EL SALVADOR
El Salvador, regular foot heaven.
I had read about El Salavador in one of my all time favorite surf travel books, “In Search of Captain Zero”. So when a friend of mine wrote me asking if I could go on a surf trip with her somewhere, El Salavador was the first on my list. For one its only two countries away from me and secondly I had been scoping out tickets to go there for months. I had found some great deals on Volaris airlines and asked a friend of mine that lives in Costa Rica who also surfs. It did not take much persuasion. We booked our tickets and off we went.
El Salvador
El Salvador, regular foot heaven.
I had read about El Salavador in one of my all time favorite surf travel books, “In Search of Captain Zero”. So when a friend of mine wrote me asking if I could go on a surf trip with her somewhere, El Salavador was the first on my list. For one its only two countries away from me and secondly I had been scoping out tickets to go there for months. I had found some great deals on Volaris airlines and asked a friend of mine that lives in Costa Rica who also surfs. It did not take much persuasion. We booked our tickets and off we went.
Our hotel
The thing about surfing and traveling for waves is you never know what you are going to get. Its always a gamble when it comes to mother nature.
I had been watching the surf report with anticipation every morning leading up to our departure. When I saw we were going to have 4-6ft waves at 20 seconds I was stoked! I have slowly been getting more confident in bigger waves and was looking forward to surfing a right point break.
Sarah and I left Playa Grande at 4:00 am and drove the 6 hours to San Jose to catch our flight. We heard through the coconut wireless the night before that the students in San Jose were protesting. We gave ourselves an 8 hour window to drive to the airport. We made it in four hours which is amazing considering the roads, trucks, pedestrians, animals, and protesting going on. After a quick hour flight we landed. We searched for a cold beer.. Little bugs swarmed our heads for 90 minutes while we were waiting for our friend to arrive from Florida.
Alexis ended up arriving an hour late and I was feeling anxious about driving the three hours south after dark. I know it is sketchy to drive in Mexico at night and seeing as though this was my first time here I wasn’t stoked about being on the road at dark. We stopped halfway for a cold beer to calm my nerves, the gas station with armed guards waiting for us as we used the restroom and shopped didn’t reassure the situation. But the cold beer did and we were on our way. We arrived too late for dinner so I drank another beer to get some more calories and went to bed.
The sound of waves crashing had me up before first light.
Since we arrived after dark I was blown away by the surf and the view from our hotel. I took a sip of coffee and woke up the girls. We were so pumped to get out there, we quickly waxed our boards and made our way down the trail to the beach. I was SO excited I had forgot to tell Sarah how a point break even works. She began surfing in Playa Grande which is a beach break and had never surfed a point break before. There is a bit of a difference in how you catch and read the wave from a beach break to a point break. Sarah has been surfing for only one year and is very determined and quick to learn. I have watched her push her limits in the surf and have not seen someone advance as quickly as her. Alexis is confident in bigger surf and was anxious but not worried. I had met her at a barrel riding retreat in Nicaragua and have been on three trips with her already. She is a mom of two from Florida and has more stoke than a teenager.
We were all a bit intimidated by the waves and crowd at first. After picking off a couple in the inside I slowly made my way to the peak. I waited for my opportune moment and got a sick one all the way through to the beach break. We surfed for hours and then headed up to the hotel for breakfast. As we ate we talked about how to surf a point break and how to catch smaller waves without getting hit by the bigger waves. You kind of have to play a game of cat and mouse with the set waves. Paddle inside after a set rolls through and try to pick off the smaller friendly waves, then as soon as you see white water on the outside rocks you have to paddle out and away from the point as fast as you can before the bigger waves or set waves come. I grew up playing this game at a wave back home in the Caribbean for years. Now that spot in the Caribbean is my favorite wave I have ever surfed, but to say I am comfortable surfing there when its big is a long stretch.
