Indian Reservation. There as been no consultation with the Guaymies regarding the project and the impact it will have on their way of life and their ability to fish their waters.
Marine life in the area will be attracted to the cages as there is a concentrated source of food in the form of the uneaten sardines used to feed the tuna. Fish, turtles, whales, sharks and dolphins
constantly get caught in the cages to which they are attracted. This will also have a large adverse affect on local fish populations as they will be concentrated in a no-fishing zone before being
accidentally killed.
The proposed project also includes importing the large volumes of sardines needed to feed the tuna from Peru . This creates a tremendous risk of introducing novel diseases to the area. Caged fish are under a great deal of stress and immune compromised. Together, these two factors create a prefect setting for an epidemic which could compromise the entire marine ecosystem of the Golfo Dulce. If their plans change to take fish from the local area to feed the tuna, the food chain will be disrupted locally and again the Golfo Dulce will be compromised.
The Environmental Impact Study submitted by Granjas Atuneras S.A. (which was approved by a corrupt series of government officials) failed to properly assess the project in many aspects. The Golfo Dulce is a very dynamic ecosystem with tremendous seasonal fluctuations. There is no data on the changes that occur with the currents in the region throughout the year, and this will directly affect the dispersal and removal of wastes from the tuna farm. It as well makes no provisions for any sort of environmental monitoring of the farm, nor any remedial actions for the negative impacts it will have on local fishing or otherwise.
Over 1000 local fishermen rely on the gulf for their livelihood. The Corcovado National Park , which has been described by National geographic as the most biologically intense place on earth has a large area of sensitive mangrove along the coast of the Golfo Dulce. As well, thousands of tourists enjoy this region annually through visits to the various ecolodges. The world-famous surf destination of Pavones is also downstream of the ocean current where the tuna cages will be placed, such that this largely popular area could become laden with the waste from this farm. All these industries, which are acting in a sustainable fashion, will be adversely affected by these proposed large-scale tuna operations. This is only the second yellow fin tuna farming project to have been proposed (the first of which failed in Panama ), and there is no scientific data having studied the environmental impact or success of such an operation.
This tuna is not destined for domestic consumption, rather is to be transported to Japan and the United States for sushi. There will be no added social benefits to the area as a minimum people will be employed to operate the tuna farm.
Local community organizations are working on this issue, the municipality of Golfito , the municipality of Puerto Jimenez, the Chamber of Tourism of Golfito and many small NGO´s are trying to raise awareness. Unfortunately, many of these places do not even have a phone and our efforts to co-ordinate have been very difficult. We are trying to raise awareness internationally to pressure the government based on their green image for tourism to be true to their word. There are currently no international organizations working to help us with public awareness.
So far a law suit we presented has managed to halt the project for the time being, while the courts review the facts of the proposal. It is during this time that we believe pressure should be applied to the
appeals court with a letter writing campaign from the international community expressing concerns over this proposal. This project has already been approved by the Costa Rican government without any public consultation as is required by law. Despite this deplorable display of corruption and lack of consideration for environmental sustainability, for which Costa Rica prides itself, this tuna project has been temporarily halted as it is being re-evaluated by an appeals court.
nput from the international community will be extremely valuable during this appeals court process. The court is evaluating information it receives, and letters expressing your opinion can influence this
process. As a member of the international community, tourism is the industry that is most affected by your opinion. For this reason, we request that you write a letter to both the President Oscar Arias and the Costa Rican tourism board ICT. The addresses are written below.
Please emphasize your concerns for the environment and the impact this will have on your potential to support Costa Rica by choosing it as a travel destination.
Here you can find helpful pointers on how to write an effective letter: http://globalresponse.org/letterwritingtips.php
Please visit PRETOMA (http://www.tortugamarina.org/) for updates on
this fight.
If you have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate
to contact me. We sincerely appreciate your help by voicing your opinion.
Addresses for letters:
Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT)
San José
Costa Rica
Fax (506) 220-3555
His Excellency
Oscar Arias Sanchez
The President of Costa Rica
Casa Presidencial
San Jose, Costa Rica
--
Thx. Have a nice day !
--
Yves Van den Meerssche
ASTV eBay Shop / ASTV Media
+27(0)72 289 58 07
actionsport@gmail.com
www.actionsport.tv
From A.M. Costa Rica's Newsite - http://www.amcostarica.com/wednesday.htm
Facts wanting on disease implications
Salmon have deadly lice, but what of farmed tuna?
