Learning to Surf in Costa Rica

It’s been a long day learning to surf in Costa Rica. I can barely lift my arms above my shoulders. My knees are red raw. As are my ribs. My back feels like I’ve been bent over breaking rocks with a chain gang. I can taste salt and I still have sand in my hair. I’m a little sunburnt (despite high factor sunblock) and a tad dehydrated. But this beer I’m having in the hot tub at The Beach House is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.

Costa Rica is often touted as an idyllic surfing destination, with its warm water, consistent waves and laidback vibe. It’s true. I’ve experienced all three here at Manuel Antonio, where the soft sands skirt the garden of our second home away from home in Costa Rica, a Manuel Antonio holiday rental called The Beach House. Learning to surf in Costa Rica is fantastic.

But I have a confession. I’m not new to surfing. I took up surfing in my early teens and my sister married a guy who ran surfing contests. When I lived on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, in my early 20s, I surfed three times a day when possible, sneaking off in my lunch hour if the waves were good.

That all changed when Lara and I moved to her hometown of Sydney, where we lived in inner-city suburbs with the city and harbour pools on our doorstep but beaches a short drive away. Sydney’s beaches are beautiful but surfing was so territorial, so it was no longer a fun pastime. Then we moved to the United Arab Emirates: there were white-sand beaches with aquamarine water, but very little surf.

Over recent years I’ve made halfhearted attempts to become a surfer again. But re-learning to surf in Costa Rica, a destination known for its outstanding surf and excellent surfing schools, was my ideal chance. I’m determined to really get back in the water while we’re here, and start from scratch this time.

Learning to Surf in Costa Rica on Manuel Antonio Beach

Soon after we arrive at our first home away from home in Costa Rica, a multi-level Manuel Antonio holiday rental on the hillside, overlooking the jungle canopy, I start to do some research on Manuel Antonio surfing schools. I ask around and seek the advice of our villa’s concierge as to who I should get a surfing lesson from.

One surfing instructor name keeps coming up in conversation: ‘Ivan’. Ivan? What kind of name is that for a Costa Rican surfer? I was told he was hard to miss, with a million watt smile, offset by a deep tan, and a curly mane of long sun-bleached blond hair.

There are proper surfing schools in Manuel Antonio. But over the years I’ve seen too many surf schools where a big bunch of tourists have been bobbing around in the water on huge foam boards, with just one instructor between a couple of dozen people.

For them, perhaps, it’s just another experience to tick off, like white-water rafting or bungee jumping. It’s been so long since I’ve been on a board in the water, I don’t want to waste time. Plus for me, surfing is a very personal experience. I wanted someone who would give me personal attention, the right board, and the right advice.

True to reputation, Ivan wasn’t hard to spot. Laconic and laid-back he reminded me of what surfers used to be like in Australia, before they all decided that they wanted to turn pro.

In Australia and California talent scouts from the major surf companies go to local contests virtually every weekend with a cheque book, whereas here in Manuel Antonio they struggle to raise money to even hold a local contest.

Ivan and I select a board. He keeps around 25 at the beach and has even more tucked away for a busy summer’s day. I don’t want to ride a long board (what used to be called a ‘mal’ or Malibu board) and trying a short board would be like learning to drive in a Formula 1 car.

Far too many people try to learn to surf on a board that’s too long (and is prone to nosediving and is difficult to manoeuvre) or a board that’s too short to start with, as they are more difficult to paddle and stand up on.

We settle on a board that’s 7’6”. It’s still a big and very thick board, but it’s one that will make it easy for me to get back into the routine of catching waves and getting to my feet.

Ivan goes through the basics of where to lie on the board (in this board’s case with my toes just dangling over the rear of the board) and where to place my hands when getting to my feet (next to your ribs not next to your head or you’ll nose-dive).

He then runs through the usual board safety rules, like never have the board in front of you while getting out in the surf and when you fall or jump off the board, try never to go over the front of the board.

We head out into the small, slightly crumbling surf and Ivan pushes me into a couple of waves. I manage to get to my feet after a couple of attempts and ride the white-water straight towards the beach. The board is a tank and it’s quite easy to stand on. However, turning is another matter altogether!

Ivan says it’s time for me to go right or left on a wave. Waves generally break in a direction, either left or right, but sometimes it’s both. If it’s breaking from right to left as you face the surf it’s called a ‘right-hander’ and left to right is a ‘left-hander’.