I have been surfing much longer then the other girls and was stoked they were able to handle the heavier waves. Whenever you surf a new break or get out of your comfort zone in bigger surf it can be frustrating. I have spent many sessions out surfing when I don’t even catch one wave. This is how we grow as surfers. When you get back to surfing somewhere you are comfortable or your home break you will feel more confident for sure.
Sunrise
Sarah and I pre surf stoke
Afternoon refreshment
We wanted to surf a few other spots so we hired a guide to take us down the road a bit. The spot we ended up surfing was a short walk though the jungle that opened up to a small cove with another right hander reeling along the point. We were told this wave would be a little smaller and more friendly. I could see the potential out there but the current was so strong on our first attempt we got washed down the beach and back to shore. Our second attempt we walked further towards the point and almost made it out before a set came and we nearly got washed into the rocks. We came in with our tails between our legs. Sometimes the ocean straight denies you.
Over the next three days we basically dawned patrolled early, came in when it got crowded and then we would surf again when most the crowd came in for breakfast. We had an advantage because of where we were staying we could see how busy the line up was and what the surf conditions were all day long. We chose the opportune moment to paddle out and ended up scoring some great sessions with just a few other guys out. We surfed sunset sessions and at night drank spicy jalapeño margaritas and chatted over the waves we shared that day.
I will be back to El Salvador for sure, locals are predicting in five years El Salvador will be as safe as Costa Rica. I hope they are correct because the people there were so friendly and welcoming. Though we are only a few hundred miles away you can see El Salvador has a long way to grow as a tourist destination. I hope for the people of El Salvador their predications are true because it really is a surfers dream.
READING WAVES 101
The most common question I get asked by beginner surfers is, how do I know what wave to catch?
The most common question I get asked by beginner surfers is, how do I know what wave to catch?
You all have heard of the Goldie Locks story, right? About the porridge - it can’t be too hot or too cold - it’s got to be just right. Well it’s the same thing when looking for a wave. If the wave is too steep, over the falls you go (when you get thrown over the white water). If the wave is not yet breaking or just rolling along, it’s not steep enough (you paddle and the wave rolls right underneath you). The first step to reading waves is to find the peak. Once you can identify the peak of a wave, you can begin looking for your Goldie Locks spot.
The Peak
This person is dropping in at the very peak of the wave. This is a huge wave but it is very easy to identify the peak. The peak is the highest part of the wave. This wave is an A frame, meaning it is breaking both right and left.
Next time you go to the beach or for a surf, watch the waves and start guessing where you think the wave is going to peak. If you don't live near the ocean, watch a surf movie or a professional surf contest. The more time you spend watching and looking for the peak, the easier it will be to find it when you are out there surfing. Always watch the waves for at least a few minutes before you paddle out.
Now you might be wondering why you should be looking for the peak, which is the most powerful part of the wave, when you don't want anything to do with those steep drops. NO problem, if you can find the peak you can definitely find the nice soft shoulder of the wave.
Shoulder of the wave…
The shoulder makes for an easier drop in, meaning the wave is not going to be as steep or as powerful as the peak of the wave. However, catching a wave at the shoulder means you have to paddle, paddle and paddle in order to catch it.
Surfer farthest to the right is paddling for the wave on the shoulder. See the white part of the wave to the right of him. That is the peak. He has positioned himself perfectly for a nice, gentle drop on the shoulder of the wave.
Etiquette tip:
Generally, if you are on the shoulder trying to catch waves not at the peak, the more experienced surfers are going to be sitting deeper (closer to the peak than you). This means that they have the right of way. Don't forget to look towards the peak and make sure no one is there paddling or already up and riding before you catch the wave. In other words, don't be a shoulder hopper.
How to position yourself for a wave.
If you are paddling for waves but not catching them, what is going wrong?
You may be too far from the peak. Look for the peak, paddle towards it, then wait and try again a little bit closer to the power source.
You need to paddle more. So many times people are paddling and could have caught the wave but they stop. I always find myself saying “just 3 more paddles”.
Not paddling soon enough. Try not to wait until last moment to paddle for the wave. When you see it starting to stand up, start paddling. You need to have speed to catch a wave.
