Costa Rica: Guaranteed Wind

[bobbyboom]

I just got back from 12 days of pure joy kiting my ass off in Playa Copal, Costa Rica. I kept seeing the banner ad on ikitesurf "guaranteed wind" and thought, "I have to check this out." My wife got into windsurfing this year as did I to kiteboarding and we are totally addicted, just like all of you!

My wife and I went to La Ventana in November, which is early for the season, but got skunked half the days we were there. This was NOT the case in Costa Rica. We had wind every day, all day and most every night!

First off i want to give a HUGE thanks to Jeff and Emily from www.kitewindsurf.com for organizing everything. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left they were so amazing!

I will post more on my blog later, but I wanted to say that I got to kite for about 5 - 6 hours a day and my arms are about ready to fall off. The wind is up and down so it's best to bring your full quiver as those who didn't were bummed that they didn't have the right kite. Mostly I was on my 10m Vegas (I weight 165 lbs.) but also rode my 14m a few times and my 8m a few times, too. The time spent in Playa Copal was, to say the least, very special. We met some of the coolest people ever. There is only one restaurant called Kite & Dine headed up by a cool Austrian guy named Ulf. Many days on the water there were only about 5 - 8 kites at most there were about 12. If you're looking for dedicated time on the water this is a great spot. It took me about 2 days to get used to the conditions as I had never sailed in wind that strong, but after a few sessions it became pretty familiar.

I saw the Kite Wind Surf crew teach about 6 people how to kite from scratch in 3 days and these guys were going up wind! Damn, in 3 days, that was pretty freaking sweet! One guy, upon his first day going solo, kited over from Costa Rica to the other side of the bay in Nicaragua! This is a crazy story overall and one he promised to write into the kiteboard magazines about becuase it was classic, scary and freaking funny as hell!

It's good to be back, but I'd rather be on the water or up at Ulf's eating dinner with the crew. More to come. Here's a few phots:

For more info on Playa Copal check it out Here

Paradise:










images courtesy of Emily from Kite Wind Surf

-Bobby

[Greg]

It's nice to hear that wind can be guarenteed.. Here in Abaco NUTHING is fo-sur! I like to refer to this place a land of contrast where days are often black and white.
One day, you can be standing in a major down pour bathed in pure sunshine, the setting sun is absolutly amazing on dayz like that! Next day it could be hot and still and sticky, absolutly perfect for waterskiing then as the front passes WHAMO wind starts cranking making the palms twist and groan. Next day or two might be perfect kiting conditions but you can never tell, could be too windy.
Thermal wind simply dosn't exist around here, our wind events are just that events. We get our winter winds from cold fronts or in some cases warm fronts. Cold air is solid and punchy, often large cold fronts blow for days and nights on end from 20 to 40 kts. Warm fronts usually are more condensed, they blow hard for a bit as thunder heads move past, then die down then go again.. Sometimes they change directions in a matter of hours or minutes. The worst thing about warm fronts for me is the lack of power and consistancy...
So when a person chooses to vacation in a place like Abaco you can't get stuck on one plan, you must remain flexable. Thankfully Abaco has a few deversions like golf, tennis, BoneFishing etc... or the ever disirable Goombay Smash (the local drink). What I've recently learned is some major deep diving is happening right here!
About a month ago I was speaking with a fellow who he said he was into Free Diving. Now it turns out this guy is not your avarage Free Diver but some crazy world record chaser. Currently Mario's dives are over 200', he is said to have reached 230' and is looking forward to setting the new record at something over 280'. Now that sounds pretty nutz all by it's self but get this, he's holding his breath in the pool for over 5 minuts in meditation, YES- FIVE MINUTES!!! And when he does his dives he makes his attempt it will be in one of Abaco's famed bottomless Blue Hole's. THe Holes aren't actually bottomless but some are many-many hundreds of feet deep. One hole near by is only about 30' across but opens up to about 300' across as you go down. At about 75' there is a layer of sulferous sedimete to pass through, once past the sedimete the cave turns almost pitch black. At about 150' a hyro-cline changes from fresh water to salt water. THe hyro-cline requires divers to re-neutralize before going deeper into absolute blackness. THe Nitrox diver's major buzz is now going into full effect, complete weightlessness in pitch black while dealing with Narcosis. The effect is said to be like dropping into Outer-Space, sounds to me more like sliding into death!
So as time goes by and I learn more about my surroundings and it's inhabitants, I'm finding that I know so very little about life and even on little islands people can get really far out...
Enjoy,
L.M.G.

[bobbyboom]

What's up Greg! I hope you're enjoying your time there. Gauranteed wind is a blessing and a curse. Because that's what we went to do I did it every day all day! Other people would take some days off to recoup, but I just went for it. My body is definitely recovering as a result, but after 2 days home I'm almost ready for more! Frontal winds today in Alameda may be good to grab. I got me a hoodie, booties and gloves. No Costa Rica, but I'll take what I can get!

-Bobby

[Greg]

Bobby,
You said it, day after day kills ya! I don't often have to lay low around here becouse it rarely blows more then 4 days straight.
Today for example was a bust for kiting. I went to Pete's Pub to kite the S.E. winds, wind died to about 15kts (all I had was a 10m).
No worries!! I guy I helped along the way (fix a tire) told me about the secret access to Winding Bay. AWESOME FIND!!! No wind today but oooh man that place looks insain!!
So on I go, rambling away..
How was Crown, did it blow??
L.M.G.

[OliverG]

Bobby,

Nice pics, thanks for the post and write-up. Yes, winds are strong there and can be fierce at times. I remember the morning after I got there looking out on the bay and seeing the whitecaps, it looked almost like snow, just nuking! One day I was even totally blown off the water and ended up downwind after pulling my safety in an almost hectic situation, and that was on a 7m kite! Jeff and Emily are great hosts too, so I know everyone who's made it down there or who is going to, will be well taken care of. Not a bad way to make a living for them! :)