Barefoot Surf Travel - Nosara

[HaoleKook]

Perusing this forum got me thinking about surf camps. Barefoot has great instructional videos on YouTube and their reviews are stellar so I signed up. I chose the Nosara (Playa Guiones) location because it’s coming up pretty soon, and the town of Nosara sounds really cool. I go in late January so I’ll be able to come home and take better advantage of the winter season here on Oahu. I was looking at Mentawais but it’s later in the year and you need to bring your own boards - and traveling with 9ft boards doesn’t sound easy. But that location is a longer trip and has two daily lessons, so maybe I’ll work up to it.

I could take lessons here but the camp includes video, dry land sessions, special topic classes, etc. And you’re with a dozen people 24/7 who are all stoked to get better at surfing. The way they teach online really makes sense to me, and the one doing the videos is the head surf coach who will be there. Plus, even Hawaii residents need a vacation sometimes.

So far the process was easy, and I heard back promptly with everything I needed for now. I’ll post more as things happen and will be happy to answer any questions.

I’m really stoked!

https://barefootsurftravel.com/

[HaoleKook]

One thing I'm a little bummed about is not bringing my board(s). I'm flying from Hawaii, and to keep the travel time reasonable I change airlines, and time between flights is a little tight for exiting and re-entering security. It's not that big of a deal, I'd love to get to know my boards that much better, but I should be able to find something fun in a town like Nosara, and saving money and risk of damage isn't a bad thing.

[Geezer]

I’m curious. What do they do for dry land training?

Sounds like it could be fun. It wouldn’t be for me but I can see the attraction.

Personally, surf vacations for me are taking personal days during the week and just going surfing all day. . I’m interested to hear about what their program consists of.

[mrpopo]

are they offering training course also?

[HaoleKook]

@Geezer they have coaches in the water (2:1 ratio), and coaches on land or in a boat with a camera. So the dry land stuff is "technique analysis meetings" reviewing your videos personally with a coach. The next day, the land coach tells your water coach what you specifically need to work on so you get a customized plan. There are also digital training tools that you have access to - reference videos, training plan, progress tracking, etc. And there are daily theory and technique workshops, and a few yoga classes. It's heavily focused on improvement, and you're with 12 people for a week who are all stoked on getting better at surfing.

@mrpopo they do have a training course. If you attend the camp you get a 'free' year access to the training program. They also have a lot of free videos on YouTube.

[waikikikichan]

Do you recognize these names ?
Kai Sallas. current world Longboard champion
Kaniela Stewart world Longboard runner-up
Kelis Kaleopa'a world longboard runner-up
Bonga Perkins former world longboard champion
Dino Miranda former world longboard champion

They all learned to surf and still surf in Waikiki. You don't need to travel someplace to learn how to surf, when you are already in the BEST place for longboard surfing in the world. Watch the local rippers surf the waves at Queens and Canoes. Talk to and listen to the Waikiki Beach Boys explain about the motion of the ocean. Waikiki breeds champion surfers. ( without the use of dry land video analysis )

[HaoleKook]

It's an experience, I think the whole thing sounds pretty great. Today I got xxxxx on by a bird as I was walking to the water. Maybe in Costa Rica I will get xxxxx on by a monkey!

[Geezer]

I can’t remember, are you getting any coaching now? Seems like if you’re into that there would be lots of choices in Waikiki from schools to individual instructors to surf guides who show you new breaks and where to line up to one of the beach boys who could fill you up with local knowledge.

The c$ap thing about 12 people going surfing together besides the dynamics of getting 12 people to move together is that sets don’t have 12 waves, and from an outsider’s perspective, seeing a surfcamp pull up in a couple few vans and doing group stretches on the beach is like hearing “taps”.

I’m all for new experiences; I went to Costa 35 years ago when I was a teen and loved it. My improvement when I was at your stage came by slowly pushing myself into increasingly challenging conditions and longer sessions, being active in the water (challenging myself to get two waves a set and see how long I could keep that going was one if the games I play), watching how others better than me would ride a wave on a given day then try to emulate them for take off point and lines taken, and alot of in water paddling, pushups, pullups, dips and stretching, particularly in the shoulders and hips. Pop ups I practiced in front of a reflective sliding glass door on tiles marked out with masking tape using free youtube videos. If there is any shortcut to improving it’s in building fitness and mobility in and out if the water; my biggest gains came in tandem with those improvements.

[jaffa1949]

Nice words Geezer hold so true!
The ancients among us used this method, there were no surf schools

[HaoleKook]

I want a vacation and thought it would be fun to surf somewhere different. Im alone and not very experienced. I could:
A) not go
B) try planning everything myself and surf alone
C) stay at a surf hotel by myself and not take lessons,
D) go to a place like this, take lessons and be with a group of people with a common interest.