This video is Christine from one of our past retreats. She rips by the way and has only surfed a few weeks in her entire life. She only needed two more paddles to catch this one.
Catching a wave on the shoulder.
This video shows Chrstine paddling perfectly on the shoulder of the wave. To the left is the peak where you see the white water. This is what a a typical morning surf session looks like in Playa Grande.
In conclusion, if you want to learn how to read waves, start looking for the peak, guessing which way a wave is going to break, and when it is going to break. Get out in the water; the more time you spend in the ocean or even at the beach just watching other surfers, the better. I used to sit on the beach with my surf coach and just listen to him critique the other surfers. You can learn a lot by just observing people surfing. Reading waves takes a lot of practice. So get out there and start going for it.
Good luck and feel free to contact us at sistersurfcr@gmail.com if you have any questions. We are always happy to help.
SURF TRAINING
The quaint surf town of Playa Grande just had a gym open called Flex and Flow. I observed a few members of our surfing town attending the classes there. Over a few months I saw people looking more fit and watched their surfing improve as well. I decided it was time to check it out. I took a few of their early morning classes thinking “I’m fit already, this should be easy for me”. Well it was so hard I decided to take a private training session with one the gym’s founders Hyam. We took a few videos of some workouts that I think would be beneficial for building strength and balance for your next surf trip.
The quaint surf town of Playa Grande just had a gym open called Flex and Flow. I observed a few members of our surfing town attending the classes there. Over a few months I saw people looking more fit and watched their surfing improve as well. I decided it was time to check it out. I took a few of their early morning classes thinking “I’m fit already, this should be easy for me”. Well it was so hard I decided to take a private training session with one the gym’s founders Hyam. We took a few videos of some workouts that I think would be beneficial for building strength and balance for your next surf trip.
Core and arm strengthen workout
I had been doing plank and yoga push ups without tucking my pelvis under creating a dip in my low back. Please have someone watch you or workout in front of a mirror to see your alignment. This is a great core and arm work out, if you can find something heavy to put your hands against and then walk the feet out until the back is flat. Its good to start in this position then slowly work your way walking the feet further away from you. Also notice my hands, the thumbs are pointed inward. Practice this position before moving to a yoga push up to get your alignment . Hold for 30 secs 3 reps increasing the seconds by 15 each time.
Plank walk out with feet elevated
This is a great core and arm strength exercise. You can put your feet on the end of your bed or on something higher like a chair. Walk hands out until they are directly under shoulders. Bring chest all the way between shoulders and try to keep hips from moving side to side.
Yoga push up
Hands under shoulders, chest between arms. Knees can be lifted or on ground. You want the back to be flat. Notice my spine is slightly dipped near my low back. Ideally you want your back straight. You will feel it more in your core when you are in perfect alignment. 5 times 3 reps
Bun burner
Stand on something super sturdy. Its good to have someone spot you. What I liked about this workout is how much easier you will find it on your dominant leg. I could barley do one round on my left side without a spotter. I couldn't get my left foot nearly as close to the ground as my right foot. I was sore for a few days after but I love being sore from a good workout.
Start with 5 reps of each workout and do 3 rounds. Check Flex and Flow Facebook page to see what they are all about. https://www.facebook.com/flexandflowpg/
Thank you for reading and feel free to share. Coco
THE HUNT FOR WAVES
You may have heard the saying “its not the destination its the journey”. Its always kind of annoyed me because the journey normally means long plane rides, delays, layovers, canceled flights etc. and I just want to get to the destination already and skip the “journey” part. It does not have to be that way at all. I prefer to think of the journey as an adventure and wherever I end up even if its not the place I had intended to go as the destination.
“It’s not the destination, it’s the journey”.
You may have heard the saying “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey”. It’s always kind of annoyed me because the journey normally means long plane rides, delays, layovers, canceled flights, etc., and I just want to get to the destination already and skip the “journey” part. It does not have to be that way at all. I prefer to think of the journey as an adventure and wherever I end up, even if it’s not the place I had intended to go, as the destination.