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Critics of an undersea tuna farm in southwestern Costa Rica have not stressed the disease issue, but such farms could be the source of deadly viruses that could ravage Costa Rica's diverse fish and animal populations.
Although not a disease, a report from the University of Alberta Tuesday said that salmon farms were causing the death of up to to 95 per cent of migrating wild juvenile salmon that pass by.
The caged salmon are a source of a natural parasite called a salmon louse. These are small crustaceans (Lepeopshtheirus salmonis). The primary sea lice hosts are adult salmon. Under natural conditions, according to a university release, the adults are far offshore when the juveniles are migrating out to sea. Fish farms put adult salmon in net pens along the migration routes, and the result is a cloud of sea lice through which the juveniles must migrate, said the release.
"It takes only one or two sea lice to kill a juvenile pink or chum salmon," said Martin Krkosek. "The juveniles are so vulnerable because they are so small — only one to two inches long." He is a Ph.D. student at the University of Alberta's Centre for Mathematical Biology.
The study, done in coastal British Columbia, is being heralded as the first to provide confirmation that sea lice from fish farms kill wild salmon and to what extent. However, the problem is well-known enough to have been featured on a 2005 segment of the television series "Boston Legal," starring William Shatner and James Spader.
Not so for possible diseases promoted by tuna farms.
Krkosek said in an e-mail exchange Tuesday with A.M. Costa Rica: "I would guess that the possibility of disease problems due to tuna ranching have been completely unstudied."
The researcher did cite a report that a herpes virus showed up in Australian waters in 1995, killing many of the small fish there. Sardines imported to feed nearby fish-farmed tuna got the blame.
"The virus whipped across the ocean like a brushfire front, moving at 30 kms. a day and leaving behind it a sea of dead fish," said Rex Dalton, the U.S. West Coast correspondent for the magazine Nature in a Sept. 29, 2004, online report. "Eventually, it was estimated that 75 percent of pilchards in the region died. Seabirds, from Australasian gannets to penguins, starved in the wake of the disaster. In 1998, another virus attack knocked out many of the remaining
pilchards." Pilchards are herring-like food fish important to the birds.
In addition to Australia, tuna farms are operating in the Mediterranean and along Mexico's Baja Peninsula.
Dalton credits biologist Dr. John Volpe of the University of Victoria, who happens to be a co-author with Krkosek of the sea lice study, with being one of the first scientists to issue warnings about potential environmental damage from salmon pens off British Columbia in the mid-1990s. "The opportunity for large-scale environmental disasters is enormous," Volpe has said of plans to install fish farms off the U.S. coast.
In Costa Rica two scientists told lawmakers last week that the environmental impact study provided by Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. for the Golfo Dulce project was lacking. Gerardo Umaña Villalobos, a biologist at the Universidad de Costa Rica, told the legislative Comisión de Ambiente that the study has deficiencies. For example, the impacts on turtles, dolphin and sharks were not considered, he said.
Ricardo Jimenez of Universidad Nacional agreed that there were flaws in the study, particularly relating to contaminants.
The tuna farm project has received a green light by governmental agencies, but the approvals are being appealed to the Sala IV constitutional court. Environmentalists are joined by residents of the area and tourism officials in opposing the plan.
The size of the project is staggering. The tuna firm wants to construct underwater holding cages 7.4 kms. (4.6 miles) long and 2.1 kms. (1.3 miles) wide. The cages would be down 22 meters into the water, some 70 feet. The tuna farm would be about a kilometer (six-tenths of a mile) off the coast.
The farm would be stocked by young yellowfin tuna purchased from local fishermen. Most of the existing tuna farms fatten the bluefin tuna that is much in demand in Japan for sushi.
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We need to pressure the government to stop this, we need to make more people aware of what is going on, all the permits were obtained very quietly. We need everyone´s help to stop this. Letters to President Oscar Arias, ICT, Minister of Tourism, letters to your embassy, letters to the Tico Times letters@ticotimes.net and $$$ to fight. There is big $$ and politics involved, so we have a hard fight. Any and all your support is greatly appreciated. Thanks Chichi ....
HELP US SAVE THE GOLFO DULCE
Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. has been given the necessary permits to start a yellow fin tuna farm project just past Punta Banco, Pavones. These permits were obtained violating national law, under questionable methods, that are presently under investigation.