I was taking lessons but the instructor started showing up really drunk so I stopped. I took a private from a north shore surf camp, and for $175 I got a coach asking me whether or not I caught the wave. So I’ve been learning from you guys, and Barefoot’s YouTube videos. I’ve been surfing most days before work, do push myself and am improving every day. I don’t consider myself a good surfer, but I think it’s fair to say I’m good for the time I’ve been surfing. I just want to change it up for a week.

The camp breaks everyone up into small groups work 2:1 Coach to surfer ratio. It’s a huge beach with a ton of different breaks, plus there are 2 more beaches within walking distance. It’s a one of the more premier camps, quite intensive, and they’re not just dumping 12 people on the beach with a couple of instructors.

I get that it’s not for everyone. But they do have thousands of 5 star reviews on Trip Adviser, Yelp, etc so obviously some people are into it. So I thought I’d share my experience for anyone who might be interested.

[dalegotro]

I will be in Nosara Jan 30 to Feb 3. Happy to share my knowledge of the area. Playa Guiones has been an annual trip for me every January since 1998. I would advise booking a hotel now,as I'm already having trouble with my normal places.

[delphin]

I am also a regular visitor to Playa Guiones, including sampling their camps and guides. Heading back November 29 for two weeks. If any fellow intermediate surfers will be there and would like someone to paddle out with a morning or two please let me know.

[HaoleKook]

I just got back from my trip. I had a great time and would highly recommend Barefoot Surf Travel to anyone who is beginner to intermediate and serious about improving their surfing. I will most likely go back.

For instruction, you get a 2 hour lesson in the morning and a daily video review with specific goals. You also basically live with the instructors for the week, so you can go back out and practice, then hit them up for more discussion or questions afterwards and surf again.

The accommodations were incredibly nice. The group was great, all 12 of us went to dinner, hung out and surfed together, also with the coaches when they were available. At least half were repeat customers, and I'll most likely go back as well.

Playa Guiones was great. 4 of the 6 days were consistent shoulder to head high waves. One day was a big swell so we went to a point + reef break, and the last day was on the small side but comfortable for most. It was a 5 minute walk from the hotel and a 1 minute walk from the board locker.

The waves were challenging for me since I normally surf a softer reef break. Most notably it was hard to get to my feet before I reached the bottom of the wave, and it was hard to feel stable on an angled takeoff. I was paddling too much and getting in too late when it was steep. That was causing me to sit too far back on the board to prevent pearling (so I thought). And that was causing me to pop up too far back so the board was stalling and unstable. I was also setting the angle too late and holding it too long There are a number of other things I need to work on as well, but fixing these main ones enabled me to catch and surf the wave face before I left.

My goal was to be able to surf the Guiones wave before I left, and to feel a little more confident in bigger, steeper waves such as small North Shore days. I achieved both of those.

[surf patrol]

And hey, coming from Oahu, you know your surf! The Mentawais sound incredible too, but yeah, lugging around those boards sounds like a workout in itself. I'm also intrigued by the idea of learning from the head surf coach through those online videos. It's cool how they've adapted their teaching methods. And the thought of being surrounded by a crew of fellow surf enthusiasts 24/7? Count me in! Plus, it's always refreshing to switch up the scenery, even for us lucky folks living in Hawaii. Have you ever checked out the surf scene near Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica?

[HaoleKook]

Hey @serahmen, I didn’t see your post until now. Yes I live in Hawaii but I wouldn’t say "I know my stuff," I’m mostly just another kook learning and having fun in the ocean.

Naomi is the head coach that you hear in the videos, and she was there. She is mostly just in Costa Rica (Mantawais with a different team I think.) I got a lesson on my last day with her fiancé (Josh if I remember correctly) who was a professional surfer. It was amazing! They are both super sweet.

That was the first time I surfed anywhere besides Oahu. I’m going back in January and think I might be ready to try more places after another week with Barefoot (plus time practicing afterward.). Beach breaks are really different and I’m still working on adapting to different wave breaking speeds.

It took me a few days to get used to the break and different board and fins, so next year I’m going 2 days early to get situated…and enjoy the pura vida!

[surfabcon]

The combination of video analysis, in-water coaching, and workshops appears to be an effective strategy to progress quickly. Nosara also appears to be a really relaxing destination.
I had a similar experience when I visited Orlando, not for surfing, but as part of a holiday package that I've got in [advertising removed] that included behind-the-scenes excursions at the parks. Structured leadership and a group of like-minded people made the trip truly memorable. It's incredible how much you can learn in only one week when everything is planned to enhance the experience.