My latest surf adventure was by boat with 3 girlfriends, a cooler full of beer, a comically large quiver of surfboards, and desire for right hand point breaks. We left not so bright and very early (4am) and loaded up the boat with all of our boards. We brought long boards, mid-length boards and short boards. The great thing about traveling with a boat full of women is that we are always prepared with stylish surf costumes, which explains the plethora of bikinis, leggings, rash guards, surf hats, and some surf sunglasses. Oh, and just in case, the snorkel, mask and fins. The boat ride took about an hour to reach the first place we wanted to check that none of us had surfed before. There was no one in the water and not much swell. We watched for a few moments and saw a couple waves that looked rideable. That was enough to get the stoke going and we got sunscreen on and jumped in.
The water was brilliantly blue and clear, and not long after we got to the line up, the first set of shoulder high waves rolled in. As we traded off waves, I looked around at the shoreline. Waterfalls trickling down the cliffside into an open beach cave. Not a soul around but us girls, and a feeling I hadn't felt in a while, the feeling of the unknown, surfing a new spot all alone in the Pacific with just your friends. It really didn't matter that the waves weren't perfect, because that is not what it is about. It was about the journey and sharing it with great friends enjoying each others company. The giggles came readily as we watched our friend scamper across the rocks to get a drink at the fresh water spring.
We surfed three spots that day. At one of the spots, two surfers paddled out to the boat as we were watching the waves. We took them off guard when they realized it was a boat full of surfer girls. We invited them on board and offered them a cold beer. They had been camping on the beach, obviously had not had much social contact with other humans, and were looking for some fish to buy. They invited us to lunch at their camp site and we politely declined. They looked like they had been there for a while and maybe hadn't seen many woman in a while either. Anyway, we had lunch plans already at a resort down the way.
At the next spot, we pulled out the long boards for a quick session before lunch. We hiked a few minutes walk through the jungle to a resort we knew about that serves up some tasty tacos and even tastier jalapeño margaritas. We witnessed a sweet, snuggly moment between a baby monkey and his mama on our way back to the boat. On our way home, we showed an expensive charter fishing boat that didn't seem to be having any luck how it was done by catching a yellow fin tuna on the handline and ate it for dinner that evening.
So, fellow surfer adventurers out there, pack up your bags, book a ticket, find some friends to bring along or meet some new ones on the way. There are waves breaking somewhere out there in this big old world with no one surfing them. What are you waiting for? Go start your journey and once find it don't tell anyone about your destination. Thanks for reading and feel free to share or comment. XOXO Coco
Check out this short clip of your trip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S40VAagppRw
SURFVIVING A FLAT SPELL
Growing up as a surfer in the Virgin Islands you experience a lot of days with no surf (flat spells). We could go weeks without waves. When the surf would finally come up I would find myself winded and tired after just a few hours of surfing. Flat spells not only took a toll on my physical body but my mental as well. When I first started surfing all I wanted to do was surf. I had to find another activity that would calm down my mind as well as keep me healthy, flexible and strong for surviving the flat spells. Here are the few things that have helped me over the years.
Growing up as a surfer in the Virgin Islands you experience a lot of days with no surf (flat spells). We could go weeks without waves. When the surf would finally come up I would find myself winded and tired after just a few hours of surfing. Flat spells not only took a toll on my physical body but my mental as well. When I first started surfing all I wanted to do was surf. I had to find another activity that would calm down my mind as well as keep me healthy, flexible and strong for surviving the flat spells. Here are the few things that have helped me over the years.
1. Healthy Diet
There is so much to be said about what we eat. I think the best thing would be to avoid processed foods as much as possible and try and eat as many veggies and greens as possible. My favorite way to eat my greens is in a smoothie I have 1 or 2 a day and it consists of 2 cups of spinach, frozen zucchini, cucumber, ginger and lime.