Local fishermen, sport fishing operators, tourism groups, conservation organizations and local community leaders were all kept uninformed about the project and out of the process. Tourism and traditional fishing are two of the most important industries in the Golfo Dulce.
The project's first stage is to establish no less than 10 cages (interior dimensions of 50mt diameter x 20 mt. depth each) enclosed in a mesh structure of 1200 mts. x 500 mts. Several more such groups would follow down the coast to Punta Burica. Each cage is weighted down by ten anchors weighing 1.3 tones each, for a total of 130 metric tons in reduced area. The company would be provided with live tuna (30 to 80 kgs.) by tuna clippers fishing up to 250 nm out to sea. These live tuna would then be slowly towed in a cage for 15 to 45 days to the project's site.
Tuna, along with certain other marine life school under dolphins and follow them around in search of food. The tuna clippers use helicopters to spot large pods of dolphins breathing on the surface, knowing tuna will be beneath them. They then use dynamite and speed boats to corral the dolphins into an easily netted mass. They circle the dolphins with a huge net to catch all the tuna beneath. Millions of dolphins are killed world wide by tuna clippers every year using this method. This tuna is traditionally used for canning. There is no such thing “dolphin safe tuna” from tuna clippers; some fishing practices just kill fewer dolphins than others.
In the waters where these tuna clippers will be operating there are many different dolphin species among which we find spinner, spotted, bottlenose, common and Risso's.
Slowing towing a mesh cage 15 to 45 days from the open ocean to the coast will cause hundreds of marine life to get entangled and die a useless death. Endangered sea turtles, dolphins, whales, fish and even some to the tuna within the cage will all die and rot on their way in. Sharks will be attracted to this cage and follow it in to the coastal waters. They will then check out what else is available on the second longest left point break in the world.
The tuna that manages to survive will then be put into the cages and fed frozen, imported sardines. Though the sardines are frozen this does not eliminate the possibility of introducing a virus or other sickness that would cause a disaster on the local fish population. There is a well documented case of exactly this happening in Australia.
The amount of sardines to feed all this tuna is astronomical, and even though it will be imported, the impact on the sardine fishery in another country will be high. Tuna is migratory and comes from the South; Costa Rica will be helping to deplete the tuna stocks of the world.
The cages will be lit for navigational safety. Each light will be visible for a radius of 5 miles. This in an area where over 200 turtles come to nest every year. It is well documented that turtles use the natural light over the water to orientate themselves. The females, heavy with eggs, will be guided towards these cages and can easily get stuck and die. A few may make it in to lay their eggs. Once the babies hatch, the few that survive other obstacle and make it to the water, will be attracted by the light and swim straight into the jaws of the hungry tuna.
In Costa Rica the Olive Ridley turtle has only being registered nesting in Punta Banco and a beach in Guanacaste, it is very rare. The Hawksbill turtle also nests in Punta Banco.
Spotted and bottlenose dolphins live in the pristine Golfo Dulce. It is established that the main cause of dolphin deaths is entanglement in nets. Both the Southern and Northern Humpback whales use the gulf to feed and give birth to their young during their annual migrations. Placing these cages as a net wall in the entrance of the gulf is a sure death sentence.
The organic waste produced by the marine life that entangles in the nets, plus the tuna feces will not only attract sharks to the area, it will also cause red tides and pollute the beaches all along the coast line. The red tides could destroy all the marine environment of the gulf. The smell from all this organic matter will scare all the tourists away and the income all the communities depend on.
The fish guts, bones, skin, and other wasted (approximately 360 metric tons every harvest) will be “frozen and stored” on the factory ship for later proper disposal.
The Golfo Dulce is one of only three tropical fjords in the whole world. Its marine environment is not only very special, it's very fragile. The mangroves within the gulf are a crucial nursery for corvina, shrimp and other marine life. The coral reefs are already threatened by sedimentation from logging. The fecal matter and other organic waste would surely destroy what is left. The proposed project represents a threat to the biodiversity of the entire Gulf, and the livelihoods of all who depend on it.
The delicate ecology and unique status as a tropical fjord of the Golfo Dulce is the last place on earth where we should be developing an experiment like this (no other yellow fin tuna farm exists in the world).
