2022 just went away some days ago. I’m going to miss it because a lot of cool stuff happened. I went to serve overseas, found a nice spot for my SUP tours, and met many nice people.
I expect 2023 to be a great year, but it will be hard for the new year to compete with the one that just passed.
I will share a glimpse of what happened to me this last year. then I’ll share with you what are my projects for this new year. I hope you like it.
I am excited because July and August are just around the corner. These months mark the holiday season in Europe and many Europeans take a few days to visit Costa Rica. In addition, many French people come by the hundreds to Santa Teresa and the Nicoya area.
How the weather conditions and the seasons affect the surfing scene is a really interesting topic. Every surf instructor should be aware of the conditions of the beach after a storm or a long period without rain. Local weather conditions are not enough but checking these at a regional level is important because swells formed away from land inside the ocean.
The first rains are coming this month of May and I got the message: the summer season is gone.
The green season is just around the corner and with it, chirping birds come back to the mornings. Insects get out of the ground after being buried for months. Fresh afternoons with drinking tea while rains. Cold nights watching TV while being sheltered inside a blanket. I’m sure you get the idea.
I had this dream that someday I would be able to surf with my grandchildren.
My son Liam had spent some time in Santa Teresa and thought it might be a good place for us to visit and learn to surf. He called around and asked for the best recommendation for a surf. Through all the recommendations one surf instructor stood out as exceptional in teaching individuals how to surf.
Just some days ago I received the visit of Shelan and Jesse for a surf lesson. Lovely couple, it was a pleasure to meet them and the lessons went smoothly. I hope they enjoyed the lesson as I did.
Before and after the lesson Shelan take some pictures of his partner and some of me. The photos are amazing and I asked her if she was a full-time photographer.
With a reputation of being rude, french people are often portrayed in the media as not caring about making friends. Nothing can be further from reality, because the french appreciate friendship over anything else.
The Asociacion de Surf de Mal Pais y Santa Teresa is organizing a surf tournament this Saturday, January 29th. In fact, it will be a team tournament. The competition location will be El Carmen beach and is going to use a very inclusive format.
In this line of work, we are used to receiving any kind of people. I do not make any distinction when it comes to surf lesson requests, I like to treat people as my equals.
Still, some days ago I received a special petition, one I never received before. It was a couple with a nineteen years old son who has autism. I accepted the request, and I prepare myself for the 4 lessons booked. To be honest I was having doubts about my own decision because I have no previous experience with people with autism.
This year, the high season seems to be coming earlier than other years. The rain is scarce, the grey clouds sometimes show up but they quickly go away and the winds are getting stronger. It is not the weather that tells me the high season is here already, but the people who start to come to Santa Teresa, from all around the world.
This time I received good friends Kush and Vanessa! Both are passionate fans of photography.
Continue reading Starting the high season, with very nice friends
