At long last I am happy to announce that we're live for the surf retreats in SW Costa Rica this winter! The retreats will be held at me and my brother's property, Rancho Diandrew, which is situated up a quiet jungle mountainside above the village of Uvita, near the geographical wonder that is the Whale's Tail (Bahia Ballena). We tested out a mock retreat last March and I was pleased to find that we are able to access so many different kinds of waves in a 10 minute to 2 hour car drive from base. We were joined by eternal grommet, Bryan Doring, who features in the video below (red shorts/yellow board). Note the difference between his wave at Achote pre coaching and then his wave at Matapalo post coaching. Bryan was able to smooth out his style and learned to draw longer lines.
These trips are all about surfing and improving your surfing through coaching, video, and sheer water time. There is a yoga deck on the property and we will have some casual stretching sessions, but we really want to focus on the discipline of reading and riding waves. Each camp is a week a long -- if you want to sign up for two that can be discussed -- and includes transportation, food, lodging, and coaching while on site, i.e., you have to pay for your own airfare and travel to camp and food whilst off camp, but everything at camp is included. The itinerary of each week will depend on tides, swells, and weather conditions, and we will work to get everyone on board with the surf forecasting tools that we use.
All boards will be provided, and we will have a range of boards from fishes to single fins to tanker logs. You're welcome to bring your own boards of course. Both Jet Blue and American have decent rates, so remember this when booking your ticket. Jet Blue is $50 per board -- they will open your bag -- and is the best deal if you're only bringing one board. American is $150 per bag -- they don't care how many boards you have -- and is the best deal if you want to bring three or more boards. Try to book the flights that arrive in San Jose Int'l Airport before or around 12p. It takes about 3 hours to get to Rancho Diandrew from the airport. There is a bus that arrives in Uvita or you can arrange for a mini bus or take a taxi. You'll also want to leave on a midday or, even better, afternoon flight. If you leave on a morning flight it's best to book at hotel room in San Jose the night previous. We can help you sort all of this out.
Space is going to be very coveted and limited for these so please get in touch asap so that we can arrange your dates and the deposit. Simply email conatussurfclub@gmail.com to set it up.