Surf Spot: Jaco Beach, Costa Rica
Jaco Beach Surfline: 3-4 ft. Light and variable west-northwest winds with smooth seas. Small long period swell from the southwest. 3ft @ 13s from SW (218). 1ft @ 6s from S (173). 1ft @ 11s from S (183). 1ft @ 5s from SSW (208).
Board: 8’6″ NSP surfboard.
Getting waves, paddling out, wiping out and experiencing the washing machine is all part of surfing. While anything other than getting waves have less appeal, they have their benefits – whether it is waking you up while you’re out at an early morning surf or toning your upper body with constant paddle outs. Today’s waves were particularly heavier than the last few days, with more sets and larger waves. While I’ve always prided myself in being a relatively good swimmer, it’s a question of how long you can hold your breathe under water and hop back on your board as soon as the waves mellow out. But while you’re out in the water, depending on where you are, you have two options to try to get past the washing machine.
Paddling Out
The most important thing about always watching the ocean behind you is you never know when a wave is coming. Especially when it looks like it’s going to break farther back than you expect it to, so you paddle out as fast as you can to get over the wave before it breaks on you and takes you on a whirlwind of a washing machine ride.
Ducking Under
Sometimes you never get to paddle out or realize that the waves are coming at you faster than you can paddle out, so you the next best thing to do is getting your body and your board under the momentum of the wave above the water as fast and as deep under as you can. By staying on top and letting the wave take you and your board back, can take you twice the effort and time to get back out to the break line. There are several ways to duck under with your board that I’ll talk about once I learn them all 
While I got hit in the head with the surfboard today, the only sensation you truly feel after your session is the one where you catch the perfect wave. Today, I rode my longest wave in and could care less about the pain of the impact. Tomorrow, there is a swell coming in and a contest happening right on Jaco Beach where I can watch all the local Costa Rican surfers do their thing. Del Mar Surf Camp’s surf instructor, Josymar Fuentes is taking part and has been for the last few years – here’s to hoping he brings it home.
Pura Vida.
#1 by Vinny Verma on September 18, 2010 - 11:25 pm
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Reading your experiences in detail like this are unreal. Sounds like you’re having an incredible time.
It seems like this new gig is going to give you a beautiful work life balance.
#2 by Darren on September 20, 2010 - 11:52 am
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Hi Angie!
Sounds like you are having a great time and traveled well from California to Costa Rica! Isn’t it great learning how to surf and all the wonderful life lessons that go with it? We’re all looking forward to your return trip through San Fran so you can show us how you have become a little surf shredder!
All the best to you at Del Mar Surf Camp.
Darren