2. Exercise
Keep your body moving whether its running, swimming, walking whatever. I just joined a local gym where I live and have been going to a few workout classes a week. I have already seen a difference in my surfing and general well being so keep that body moving!
3.Yoga
Go to a yoga class a few times a week or practice at home. It does wonders for your body and mind. It's important to be flexible for surfing. I think yoga is the key to surfing and life. I discovered it during a flat spell and it felt like the missing piece of the puzzle. An aha moment for sure.
4. Get Massages
I am a massage therapist so of course I think this is important. What massage does for your body and mind is incredible especially if it is from a good therapist who you trust. They are life changing. Massage literally helps everything from flexibility to releasing tension and helping with self discovery. Try and get one once a month or more.
5. Watch Surf Videos
Get Inspired. If you longboard watch longboard videos, if you short board watch shortboard videos. Pay attention to their techniques in the videos and then try your version of it while you surf.
6. Mind Surf
This is my last tip and it might sound kind of funny but I do think it is very important. Try to visualize in your head what you want to see yourself doing on a wave. Whether its dropping into a perfect wave and riding it all the way to the beach or doing a turn floater or pulling into a barrel. See if you can see yourself on the wave. I do this a lot when I am running, walking or just watching the surf.
Ok those are my tips and what has helped me through my surfing journey. Surfing to me was everything it still is but my stoke has changed since becoming a mom. I used to be the first one in the water and the last one out. Now I only need a few waves and am happy to play on the beach with my daughter. I can't wait for the day when I can share surfing with her.
POP UP 101
How to pop up!
Are you interested in learning to surf but have never touched a surfboard before? Here are some tips that will help you to gain the strength, flexibility and balance you will need in the water to pop up into your surfing stance.
How to pop up!
Are you interested in learning to surf but have never touched a surf board before? Here are some tips that will help you to gain the strength, flexibility and balance you will need in the water to pop up into your surfing stance. Honestly ladies; even if you can already surf, but your pop up is not on point, it will become hindering to your surfing ability. Check out these tips and exercises. You can practice them at home and all you need is a yoga mat or towel.
Before we start practicing the pop up you need to find out if you are regular or goofy footed.
Some of you are probably wondering what this means, so let me explain. Regular footed means that you would surf with your left foot in front of your right foot, so that the right foot would be on the back of the board. A goofy footed surfer would be the opposite with the left foot on the back and the right foot in front. Don't worry, it is super easy to figure out, just stand normally with your feet hip distance apart, have a friend or spouse give you a gentle push forward from the center of your back. Which ever foot naturally goes forward is your dominant foot, the foot that will go to the back of the board. Now you are ready for pop up 101!
Beginner pop up techniques
We have come up with a few different techniques for getting to your feet. Pease try out each technique and see what works best for you.
Knees
Ok so for the first technique you will lay face down on your mat; we are going to pretend our yoga mat is our surfboard. Place your hands under your shoulders on the mat and scoot your knees forward to all fours position. From here you will slide your front foot between your hands, and then step up and plant your back foot. This version works for people who may have tight hips and need a little more time getting stable on the board. Remember, your surf stance should be with your toes facing the side of the board or mat but positioned in the middle of the board with knees bent & looking forward. NOT your feet in a skiers stance and NOT a warrior 2 yoga stance.
Front foot first…
The next technique, you will come to lying again on your belly, keeping your elbows in close to your side, press your arms straight, and swing your front foot forward between you hands, then plant your back foot. Always keeping a bend in the knees once you have gotten up to both feet and again looking forward.
Back foot first…
For this one you will lay face down again, bend your back knee and then plant your back foot, step the front foot forward. For those of you with long legs this can be a great technic for you to get to your feet. Stay low, bending in the knees and head lifting up to looking forward.
Pro pop up
If you can, this is the best version of the pop up, the tricky part to popping up this way is that since you are getting to your feet too fast, they may not be in the correct place on the board. If you can practice at home, pay attention to foot placement.
