Learn Spanish and Surf

[Mads]

Hey!
I am trying to find a place to take a Spanish course and surf. I have already been to Costa Rica so somewhere else would be preferable. Advice?
Cheers
Mads

[Bill]

This place is amazing. I met a guy there from New York taking a Spanish couse for three hours per day 5 days a week and surfing the rest of the time. Do a search on the internet for Bocas Del Toro.

[sinistapenguin]

Hola Mads (that's about it for my spanish)

I'm a linguist by nature, French and German and the best thing to do to learn the language is to be somewhere that speaks the language and just talk to the locals - I know it's hard, but the human mind switches into 'survival mode' and suddenly you understand loads and pick up an unbelievable amount.

If you are going somewhere spanish speaking with surf. Try talking to surfers on the beach, tell them you are trying to learn spanish and most people will help you out. You already have something really cool in common - you may even get invited to beach parties!

When I was in France I took a walk down the beach in the early evening and said hello to everyone who was around my age - it was really embarrassing. By the time 22:00 hrs came around I was sitting in the dunes around a bonfire with 20 French people and really getting into it.

Give it a go, people will appreciate that you are making the effort!

Cheers

Sinista

[Mads]

Sinista
Thanks for the advice. You are right. A bit scary at first. I find it so frustrating not to be able to communicate, and feel like an idiot carrying a dictionary the whole time.. I guess I better get over it !

Thanks.

p.s Bill thanks for the Bocas recommendation! I had the chance to visit there when I was in Costa Rica, great place.. I am looking for a spot I haven't been to yet though.. :roll: any other recommendations?

[EastCoastSurfer]

Hi Mads,

Cannot believe you posted that question…Have been looking for the same myself for a while…looks like I am off to Costa Rica in July for my surf / Spanish break. There does appear to be a few classes around (especially in the Playa Jaco area) so any recommendations or advice from yourself or anyone else would be much appreciated.

As for your question, I have just found out that there are language courses just outside Cadiz (Spain) and from looking at the stormrider guide there are about 10 excellent beach breaks all down that south west coast. I believe that there may be a company (winterwaves) that specialise in surfing trips along that coastline as well….sounds like a good prospect for early next year

Many thanks to Sinista for his advice, I’ll definitely have a go at his total emersion advice… I figure my Spanish can only get better.

All the best,

EastCoastSurfer

[jako]

There is a cool school in the Jaco area. Do a search and check out THird World Productions. They have a page on their site for a Spanish school which also offers surfing. Good luck.

[Whitney]

Mads-
I am in the same boat right now. Don't know how old you are, but I am a college student so I am just gonna go study abroad in Northern Spain. Hopin' to pick up some Spanish, surf some of the breaks and then travel some more.I've been checkin it out, and the water is supposed to be mad cold in the winter (jan-april) but the surf supposed to be solid 4 ft most of the time with larger swells coming in too. So advice is- if in college check out goin through some of the programs.

[loz]

Guys, i need ur help! I am going to Spain for 1 week at the end of august. What to brush up on my spanish (may be take some classes) and of course surf (!). Any ideas on the best surfing/spanish learning spot? thx!

[travelzomg]

Fuerteventura is a very nice place to stay and surf.. all relaxed... cheap life... spanish canary islands...
and is considered the hawaii of europe...
and in addition, the Quiksilver Surfschool there is looking for surf instructors...

[HookedCabarete]

how about the dominican rebulic. there is good surf all year round, lots of friendly local surfers to talk to and a decent language school (http://www.cabaretelanguage.com/index.php) if you want to take clases.

I was looking also for a place to surf and learn spanish and I got stuck here because I liked it so much. I'm now managing a little hotel called Hooked Cabarete directly on the main surf break. If you are interested just find us on Google.

If you have any further questions, regardless wether you want to stay with us, please let me know.

Aloha
Nino

[Liquid Peace]

Ecuador, Central coast, Montanita
Ecuador Pictures
When you go to Ecuador, fly into Guayaquil. The price is right for good quality waves with plenty of variation for surfer's of all different levels. Montanita is a great base camp to search out your breaks & realize your Liquid Peace.
Water Temp: 74-79 degrees. Very comfortable.
Water Pollution: generally no, but with heavy rainfall near towns, then yes!
Wave consistency: very consistent, with waves in the shoulder to head high range with some slight offshore early in the day. magicseaweed
Overall weather:74-80 degrees, near the beach, if you go to higher elevations away from the coast it gets cooler quickly!
Suggested gear: board shorts, rash guards, neoprene jacket, vest, shorts, cap, sunscreen, sunblock lip balm, duct tape, super glue. If you plan a trip to the Galapagos islands, effected by the Humboldt current, bring a 3/2 full suit.


