Playa Guinones, Costa Rica

[Skyrocketnflight]

Went on a SUP and longboard trip to Costa Rica, 12/22-1/1/14.

Did a VRBO condo right next to the Nosara Yoga Institute. Did a bunch of classes there and might i say the environment was beautiful, both the physical structure and the female yogis too.

I didn't bring a board this time due to the flight layovers. I highly recommend Nosara Paddlesurf, ask for Nate the owner. Great guy frm Minn that moved down there years ago.

Did a jungle river SUP and then surfed over the dunes on the ocean side the first day, knee/thigh high, clean.

I did 3 sessions with Nate. He picked me up in a truck and we hit some nice, uncrowded fast beach breaks in Ostinial about 30 mins away. Got dialed in on a Coreban Fusion 9.0. Awesome board, fast and once I waxed the nose it was easy to trim and ride up front.

Play Guinoes was a shit show with holiday surfers, posers and surf schools. I didn't SUP there at all.  i have heard that its not too crowded in the non-holiday season but can't vouch for that. I got up super early to beat the crowds and longboard from 6 am-8 am and then from 3:30-sunset on the days I wasnt SUPing with Nate.  The area suffers from an onshore wind that starts most days at 10 am.

Conditions were glassy in  the morning. Super chill town, dirt roads, nice quaint accomodations, restaurants etc..

Biggest conditions were chest high. Not epic swell but an epic time. The epic swell came when I landed back in Beantown and made it out to Marshfield on Sat morning and then to Nantasket in Hull in the afternoon. Herculean size!


-SUProcket

[mdsurf]

Beautiful area and great pictures.  Love Nosara.  I rent from Craig Sutton at Nosara Paradise/ Fishing Nosara.  He is a fellow surfer here at my home break in north Florida.

Nosara is a lovely area and north and south.  Hardly ever a crowd in Ostinal.  I have only seen two others when I surfed/ sup'd in Ostinal.  You can go further north of there also and sup all by yourself.

I Sup'd Nosara or Guiones early also. 530am until 9am everyday.  After that it can have on shore winds surf schools and 200 of your closest friends.  Especially during Christmas break.  That is when it is at its limit of people.

March and April are good times to go also  Beautiful weather and less crowd.

[PNelson]

My buddy & I had the same experience with Nate. We stayed at the Nosara Beach House, which is walking distance to Guiones beach and SUP'd there every day. Mainly stayed away from the crowds by surfing at the far North/South ends of the beach.

Also did a few lessons with Nate and had great experiences at some pretty killer spots. Would highly recommend!