What are the steps to a great pop up.
Speed
Firstly, you need to have speed before you can pop up, making sure you have a good strong paddle and getting some forward momentum. You can’t pop up if you can’t catch a wave, so you need to be able to catch a wave.
When to pop up
When you are first learning, your pop up is different then if you are an intermediate or advanced surfer. Because you are just beginning, it is not necessary to pop up right away. Once you have felt the wave hit you and you are moving forward, you have caught the wave. This is when you want to pop up using whichever technique you have practiced.
If you are an intermediate or advanced surfer you will want to pop up on the top of the wave, as soon as you catch it, pop up right to your feet. Not while dropping down the face and not at the bottom of the wave.
Hand placement
When popping up, place your hands on the deck (the top of the surfboard). Make sure your hands are under your shoulders and that you apply equal weight to each hand as press your arms straight and pop up.
Flexibility in the hips
This is a tough one for a lot of people so here are a few poses you can practice on land to help lossen up your hips.
1. Figure four pose is a great pose to begin opening the hips. Against a wall if your hips are really tight.
2. Pidgeon pose for people with a bit more flexibility. Hold the poses on each side for 3-5 minutes.
Arm Strength
Popping up on land and yoga push ups are great practice to building up the strength you need to pop up and to paddle. The more you practice before-hand, the easier it will be for you when you try on the board. Doing push ups on your knees is a great place to start and gradually making your way to a full push up.
Foot placement
When you are practicing your pop ups on land try to make sure your feet are a little wider than hip distance apart. Each time you pop up, keep your feet in the center of your yoga mat and make sure to land in that same spot each time. When you are ready to get in the water and surf for the first time, you need to be lying correctly on your board so that when you get to your feet they are in the right spot. We call this spot the sweet spot. You are positioned so that the board is flat in the water. If you are too far forward on the front of the board, the nose will go under. If you are to for back, the nose will go up in the air.
Thanks for reading everyone please feel free to contact me if you have any questions sistersurfcr@gmail.com. Pura Vida , Coco
TRAVELING TO COSTA RICA? WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Costa Rica travel info:
We all know traveling to a new country by yourself can be a bit intimidating, so I thought I would share with you all some insight on how to prepare for your trip and what to expect when you arrive.
Costa Rica travel info:
We all know traveling to a new country by yourself can be a bit intimidating, so I thought I would share with you all some insight on how to prepare for your trip and what to expect when you arrive.
Travel info:
Liberia airport (LIR) is the closest airport to fly into if you are coming to Playa Grande. It is only an hour drive from La Marejada hotel. There are more and more airlines that are flying to LIR now and direct flights from Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and the Mid-west.
You cannot fly into Costa Rica on a one-way ticket, when you check in for your flight they will ask you to show proof of departure back to your home country. I am guessing most of you are flying on a round trip ticket but if not, you can book a flight with American airlines and cancel for a full refund within 24 hours.
Visa Info:
American and Canadian Citizens do not need to get travel visa for Costa Rica, when you go through customs the normally will write in 90 days as a tourist in the country. The Customs officers will ask you your occupation, how long you are staying the county and where you are staying (La Marejada Hotel in Playa Grande.
The hotel:
La Marejada is located in the town of Playa Grande. La Marejada is an eight-bedroom boutique hotel, each room has air conditioning and hot water. The hotel has a pool, yoga space, restaurant and a full bar and is just a few minutes’ walk from the beach.
Playa Grande:
The town of Playa Grande is tiny, if you blink you will miss it. We have a few small grocery stores, a school and a handful of restaurants and surf shops. A lot of the people who live here are expats surfers from all over the World. The community welcomes tourism with open arms and people always seem to be coming back here year after year. Both the laid back vibe and the great surf are the main draw to visit Playa Grande.
The Beach:
The beach is 3 minutes from the hotel, if you wanted to you could walk on the beach for 7 miles. We surf a few different waves along the beach depending on swell size and direction. All the waves we surf break on sand and in the dry season the water is crystal clear.
