Posted by Rick Civelli | 07.22.2013 | Costa Rica Surf Camp

Costa Rica – Taking the Pura Vida Plunge

Since arriving in Costa Rica, three days ago, our group has been up too all sorts of adventures! The first night of camp starting out with the excitement of a typical thunderstorm. Since Costa Rica is very humid, thunder and lightning storms are very common here and even though the power was out the campers still managed to bond while playing ping pong and cards in the dark.

Our first surf session took place the very next day in Tamarindo at a spot called Caption Suizo. This was a perfect break for our group since most of the campers were beginner surfers.  Everyone loved surfing and even though it was the first time for many of them, they all stood up! The next day of surfing revealed even greater improvement. Ryan, Lulu, and Sophie could all paddle into their own waves and after only a couple of nose dives Matt was able to pop up with no problems.

Aside from surfing at the beach in Tamarindo, we have also gotten the chance to explore other local beaches.  We are currently staying only a two minute walk from Playa Grande and before dinner we often take sunset walks. During one of our walks we were able to explore some tidepools and uncover some of the marine animals inhabiting these shallow puddles.  We saw even more tidepools at  nearby  Playa Carbon. This particular beach is very unique due to its black sand lined shores.  We spent a couple hours playing in this fine grained black sand and took a lengthy walk around the beach.

On Friday we got the privilege to check out a local farm. This experience really helped show us a new side of Costa Rica. We switched out our sandals and bathing suits for shoes and clothes that could get muddy and got right in the cow pen to start milking cows. Even though this was a completely new experience for most, everyone decided to try milking. Later, we sampled the cheese and chocolate milk that is made right there on the farm. We even received a tour of the farm, but instead of walking were pulled around in an ox-driven cart. The ride was a bit bumpy, but everyone loved it and couldn’t stop laughing.

So far our trip is going great! Everyone is becoming instant friends and starting to try new things. The waves have been really great and I can’t wait to watch all the campers to continue to improve on surfing. I’m also looking forward to the adventures that lie ahead like visiting a local board shaper, going zip lining, and checking out more local beaches.

– Alexx R.