The communities of the whole area do not want this project to go forward, where it is proposed or anywhere else on Costa Rica's environmentally friendly coast line. We need your help to pay for lawyers and ads to pressure the government to stop it. Every penny counts, and if you can't help us economically, please write a letter. We will collect all letters sent and get them to the President of Costa Rica.
Thank you for your help.
Checks can be made out to FUNDACION TISKITA and mailed to us.
FUNDACION TISKITA
Apdo. 74-8250
Ciudad Neilly
Costa Rica
Donations can be deposited Fundacion Tiskita's accounts in Banco Nacional
Dollars #200 02 087 000281 0
Colones # 0000146241 5
Please e mail us the deposit number and amount so we can verify and send you a receipt, all donations are tax deductible in Costa Rica. fundtiskita@yahoo.com
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Those who opposed an undersea tuna farm in the Golfo Dulce plan a surf championship Saturday near the community of Pavones in southwest Costa Rica.
The environmental groups sponsoring the event oppose the project proposed by Granja Atunera de Golfito S.A. and have appealed permits to the Sala IV constitutional court.
The opponents object to the mess that would be created by raising yellowfin tuna in two-kilometer-long cages beneath the pristine gulf.
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Opponents of an underwater tuna farm in southwest Costa Rica brought their arguments to the Asamblea Legislativa Thursday for a hearing of the Comisión Especial de Ambiente.
Opponents have filed a Sala IV constitutional court appeal to stop the project. They argue that the environmental studies were incomplete.
That is the same argument that Denise Echeverría of Vida Marina gave the committee Thursday.
Noah Anderson of the Asociación Protectora de Tortugas Marinas said that his group also has filed a complaint with the Tribunal Ambiental y Secretaría Técnica Ambiental of the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía, the environmental ministry.
A man identified as Guillermo Baltodano of Punto Bravo said that the residents of the area were never notified of the project and that publication of legal notices in the official La Gaceta was not sufficient.
A representative of the Cámera de Turismo also said that this group opposes the project. The firm Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. plans on having underwater cages of some 2 kilometers long below the ocean surface to feed captive yellowfin tuna.
Opponents argue that the tuna will generate waste and scrap food, attract predators and generally degrade the pristine Gulfo Dulce.
Committee members said they would call in government environmental workers to add more information. The committee has the option of creating legislation related to such projects.
9/24/06
Tuna firm spokesman defends project as taking advantage of nation's potential
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A representative of the firm that wants to put a tuna farm underwater in southwestern Costa Rica said Thursday that the country should take advantage of its undersea resources.
The representative is Eduardo Velarde Silva, and he spoke to the Asamblea Legislativa's Comisión Especial de Ambiente. China has 174,000 square kilometers of territorial waters and it is the No. 1 aquaculture producer, he said, noting that Costa Rica has 600,000 square kilometers and great potential.
The commission heard a series of environmentalists speak
against the project last week. As news of the project by Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. spread, a firestorm erupted among tourism officials and nature lovers.
The project would put two-kilometer long cages beneath the sea to raise yellow fin tuna.
Opponents say the project will litter the Golfo Dulce with dead sardines used to feed the tuna and cause a host of other problems.
Velarde said that the project would be run in an environmentally conscious manner and that if the ocean were degraded, so would be the tuna business.
The Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica is one of three tropical fjords in the Pacific Ocean . This unique aquatic habitat is home to a great diversity of marine life including dolphins, sea turtles, tropical
fish including marlin, parrotfish, dorado, red snapper, over 87 species of stomatopods and decapods, and is an important place for humpback whales and whale sharks to both breed and give birth. The
beaches surrounding the Golfo Dulce also serve as a nesting ground for hawksbill, Olive Ridley and leatherback ocean turtles.
The topography of the Golfo Dulce is such that the mouth of the gulf has a depth of 50 m, while the interior region of the gulf reaches depth of over 200 m. These inner regions of great depth are highly saline and anoxic. Anaerobic sulfur-reducing bacteria, whose metabolism produces highly toxic by-products, thrive in these regions, while nitrates also become concentrated at these depths. It is therefore crucial that currents from the open ocean dilute these toxic compounds such that the gulf does not become uninhabitable.