The Weather
We have two seasons here in Playa Grande, dry season (December – April) and wet season (May – November. Dry season is also summer, blue skies every day, high 90’s and very dry. Wet season expect rain every afternoon, the most rain fall in September and October. Pack lightly or if you need help check out our blog on what to pack for a surf retreat.
Getting around:
Even though Spanish is the main language in Costa Rica, a lot of people speak English as well. Especially in the beach towns and in tourist areas. It doesn’t hurt to brush up on your Spanish before your trip as the locals love it when you try to speak and most the time people will correct or help you out. Pura Vida is the saying here in Costa Rica meaning pure life.
US dollars are excepted here but for a better exchange rate especially in the smaller Tico shops you may want Colones. The exchange rate is around 590 colones to the US Dollar. Its best to travel with small bills as well because some places don't always have change.
A day in the life:
Our day to day schedule revolves around the surf conditions. We try to make a point to watch sunset every night, the sunsets here are so beautiful the whole town goes to watch. Here is an idea of what a typical day would look like. (check out our Instagram for the latest pics @sistersurfcr)
6:30 Coffee/ small breakfast
7:00 intro to surfing
7:30 Surf
10:00 Breakfast
11.30 Video Coaching or Classroom session
1:00 Lunch
4:00 Yoga
5:30 Sunset
6:30 Dinner
LETTING GO OF FEAR
Fear comes to people in all different ways in surfing. It may be just diving under a wave for the first time, or fear of turtle rolling or a fear of wiping out and getting hurt. As surf instructors, these are things we can teach and guide you through.
I chose fear as my first blog topic because….
Fear is what holds me back the most in my surfing. I recently pulled back on three super sick waves (that for some reason I cant get out of my mind, I just keep playing them in my head on repeat)
I feel if you aren't putting yourself in a position where you are getting out of your comfort zone, you aren't going to improve, not just in surfing, but in other aspects of life as well.
Fear comes to people in all different ways in surfing. It may be just diving under a wave for the first time, or fear of turtle rolling or a fear of wiping out and getting hurt. As surf instructors, these are things we can teach and guide you through. However, when you begin surfing on your own, the best advice I can give you is to COMMIT! Commit to dropping in, to paddling out, commit to getting out your comfort zone and take a few wipeouts. Most the time it’s really not that bad, and believe it or not, sometimes it’s good to just get worked and get it out of the way.
Every time you hesitate in surfing you get WORKED! Hesitation is your enemy, and for some reason, the waves I let pass by or chicken out on are the ones that I can’t seem to forget. It doesn’t matter if you are catching a one foot wave or a eight foot wave, find your inner beast and go for it, let go of the fear and COMMIT.
Here is a super sick wave I should have easily pulled into and gotten spat out of, and fortunately, it’s caught on film so I can watch how I chickened out over and over.
A few things to help you let go of your fear:
If you can, surf with a buddy! Having someone at a similar level as you will help in the water. You can push each other in a positive way.
Choose your waves wisely, don't catch the first wave of the set! If you get out to the line up and realize it is way, way too big for you, don't worry, wait for the sets to roll by, then paddle inside as fast as you can and try and catch a smaller wave to shore.
Know your surroundings. Before you paddle out, look for rips or channels. Take a moment to observe where the sets are breaking. Watch the waves for a bit and then make a plan.
Surf etiquette - make sure you know and understand the rules out there in the line up.
Just because all the surfers are on one peak doesn't always mean that's where you should surf (especially at beach breaks). Lots of times the waves are just as good or better right up or down the beach.
Don't forget to communicate in the line up. Even if you are just a beginner surfer, when you have the right of way, don't let people bully you out of waves. Simply say “I am going…” and yell out the direction you are going. A smile and hello in the line up goes a long way. Hoot for people that get sick waves!
Lastly, we are all out surfing because we love it right? The goal is to have fun! So get out there and catch some waves.