Ecuador's infrastructure is "rough & tumble", it does reduce the crowds. Give yourself plenty of time to get to outer breaks, get lucent directions or hire a guide!
Can you get to the waves? Yes, but can get bumpy and sketchy to some places, get solid directions or hire a guide.
Are there places to stay? Yes, limited range but plenty of options.
Recommended Lodging: Jardines de Olon, "A tropical dream come true!" Montanita spanish & surf, "Lodging, surfing & learn spanish".
Is it crowded? No, but if the waves are really good, moderate.
Is there localism? Some, but nothing to be concerned with if you follow proper surf etiquette.
Are there Hazards? Minimal at the beach breaks but always check, ask & look around.
Learn to surf: Montanita spanish & surf, "Learn how or get wired on where to go"
"Montanita is well known as the most unfailing surf break on the Ruta del Sol coast of Ecuador. The closer to La Punta you go, the bigger the wave sets are. At highs a barreling right hander, at lows are righteous hot dogs, perfect for all levels and abilities. Crawling distance from the Ecuafriendly beach house. Due to its Humboldt current location, Montanita is the right place to have as home base, central to all hot spots up and down the coast.” Todd, Jardines de Olon


Culture:
Things to do? The town is very cool, has a hippie kind of feel to it. You will need a 4x4 to really be adventurous.
Things to do out of the water? Limited by the small town & infrastructure but the town is very entertaining.
People: Very friendly. Learn as much Spanish before you go, most people that live in Ecuador are not bilingual.
Food & Water: Load up on the bottled water, food options in town are plentiful, tasty and inexpensive (arepas, choclos and ceviche ).
Nightlife: Enough to get into trouble or have fun but it is still a small town, save your energy for the surf & keep a low profile.
Expense: Inexpensive! Absolute bargain for a righteous surf adventure in a laid back artsy, culturally entertaining town.
Safety: Safe, but petty theft is always a mistake away; keep your gear stowed safely out of sight. Leave the "bling-bling" at home!

Note: One other plus in visiting this region is the possibility of getting a little Bit of Northern Peru surfing into your regimen, only a 2 hour drive from the Guayaquil airport!

[Estrelllita]

Hey Mads,

good call, come to Cabarete DR for a month or just a couple of weeks if you can. We have some great spanish teachers here and surf every day...I know what I'm talking about. Learned surfing and spanish both here ...4 years ago and it's still not borring.
Donno whats your budget, but to Cabarete you can come with any - Happy Hour or 1st Class delux..you can have whatever you feel like. If you more into staying longer for less $$$ the LagunaPark Surf Hostel might be a good place for you to stay.
I would also suggest you to get in touch with cabaretelanguage.com, they have decent prices, great teachers with a good concept and btw the lenguage school is only 3min walk away from the LagunaPark Hostel...other option would be to hire a Spanish teacher, that comes to teach you directly in the place you stay (there is many that do this)!!!

Good luck choosing your holiday destination, but hope to cu in Cabarete
Saludos, Sabrina "Estrellita"

[Wavecation]

I spent 3 weeks in Antigua, Guatemala once and loved it. Then I headed straight down to El Salvador and surfed for a week. That was my reward for buckling down and learning spanish. I also surfed in Guatemala one weekend, not that good though.

Have fun,
Wavecation

[surf patrol]

I think your best bet is using a Spanish immersion program in a spot where you know there is good surf. Learning by immersion is the fastest (and most fun) way to learn any language, plus you may get to meet locals to show you the best surfing spots in town. I could recommend a bunch from Argentina, but I'm afraid there's no proper surfing here
Try to find ways to learn spanish from executivespanishimmersion.com . You'll find a whole bunch of schools from all around Latin America, sorted by place. Remember to check the school's reputation on Google before you sign up for anything!

[Mucho Spanish]

There is nothing like immersing yourself in a language. You do need more than just showing up, though. Find an approach to building up your vocabulary and learning some grammar. Otherwise, you could find yourself frustrated.

Dan & Aixa