Depending on which foot forward you ride with, you can either be facing the wave or have your back to the wave. Both Ivan and myself are ‘goofy foots’ which means that we face the wave when going left, our left leg at the back of the board and our right leg positioned around the middle of the board.

Most people, however, surf what is called ‘natural foot’ with their right leg (usually more powerful when you’re right-handed) at the back of the board, as the back leg does most of the work when turning.

Some say that you can tell whether you’ll be ‘goofy’ or ‘natural’ by getting someone to push you from behind without you knowing it. The leg that you automatically put forward to stabilise yourself is your strongest and will be at the back of the surfboard, because the stronger leg is the one that you’ll use to ‘steer’ the surfboard.

A more fun way to check before you learn to surf, snowboard or skateboard, is to don a pair of socks and run and then slide on polished floorboards. Doing this, you’ll naturally see the stronger leg go to the rear as you slide.

I catch a couple of waves with a good open face on them and fall. I’m too keen to start to do manoeuvres and I’m not concentrating on getting to my feet properly.

Experienced surfers push up with their arms and ‘swing’ their legs under their body in one swift movement. With me it’s more like a drunk trying to stand after a fall into a gutter.

But a few waves later I’m actually riding the open face of the wave and even managing a couple of turns.

Ivan sees that I know how to paddle, sit on the board (very hard for beginners), and get back out easily after riding a wave. He bodysurfs to shore, grabs a board, and joins me for a surf for about an hour.

The warm water feels wonderful. I can see monkeys in the palm trees that curve over the black sand beach like a mirror image of the waves coming in.

Massive pelicans cruise by as we wait between sets of waves. It’s great to be back surfing again. Learning to surf in Costa Rica is so chilled.

Later in the week, I swap my huge board for a smaller 6’8”. Once I get the hang of it I actually start to surf much better.

One afternoon, when there is great surf, I ride a wave all the way to the beach and step off the board onto the sand.

Ivan’s just up the beach watching and flashes his huge smile and gives me two thumbs up. I’m hoping that means it was a good ride rather than a score of two points out of ten…

For the last few days, I surf as much as possible, watching conditions from The Beach House and taking off down the path when the tide is right.

On the last morning I get up at dawn and the surf is a perfect, offshore two to three feet. There are only four surfers on the whole beach. I surf until my arms feel like strands of spaghetti.

I pass an elderly American man who I’ve seen on the beach every morning. He yells out in English to me “Surf’s up!” It sure is.

There’s a motto in Costa Rica, which every Costa Rican we’ve met over our two-week stay says with a smile, often on parting: pura vida.

It translates to ‘pure life’ and encapsulates the relaxed lifestyle, rooted in nature, of Costa Ricans, who live in the moment, full of gratitude for the gorgeous natural beauty that surrounds them.

To surf in Costa Rica is pure fun – the way it should be.

My Tips to Learning to Surf in Costa Rica

If you want to do some prep work to get fit before doing surf lessons, do laps of a pool swimming freestyle and do push-ups and stretches.
If you’re a gym junkie, keep in mind that surfing is an aerobic activity with short bursts of anaerobic activity. Train accordingly.
Find a good instructor, such as Ivan Castillo for one-on-one lessons; don’t do a group lesson if you want to progress fast.
Go to a beach with ‘gentle’ surf, a sand bottom, no rocks, and an easy entry and exit from the surf.
Wear a rash vest (you and your nipples will thank me later) and rub on loads of water-resistant blockout on your ‘exposed skin’ and use a decent brand like Nivea (most of the brands on sale in Costa Rica are not so well known). If your hands are greasy after this, wash this off with sand and water as you enter the surf.
Learn to sit and paddle properly. Ask your instructor exactly where to sit on the board and learn exactly where your feet should be when you paddle. Too many beginners just float around next to their board. That’s no way to catch waves.
If you get too tired to paddle, you’re way too tired to get to your feet on a wave. Have a break on the beach, grab some good carbohydrates, and head back out when you’ve recovered.
Always study the surf before you go out. Look at where the most consistent waves are breaking. Note where the rips are. Manuel Antonio beaches have lots of small rips when the surf is good.
Once you’re out in the water, always have ‘markers’ for your position. Line yourself up with points on the beach and note your distance from the beach. Rips can take you out of the surf zone quickly. If you’re caught in one it’s best to paddle parallel to the beach rather than directly back to the beach.
Don’t surf alone – there is safety in numbers more than one.

Ivan Castillo
Surfing Instructor, Manuel Antonio Beach, Costa Rica
batiquepos@hotmail.com