SURF & YOGA RETREAT: PACKING LIST
I’m heading to Costa Rica next week for our November surf & yoga retreat and have been thinking a lot about packing for my trip. Mastering “the packing” of a surf trip can be tricky business! How do you know what to bring & not to overpack! Even still I usually come home thinking that I could have packed lighter ( but its so hard with so many cute bikinis!!) So I would like to share with you my go to Costa Rica surf & yoga trip essentials.
Chelsea talking
I’m heading to Costa Rica next week for our November surf & yoga retreat and have been thinking a lot about packing for my trip. Mastering “the packing” of a surf trip can be tricky business! How do you know what to bring & not to over pack! Even still I usually come home thinking that I could have packed lighter ( but its so hard with so many cute bikinis!!) So I would like to share with you my go to Costa Rica surf & yoga trip essentials.
BIKINIS
Bikinis are always the first thing i think about when getting ready for my trip. It’s just hard to choose which ones to bring! Lol. My number one rule when buying suits is they have to be comfortable, cute and stay on while surfing. I normally pack twice as many tops than bottoms because I use them for yoga tops too! on this trip I'm bringing 4 surf bikinis, 1 lounging bikini and 1 long sleeve one piece suit. The long sleeve one piece suits are the best for keeping it all in and not getting terribly sun burnt for those mid day surf sessions! It is baking hot in the middle of the day in Costa Rica so its nice to stay covered.
Healthy & Reef Safe Sunscreen
Spending most of my time outdoors sunscreen plays a huge part in my everyday life and over the years I have really learned a lot about what kind of sunscreens we should be using. Our skin is the largest organ on our bodies and we should be lathering it up with yummy chemical free & reef safe sunscreens! It's estimated that each year 14,000 tons of sunscreen lotions end up in the coral reefs, causing coral bleaching and harming marine life. Many popular sunscreens sold world wide contain ingredients that aren’t only toxic to the environment, but also toxic to people, like Oxybenzone which is a chemical most commonly found in these sunscreens and a huge contributor to killing reefs around the world. We need to do our part to treat our oceans & our bodies kindly. Avasol and Raw Elements are a couple sunscreens that I love, work great and smell delicious!
SARONGS
For me sarongs are just the best! they pack small and can be used for almost everything ( beach towel, shade maker, skirt, dress) the list goes on! If I had to I'm pretty sure i could survive my whole trip just wearing the sarong. If you don’t have one already there are lots of cute ones to be found here, so no worries!
Actual CLOTHING
Usually i pack a cute dress ( the long one in the picture is my favorite handmade by Ranifly ) Yoga pants, couple tank tops and comfy shorts. Anything light and flowy are the best for here in November.
DIVA CUP
Ok so here we are at the “diva cup” conversation! Haha! I do have to admit it was pretty hard for Coco & Marjie to get me on board with this whole diva cup idea….But yes they were absolutely right I love it ( especially for surfing )!! They are easy to travel with and no more worrying about anything hanging out from your bikini!!!! Not to mention not adding to the huge amount of single use waste in this world! If your feeling up to it I highly recommend giving this product a go!
HYDRO FLASK
There is good drinking water here in Playa Grande so i always bring my refillable water bottle! It keeps your water ( or margaritas ) ice cold which is key in these hot places!! And as always trying to use less single use plastics to keep the oceans clean and animals safe! Playa Grande is a National Park for the leather back turtles, we have to do our part to keep these beautiful creatures coming back here year after year to nest! Defiantly a MUST bring.
OTHER THINGS
Leave in conditioner & water proof mascara to keep from looking too salted!!! And I always bring oil of oregano to keep any sickness or infection away ( this is always my number 1 go to ) along with the trustee Ibuprofen for any minor injuries/pains… Also if you are sensitive to bug bites i recommend bringing some benadryl.
Thanks for reading and i hope this can help some of you ladies pack for a surf trip feeling a little more prepared and STOKED! If you have any awesome travel packing tips please leave a comment! I would love to hear about them.