Costa Rican Surf Tour

[jethrodog]

Hey everyone. Hope you all had a great weekend getting pounded on the inside.

Question for all the surf travelers out there, and I hope this doesn't come across as spam because I don't mean for it to be.

I have been planning on setting up a surf tour business here in Costa Rica to accompany my bed and breakfast I have. I have routes, hotels, breaks, everything all planned out. Starting in Tamarindo, surfing 10-14 different breaks in 7 days ending up in MalPais, includes meals, accomodation, and transportation, and pickup/dropoff in either Liberia or San Jose.

My question is: how much would you pay for a tour like this? Would you even pay for something like this?

The average surf camp in CR is about $1000 a week per person with 2-3 meals a day. The only problem I find with these is that you are limited to the local breaks near the camp. If you want to try somewhere else it costs you more.

I think that it would be more interesting to hit many different breaks with someone who knows the area and has already surfed all the places. But maybe I don't know what I am talking about

Any help, comments, advice, bad language, or insults is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.



MalPais (El Carmen) at sunset

[parrysurf]

Good ideas....many people will jump on such a deal...my experience is to go on your own. I did CR about 15 years ago before it blew up...I will go again in a few years with my boy. Mostly go to mex now, I got a place to stay there for free.

The prices you mention are way cheap and all you need is to pepper the internet with your site...next thing ya know you are living the dream...good luck. Take care of your guests and they will take care of you.

[drowningbitbybit]

...next thing ya know you are living the dream...

Living the other dream in this case

[kitesurfer]

Hey everyone. Hope you all had a great weekend getting pounded on the inside.

Question for all the surf travelers out there, and I hope this doesn't come across as spam because I don't mean for it to be.

I have been planning on setting up a surf tour business here in Costa Rica to accompany my bed and breakfast I have. I have routes, hotels, breaks, everything all planned out. Starting in Tamarindo, surfing 10-14 different breaks in 7 days ending up in MalPais, includes meals, accomodation, and transportation, and pickup/dropoff in either Liberia or San Jose.

My question is: how much would you pay for a tour like this? Would you even pay for something like this?

The average surf camp in CR is about $1000 a week per person with 2-3 meals a day. The only problem I find with these is that you are limited to the local breaks near the camp. If you want to try somewhere else it costs you more.

I think that it would be more interesting to hit many different breaks with someone who knows the area and has already surfed all the places. But maybe I don't know what I am talking about

Any help, comments, advice, bad language, or insults is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.



MalPais (El Carmen) at sunset

Hmmmm that beach looks mighty famillar, i wonder if i'll make it there this year Ben?

KS

[jethrodog]

Hmmm. Well, Chris, I think that there might be a good chance of you seeing those waves this year.

In fact, I was thinking, a nice 2 week pacific surf tour starting at Witches Rock and ending at Pavones with lots of beer, diet coke, and sweet barrels in June is in your future.

Just a hunch.

[smallwavegrovellerchick]

We're going to Tamarindo, Nosara, & Jaco in April. We're going for a total of 12 nights (3-4 nights in each area). I think we're paying about $2500 for 2 of us, including a vehicle. I don't know if meals are included, but this price seemed reasonable to me. Your prices seem even better, but we didn't really want to do a surf camp since we wanted to do the tourist thing as well while we're out there. This is our first time in CR and any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Hang11]

A few years ago I went to CR with a few mates, let one, who isn't the sharpest tool in the box sort out the vehicles, we got to San Jose, sat in the car park outside the airport for a couple of hours, wondered where the cars were, called Avis, they knew nothing about it, had a look at the paperwork, and the stupid f*****r had booked two 4wd's for San Jose in California. We didn't get our money back, and had to pay all over again.

So on that basis, I would love it if someone drove me around. It's an amazing country, great waves, great people, and I will definitely be going back there.

[BCspicoli]

i plan on going there in july for a month and a half. ive always wanted to go to the carrib. side, but i hear theres next to nothing for ways there in the summer. im going to buy my first board (dont have to use the sisters') and i heard that Carton in Jaco makes good boards and i should check it out, anyone have advice?

[billie_morini]

jethrodog,
I know of a good surf school in CR that runs about $1700 US for a week. This is the price for a shared room and coaching. If you take a private room, it is about $2100 per week.

[jethrodog]

Thanks everyone. I have been setting up the routes and checking out hotels and getting everything ready. I am thinking that it will be a very small business but that it will be fun to meet other people that surf and to surf around Costa Rica with them. I have some potential clients for July so if it happens I will let everyone know how it goes.
Thanks again for all your input, I really appreciate it.

[jethrodog]

We're going to Tamarindo, Nosara, & Jaco in April. We're going for a total of 12 nights (3-4 nights in each area). I think we're paying about $2500 for 2 of us, including a vehicle. I don't know if meals are included, but this price seemed reasonable to me. Your prices seem even better, but we didn't really want to do a surf camp since we wanted to do the tourist thing as well while we're out there. This is our first time in CR and any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

While in Tamarindo, don't swim or surf right in the main beach there, go the 10 minutes to Playa Grande or go check out Playa Coco or somewhere else. They have tested the water at Tamarindo and it is highly contaminated (with shite from hotels) and they have issued a warning of a high chance of Hep C.

I don't know a lot about Nosara other than driving through checking out hotels. Let me know what you think of it as i need to surf there before July.

Make sure you check out Playa Hermosa and Playa Esterillos while in Jaco. Hermosa can be surfed anytime but higher tide is best, while Esterillos is best right at mid tide. Esterillos gets some big surf with it having an unobstructed south view.

Good shops in Jaco are Carton and Chuck's WOW Surf. Haven't found any shops in Tamarindo that I liked, they are all the same. Check out the Taco Bar in Jaco, good food, and for decent expensive sushi go to Herradura to Samarai Fusion.

have fun!!

[smallwavegrovellerchick]

Thanks so much for all the info. Looking forward to being there next week.

[Hang11]

I stayed at Harbor Reef Lodges in Nosara, sweet setup, and a great beachie nearby. Definitely worth a look, had some really nice surfs there.

http://www.harborreef.com/

[crsurf]

the next 4 months in central pacific in Costa Rica are the best ones to surf, there are the constant waves , there are surf all the days all day, and of good size.