The abundance of wildlife in the Golfo Dulce is thought to be attributed to its unique topography, which makes it a sanctuary for marine life. The shallow mouth of the gulf is subject to open ocean
currents and circulate more rapidly than the inner regions of greater depth, the latter having an estuary-like pattern of water circulation. This inner region of estuary-like water circulation and great depth provides an ideal breeding ground for both mollusks and large animals such as the humpback whale as they are protected from the dangers of the open ocean.
The mouth of the Golfo Dulce is therefore crucial both for the circulation of the purifying currents entering the gulf and for the passage of marine life that uses the gulf at various times throughout
the year. The company Granjas Atuneras S.A. has proposed to the Costa Rica government to place over 100 cages to farm yellow fin tuna in the mouth of the Golfo Dulce. These cages are circular and 50 m in diameter with a depth of 22 m, and will be placed in the coastal current entering the gulf. These cages will therefore interfere with the current that cleanses the Golfo Dulce, while becoming a lethal barrier to the wildlife entering the gulf and the turtles that use the adjacent beaches as their nesting grounds.
A no-fishing zone will be placed around the cages, prohibiting local fisherman from being able to fish in their most fruitful waters. The proposed project will be directly off the coast of the Guaymi Indian Reservation. There as been no consultation with the Guaymies regarding the project and the impact it will have on their way of life and their ability to fish their waters.
Marine life in the area will be attracted to the cages as there is a concentrated source of food in the form of the uneaten sardines used to feed the tuna. Fish, turtles, whales, sharks and dolphins
constantly get caught in the cages to which they are attracted. This will also have a large adverse affect on local fish populations as they will be concentrated in a no-fishing zone before being
accidentally killed.
The proposed project also includes importing the large volumes of sardines needed to feed the tuna from Peru . This creates a tremendous risk of introducing novel diseases to the area. Caged fish are under a great deal of stress and immune compromised. Together, these two factors create a prefect setting for an epidemic which could compromise the entire marine ecosystem of the Golfo Dulce. If their plans change to take fish from the local area to feed the tuna, the food chain will be disrupted locally and again the Golfo Dulce will be compromised.
The Environmental Impact Study submitted by Granjas Atuneras S.A. (which was approved by a corrupt series of government officials) failed to properly assess the project in many aspects. The Golfo Dulce is a very dynamic ecosystem with tremendous seasonal fluctuations. There is no data on the changes that occur with the currents in the region throughout the year, and this will directly affect the dispersal and removal of wastes from the tuna farm. It as well makes no provisions for any sort of environmental monitoring of the farm, nor any remedial actions for the negative impacts it will have on local fishing or otherwise.
Over 1000 local fishermen rely on the gulf for their livelihood. The Corcovado National Park , which has been described by National geographic as the most biologically intense place on earth has a large area of sensitive mangrove along the coast of the Golfo Dulce. As well, thousands of tourists enjoy this region annually through visits to the various ecolodges. The world-famous surf destination of Pavones is also downstream of the ocean current where the tuna cages will be placed, such that this largely popular area could become laden with the waste from this farm. All these industries, which are acting in a sustainable fashion, will be adversely affected by these proposed large-scale tuna operations. This is only the second yellow fin tuna farming project to have been proposed (the first of which failed in Panama ), and there is no scientific data having studied the environmental impact or success of such an operation.
This tuna is not destined for domestic consumption, rather is to be transported to Japan and the United States for sushi. There will be no added social benefits to the area as a minimum people will be employed to operate the tuna farm.
Local community organizations are working on this issue, the municipality of Golfito , the municipality of Puerto Jimenez, the Chamber of Tourism of Golfito and many small NGO´s are trying to raise awareness. Unfortunately, many of these places do not even have a phone and our efforts to co-ordinate have been very difficult. We are trying to raise awareness internationally to pressure the government based on their green image for tourism to be true to their word. There are currently no international organizations working to help us with public awareness.
So far a law suit we presented has managed to halt the project for the time being, while the courts review the facts of the proposal. It is during this time that we believe pressure should be applied to the
appeals court with a letter writing campaign from the international community expressing concerns over this proposal. This project has already been approved by the Costa Rican government without any public consultation as is required by law. Despite this deplorable display of corruption and lack of consideration for environmental sustainability, for which Costa Rica prides itself, this tuna project has been temporarily halted as it is being re-evaluated by an appeals court.
nput from the international community will be extremely valuable during this appeals court process. The court is evaluating information it receives, and letters expressing your opinion can influence this
process. As a member of the international community, tourism is the industry that is most affected by your opinion. For this reason, we request that you write a letter to both the President Oscar Arias and the Costa Rican tourism board ICT. The addresses are written below.
