Dominical Surf - Costa Rica’s Sleepy Surfing Hide-away.

The sleepy town of Dominical sits nestled where the Talamanca mountain range plunges into the Pacific. Waterfalls spill over onto the beaches, and the waves lap up the fresh water with vigor. Dominical is accessible by a dirt and gravel road from Manuel Antonio - about an hours drive, which is then paved all the way to San José. You can drive in, just prepare for less than ideal road conditions. I’ve done the drive from Jaco Beach at night, and got two flat tires on the way. You can also get a quick shuttle flight into nearby Quepos with SANSA or NatureAir. Dominical is about 45 minutes south of the town of Quepos.

Playa Dominical offers up some fairly powerful beach break with lefts and rights. It’s a pretty consistent break, best at mid to high tide. The northern end of the beach is handles bigger sets and the southern is a bit mellower. So, better for intermediate surfers. The wave is comparable to Playa Hermosa, although not quite as steep, to the north about 2 hours or more… That being said, these are performance waves and you can push your limits here when the swell hits. You can expect mellower crowds and a more relaxed overall vibe at the Domincal surfing beaches.

When the swell gets bigger, Playa Dominical beach break closes out. When this happens you can still find surf just to the south at the point break. The point there is capable of handling waves when everything else in the area is closed out. Serious surfers come here to challenge themselves and avoid the Hermosa crowds.

The Dominical surf vibe is more relaxed and this small laid back town offers all kinds of places to eat, bars, and a pretty fun nightlife. All this nestled in a lush tropical rainforest setting, on the edge of a beautiful, pristine coastline. What else do you want?

Surfboards - What to Bring?

Bring what you normally ride.

Ok, that being said, there are a couple things to consider. First, are you bringing more than one board? Connecting flight? How long is your lay-over? Glassed on fins or removable? Longboard or shortboard? Got an extra $150 bucks for oversize baggage? Taking a domestic connecting flight? Consider these questions. You may not have a double board bag, or have a board with glass on fins that needs extra packing. Longboards might go over your airlines size limit– this stuff changes so check your airline. And, finally, check out your connection time and make sure that it isn’t too tight and your boards miss the flight. It’s happened to people I know. Idiots. Fuck them. Just kidding.

WARNING! Oversize surfboard baggage fees have changed! pay as much as $600! Please read this and don’t get stuck paying more than your seat fare for your boards. Read about what happened to me last time I went to Mexico. Be warned - check your airline website first.

What I’m getting at here is this: Maybe you want to pick up something once you arrive, new or used, or if you’re a beginner, just rent one when you need it. Maybe your whole trip isnt only a surf trip, and you plan to check out one of the volcanoes - Arenal is a worthwhile trip - do some hiking and maybe white water rafting etc. Then, it might not be worth the hassle of wrestling with a board every time you move, and it’s simply easier to rent one. if you’re a beginner, you might want to see if you like surfing before you drop $600 on a shiny new stick. You never know - it’s possible that you’ll hate surfing. You decide.

Now, if you’re an experienced surfer, and you’re single minded in your purpose (most surfer’s have th blinders on when they go to Costa Rica - I admit that I do), then you should bring some kind of a shortboard. Something in the 6′0″ to 6′8″ size, probably a thruster or a fish. Surfboards in this range are generally all you’ll need for an average day in most spots. Beachbreaks on the Pacific side are not incredibly powerful in general (compared to Hawaii) and you will get a lot of good waves with a board like that.

Bring a second board or buy one there. Chances are, you will be glad. I suggest bringing something with a rounded pintail in the 6′6″ to 6′10″ range for bigger, hollower days. When the surf gets bigger, and when the beach breaks get hollow with offshores (note: dry season in Guanacaste offshores prevail) it helps to have a little extra length, and get into the waves faster. When its hollow and fast - a board made for fast beach break will be a lifesaver to get you down the line and into the barrel, instead of behind the lip every time you take off.

Here’s my suggestion:

Shortboard: 6′0″ - 6′6″, 2 3/8, 18 3/4

Rounded Pin: 6′6″-6′10″, 2 1/8, 18 1/4

I dont really ever ride longboards, cheaters, or retro shapes. So if that’s your game - bring it! I still recommend a 6′8″ shortboard for the bigger hollower days in the beachbreak. Its just too much work to try and turtle dive the cumbersome old longboards when conditions are like that. Unless you’re a pro of course.

Going to the Caribbean side? Bring the rounded pin! Don’t say I didn’t tell you!

Air Travel Within Costa Rica

SANSA and NatureAir are the two domestic airlines that operate within Costa Rica. A short flight to your surf destination can make a lot of sense and is pretty inexpensive. Both airlines are basically comparable with a few subtle differences which we will explain.

SANSA and NatureAir fly from two different airports near San José to many different locations around the country. Their respective rates, equipment, routes and schedules are virtually the same, and we’ve had reasonably good experiences with both. You may benefit from better customer service (en Inglesa) from NatureAir, and conversely you might save a buck or two with SANSA.

Short-haul domestic flight fares are relatively inexpensive, ranging from $40-$90 each way plus airport taxes and fuel surcharges- additional $8-$18. Either of the two airlines will get you to the same outlying destination, originating from San José. However, NatureAir now also offers flights leaving from Tamarindo and Quepos to some of the outlying areas.

SANSA primarily use new 14 passenger Cessna 208-B Grand Caravans. The SANSA fleet is air-conditioned and has comfortable leather seats. One consideration is the surfboard allowance; each flight can handle a maximum (per flight) of 2 surfboards under 6’9” for $10 each way. Luggage allowance is 27lbs per passenger including carry-ons and you will be charged $1/lb if you go over. The Airline has the right to refuse luggage if they feel there is a safety concern.

NatureAir primarily flies 19 passenger Twin Otter DHC6 300 Vistaliner aircraft, but also have other planes which can accommodate up to 46 passengers. Each passenger is allowed 25 pounds of baggage, including carry-ons. Surfboards are subject to space availability and you may be asked to pay an additional service charge.

Both SANSA and NatureAir also offer charter services to all of the airports they normally serve plus others smaller airports that operate without regularly scheduled flights. SANSA offers lockers in their terminal at Juan Santamaría airport, a service that the main international terminal doesn’t provide.