We plan a quick overnight stop in Liberia at the Hotel Guanacaste where we arrange for a rental car with the same company we used last time (Poas). Of course it was a struggle to get the same rate, but eventually they conceded and we ended up with the exact same car - our little Daihatsu Terios (we had installed foam for surfboards on the roof rack which were still there). We are joined by a woman we met at our hotel who is headed to Nicoyo - no need for her to take a bus as we will drive right through the town on our way to Nosara. She was a very interesting woman, originally from Venezuela but considered herself Italian and adopting many American ways after having lived in the states for a few years, especially the individuality concept (doing what makes you happy, individual thought and opinion rather than the collective or communal existence - whether family or government). it is always intriguing to hear how Americans and our customs are interpretted by people from other countries. In this instance we certainly agreed with her interpretation.
Then it was on to Nosara where I was going to look into some surf classes at a school that came highly recommended by a another very interesting young woman I met in Leon (by the way - THANKS Carrie for the recommendation!). Innocent Surf School had a very professional way of teaching. They taught skills, did video analysis etc. - not just your ordinary surf school where pushing you to stand was the standard. The plan was to go out one day and if they were as good as recommended then maybe a few more lessons after that.
We had only spent one day in Nosara last time we were in Costa Rica and that was at Playa Pelada. Nosara is generally more expensive than the other beach towns, exclusive is I think what they may prefer to say. There is only a very small town, and a couple of blocks of tourist shops. Most of the accommodations are nestled in the jungle found down various meandering dirt roads that you can easily get lost on. After a lot of searching we found a room at the beautiful Kaya Sol. We had the cheapest room in the place - only $25 a night with a kitchen but no bathroom. The shared bathroom we were to find out was shared with the bar/restaurant and each morning there was a variety of empty beer bottles and other trash in the shower ... what were they doing in there?
But our room was spacious located right in front of a refreshing pool and the location could not be beat - a mere 3 minute walk on a jungle trail through a private reserve to the beach and the beachbreak right there!
One afternoon while lounging by the pool John caught this vibrant iguana as he was taking a dip in the pool - actually they were both taking a swim! His diet must be based on some lush greenery as his coat was almost lime green!
Monday morning we hit the surf for a great morning session. That afternoon I decided to work on some skills before my class on Tuesday. John called it cramming for a test. My class was with Rue and just one other student. We were going to work on wave selection and placement - finding that sweet spot for take-off. We spent most of the lesson getting tips, better paddle efficiency, better turtle skills, looking behind while paddling, and paddling towards the sweet spot (otherwise known as heading right into harms way). There is a saying I am told "There are only 2 types of surfers the hunters and the hunted" - and we were to start hunting out waves! I only caught one wave but after Rue left us for his next class I stayed in the water and managed to take a few crashes - which meant I got into the steep section but just didn't manage the take-off.
Day 2 - video analysis sounds like it could be a great tool once you get beyond the embarrassment of all those bad little habits caught on film. There were three of us this time and we had 45 minutes in the water. Pressure was on as to get the most out of the session you need to catch as many waves as possible. So that meant no waiting the set out if on the inside - you just had to keep paddling, turtling, duck diving whatever it took to get back out there. Before I went out Rue had given me a brief instruction on proper stance for maximum control. Needless to say, it was not my ordinary stance. The session went well and we all got some great waves, and great tips on what we could have done better. Yeah, I know this pic is not me, but check out the perfect right!
That afternoon I went out to accomplish some tarea (homework). The waves were all jacked up. Peaking all over the place. Big swells, only 5 second intervals - essentially a big mess. But I managed to catch a couple of good rides and John caught them on video so we could see how I did. That evening the storm revealed itself in a downpour that lasted several hours. Have you ever slept in a room with a tin roof during a thunderstorm and pouring rain? Loud just doesn't adequately describe the experience.
Day 3 - my last lesson. Today we implement the tips from yesterday. Unfortunately the waves are quite small so its a little hard to judge what effect the new stance will have on steeper waves. But I catch lots of waves, on a smaller board than usual 7'10". And later in the session I trade boards with another student and caught some waves on a 6'8" the smallest board I have ever rode. Overall I cannot praise Innocent Surf School enough. They were fantastic! Not only did I figure out my bad form but I also managed to get out on a shorter board and get more comfortable hunting those waves. MUCHAS GRACIAS RUE AND INNOCENT SURF!