Please emphasize your concerns for the environment and the impact this will have on your potential to support Costa Rica by choosing it as a travel destination.
Here you can find helpful pointers on how to write an effective letter: http://globalresponse.org/letterwritingtips.php
Please visit PRETOMA (http://www.tortugamarina.org/) for updates on
this fight.
If you have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate
to contact me. We sincerely appreciate your help by voicing your opinion.
Addresses for letters:
Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT)
San José
Costa Rica
Fax (506) 220-3555
His Excellency
Oscar Arias Sanchez
The President of Costa Rica
Casa Presidencial
San Jose, Costa Rica
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Thx. Have a nice day !
--
Yves Van den Meerssche
ASTV eBay Shop / ASTV Media
+27(0)72 289 58 07
actionsport@gmail.com
www.actionsport.tv
From A.M. Costa Rica's Newsite - http://www.amcostarica.com/wednesday.htm
Facts wanting on disease implications
Salmon have deadly lice, but what of farmed tuna?
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Critics of an undersea tuna farm in southwestern Costa Rica have not stressed the disease issue, but such farms could be the source of deadly viruses that could ravage Costa Rica's diverse fish and animal populations.
Although not a disease, a report from the University of Alberta Tuesday said that salmon farms were causing the death of up to to 95 per cent of migrating wild juvenile salmon that pass by.
The caged salmon are a source of a natural parasite called a salmon louse. These are small crustaceans (Lepeopshtheirus salmonis). The primary sea lice hosts are adult salmon. Under natural conditions, according to a university release, the adults are far offshore when the juveniles are migrating out to sea. Fish farms put adult salmon in net pens along the migration routes, and the result is a cloud of sea lice through which the juveniles must migrate, said the release.
"It takes only one or two sea lice to kill a juvenile pink or chum salmon," said Martin Krkosek. "The juveniles are so vulnerable because they are so small — only one to two inches long." He is a Ph.D. student at the University of Alberta's Centre for Mathematical Biology.
The study, done in coastal British Columbia, is being heralded as the first to provide confirmation that sea lice from fish farms kill wild salmon and to what extent. However, the problem is well-known enough to have been featured on a 2005 segment of the television series "Boston Legal," starring William Shatner and James Spader.
Not so for possible diseases promoted by tuna farms.
Krkosek said in an e-mail exchange Tuesday with A.M. Costa Rica: "I would guess that the possibility of disease problems due to tuna ranching have been completely unstudied."
The researcher did cite a report that a herpes virus showed up in Australian waters in 1995, killing many of the small fish there. Sardines imported to feed nearby fish-farmed tuna got the blame.
"The virus whipped across the ocean like a brushfire front, moving at 30 kms. a day and leaving behind it a sea of dead fish," said Rex Dalton, the U.S. West Coast correspondent for the magazine Nature in a Sept. 29, 2004, online report. "Eventually, it was estimated that 75 percent of pilchards in the region died. Seabirds, from Australasian gannets to penguins, starved in the wake of the disaster. In 1998, another virus attack knocked out many of the remaining
pilchards." Pilchards are herring-like food fish important to the birds.
In addition to Australia, tuna farms are operating in the Mediterranean and along Mexico's Baja Peninsula.
Dalton credits biologist Dr. John Volpe of the University of Victoria, who happens to be a co-author with Krkosek of the sea lice study, with being one of the first scientists to issue warnings about potential environmental damage from salmon pens off British Columbia in the mid-1990s. "The opportunity for large-scale environmental disasters is enormous," Volpe has said of plans to install fish farms off the U.S. coast.
In Costa Rica two scientists told lawmakers last week that the environmental impact study provided by Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. for the Golfo Dulce project was lacking. Gerardo Umaña Villalobos, a biologist at the Universidad de Costa Rica, told the legislative Comisión de Ambiente that the study has deficiencies. For example, the impacts on turtles, dolphin and sharks were not considered, he said.
Ricardo Jimenez of Universidad Nacional agreed that there were flaws in the study, particularly relating to contaminants.
The tuna farm project has received a green light by governmental agencies, but the approvals are being appealed to the Sala IV constitutional court. Environmentalists are joined by residents of the area and tourism officials in opposing the plan.
