ABOUT COSTA RICA
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Costa Rica is a small country, about the size of the state of Virginia. It's very large, however, in its appeal to visitors. The appeal begins with friendly, always smiling, local people known as Ticos. The people in Costa Rica are genuinely hospitable and happy. They truly take a "pure life" attitude toward living, hence the coined expression "pura vida." Add beautiful landscapes and lush tropical forests to the mix, and you start to realize what everyone's talking about. Combine those with warm water and incredibly consistent surf, and you'll realize you've finally found paradise.

The sun rises in Costa Rica around 5:15 a.m., and sets around 5:30 p.m. Water temperatures range between 76-80 degrees F. all year. Air temperatures are usually 80-90 degrees F. on average and dip down to a balmy 75 degrees at night. Wind conditions are generally "off-shore" in the morning, and turn to a light "on-shore" until the mid to late afternoon glassy, "off-time" arrives (very similar to California conditions in the summer months). During December and January, the wind can blow "off-shore" all day long.

The two main seasons are wet and dry. The wet season is from April to mid-November with rains usually in the afternoon to cool off the ground temperature. May through June can get sticky at times with high humidity, but night showers cool off the jungle. Sometimes in July there is a period the Costa Ricans call their Indian Summer, where the rain will completely stop. September and October are truly the wet months when it can rain for days on end, making travel by road almost impossible in the jungle. During these two months, Safari Surf School closes as the ocean becomes unsafe with debris from the rainy days.

How's the surf, you ask? Well some of the most consistent surf can be found year-round between the Southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula to Playa Grande in the North. This stretch of shoreline focuses all possible swell directions and has enough break variety to satisfy any surfer at any skill level. Let's put it this way, there are few unsurfable days here. The biggest waves are during the Wet season (Southern Hemisphere swells). They average 4-10 feet. In the Dry season, 3-8 feet is the norm. The stretch of beach that Safari Surf School uses for their instructions is perfect for all levels of surfing-from beginning to advanced.

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