The size of the project is staggering. The tuna firm wants to construct underwater holding cages 7.4 kms. (4.6 miles) long and 2.1 kms. (1.3 miles) wide. The cages would be down 22 meters into the water, some 70 feet. The tuna farm would be about a kilometer (six-tenths of a mile) off the coast.
The farm would be stocked by young yellowfin tuna purchased from local fishermen. Most of the existing tuna farms fatten the bluefin tuna that is much in demand in Japan for sushi.
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We need to pressure the government to stop this, we need to make more people aware of what is going on, all the permits were obtained very quietly. We need everyone´s help to stop this. Letters to President Oscar Arias, ICT, Minister of Tourism, letters to your embassy, letters to the Tico Times letters@ticotimes.net and $$$ to fight. There is big $$ and politics involved, so we have a hard fight. Any and all your support is greatly appreciated. Thanks Chichi ....
HELP US SAVE THE GOLFO DULCE
Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. has been given the necessary permits to start a yellow fin tuna farm project just past Punta Banco, Pavones. These permits were obtained violating national law, under questionable methods, that are presently under investigation.
Local fishermen, sport fishing operators, tourism groups, conservation organizations and local community leaders were all kept uninformed about the project and out of the process. Tourism and traditional fishing are two of the most important industries in the Golfo Dulce.
The project's first stage is to establish no less than 10 cages (interior dimensions of 50mt diameter x 20 mt. depth each) enclosed in a mesh structure of 1200 mts. x 500 mts. Several more such groups would follow down the coast to Punta Burica. Each cage is weighted down by ten anchors weighing 1.3 tones each, for a total of 130 metric tons in reduced area. The company would be provided with live tuna (30 to 80 kgs.) by tuna clippers fishing up to 250 nm out to sea. These live tuna would then be slowly towed in a cage for 15 to 45 days to the project's site.
Tuna, along with certain other marine life school under dolphins and follow them around in search of food. The tuna clippers use helicopters to spot large pods of dolphins breathing on the surface, knowing tuna will be beneath them. They then use dynamite and speed boats to corral the dolphins into an easily netted mass. They circle the dolphins with a huge net to catch all the tuna beneath. Millions of dolphins are killed world wide by tuna clippers every year using this method. This tuna is traditionally used for canning. There is no such thing “dolphin safe tuna” from tuna clippers; some fishing practices just kill fewer dolphins than others.
In the waters where these tuna clippers will be operating there are many different dolphin species among which we find spinner, spotted, bottlenose, common and Risso's.
Slowing towing a mesh cage 15 to 45 days from the open ocean to the coast will cause hundreds of marine life to get entangled and die a useless death. Endangered sea turtles, dolphins, whales, fish and even some to the tuna within the cage will all die and rot on their way in. Sharks will be attracted to this cage and follow it in to the coastal waters. They will then check out what else is available on the second longest left point break in the world.
The tuna that manages to survive will then be put into the cages and fed frozen, imported sardines. Though the sardines are frozen this does not eliminate the possibility of introducing a virus or other sickness that would cause a disaster on the local fish population. There is a well documented case of exactly this happening in Australia.
The amount of sardines to feed all this tuna is astronomical, and even though it will be imported, the impact on the sardine fishery in another country will be high. Tuna is migratory and comes from the South; Costa Rica will be helping to deplete the tuna stocks of the world.
The cages will be lit for navigational safety. Each light will be visible for a radius of 5 miles. This in an area where over 200 turtles come to nest every year. It is well documented that turtles use the natural light over the water to orientate themselves. The females, heavy with eggs, will be guided towards these cages and can easily get stuck and die. A few may make it in to lay their eggs. Once the babies hatch, the few that survive other obstacle and make it to the water, will be attracted by the light and swim straight into the jaws of the hungry tuna.
In Costa Rica the Olive Ridley turtle has only being registered nesting in Punta Banco and a beach in Guanacaste, it is very rare. The Hawksbill turtle also nests in Punta Banco.
Spotted and bottlenose dolphins live in the pristine Golfo Dulce. It is established that the main cause of dolphin deaths is entanglement in nets. Both the Southern and Northern Humpback whales use the gulf to feed and give birth to their young during their annual migrations. Placing these cages as a net wall in the entrance of the gulf is a sure death sentence.
The organic waste produced by the marine life that entangles in the nets, plus the tuna feces will not only attract sharks to the area, it will also cause red tides and pollute the beaches all along the coast line. The red tides could destroy all the marine environment of the gulf. The smell from all this organic matter will scare all the tourists away and the income all the communities depend on.
The fish guts, bones, skin, and other wasted (approximately 360 metric tons every harvest) will be “frozen and stored” on the factory ship for later proper disposal.
The Golfo Dulce is one of only three tropical fjords in the whole world. Its marine environment is not only very special, it's very fragile. The mangroves within the gulf are a crucial nursery for corvina, shrimp and other marine life. The coral reefs are already threatened by sedimentation from logging. The fecal matter and other organic waste would surely destroy what is left. The proposed project represents a threat to the biodiversity of the entire Gulf, and the livelihoods of all who depend on it.
The delicate ecology and unique status as a tropical fjord of the Golfo Dulce is the last place on earth where we should be developing an experiment like this (no other yellow fin tuna farm exists in the world).
The communities of the whole area do not want this project to go forward, where it is proposed or anywhere else on Costa Rica's environmentally friendly coast line. We need your help to pay for lawyers and ads to pressure the government to stop it. Every penny counts, and if you can't help us economically, please write a letter. We will collect all letters sent and get them to the President of Costa Rica.
Thank you for your help.
Checks can be made out to FUNDACION TISKITA and mailed to us.
FUNDACION TISKITA
Apdo. 74-8250
Ciudad Neilly
Costa Rica
Donations can be deposited Fundacion Tiskita's accounts in Banco Nacional
Dollars #200 02 087 000281 0
Colones # 0000146241 5
Please e mail us the deposit number and amount so we can verify and send you a receipt, all donations are tax deductible in Costa Rica. fundtiskita@yahoo.com
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Those who opposed an undersea tuna farm in the Golfo Dulce plan a surf championship Saturday near the community of Pavones in southwest Costa Rica.
The environmental groups sponsoring the event oppose the project proposed by Granja Atunera de Golfito S.A. and have appealed permits to the Sala IV constitutional court.
The opponents object to the mess that would be created by raising yellowfin tuna in two-kilometer-long cages beneath the pristine gulf.
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Opponents of an underwater tuna farm in southwest Costa Rica brought their arguments to the Asamblea Legislativa Thursday for a hearing of the Comisión Especial de Ambiente.
Opponents have filed a Sala IV constitutional court appeal to stop the project. They argue that the environmental studies were incomplete.
That is the same argument that Denise Echeverría of Vida Marina gave the committee Thursday.
Noah Anderson of the Asociación Protectora de Tortugas Marinas said that his group also has filed a complaint with the Tribunal Ambiental y Secretaría Técnica Ambiental of the Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía, the environmental ministry.
A man identified as Guillermo Baltodano of Punto Bravo said that the residents of the area were never notified of the project and that publication of legal notices in the official La Gaceta was not sufficient.
A representative of the Cámera de Turismo also said that this group opposes the project. The firm Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. plans on having underwater cages of some 2 kilometers long below the ocean surface to feed captive yellowfin tuna.
Opponents argue that the tuna will generate waste and scrap food, attract predators and generally degrade the pristine Gulfo Dulce.
Committee members said they would call in government environmental workers to add more information. The committee has the option of creating legislation related to such projects.
9/24/06
Tuna firm spokesman defends project as taking advantage of nation's potential
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A representative of the firm that wants to put a tuna farm underwater in southwestern Costa Rica said Thursday that the country should take advantage of its undersea resources.
The representative is Eduardo Velarde Silva, and he spoke to the Asamblea Legislativa's Comisión Especial de Ambiente. China has 174,000 square kilometers of territorial waters and it is the No. 1 aquaculture producer, he said, noting that Costa Rica has 600,000 square kilometers and great potential.
The commission heard a series of environmentalists speak
against the project last week. As news of the project by Granjas Atuneras de Golfito S.A. spread, a firestorm erupted among tourism officials and nature lovers.
The project would put two-kilometer long cages beneath the sea to raise yellow fin tuna.
Opponents say the project will litter the Golfo Dulce with dead sardines used to feed the tuna and cause a host of other problems.
Velarde said that the project would be run in an environmentally conscious manner and that if the ocean were degraded, so would be the tuna business.
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