Surfer Dies at Playa Negra

Hey and thanks to anyone reading this. I made it, the waves are huge, and I just surfed the rivermouth at Tamarindo. It was the only place I really felt comfortable paddling out to, considering the huge swell that has arrived and what happened Sunday to a very experienced surfer. He died after he hit his head on the rocks at Playa Negra. He had three young children.

So, that was not the best way to start off, no? Okay, happy thoughts are what we need. Picture my face as we were flying into Liberia yesterday and I looked down to see the wide expanse of the Pacific and saw it. Witch´s rock! Someone sitting right behind me on the airplane said, LOOK AT THAT! THE WAVES LOOK HUGE!

Good God. I´m toast.

Helen was there at the terminal, and that was a happy moment indeed. We had not seen each other in over a decade. We talked for four solid hours. When we got to the beach it was like a dream. The water was green, the waves were crashing at high tide and surfers were everywhere. This scene now looks like Ft. Lauderdale. I think we passed 40 surf shops. It is out of control. Surfing has taken hold of this place like a plague.

We were starving, so she took me to her restaurant where we had the best shrimp tacos EVER. We were right on the ocean and could see the surfers out, the afternoon sun sparkling like diamonds. In front of the restaurant it was manageable. She told me that Manuel said that on Sunday the rivermouth was the best he´s seen it break in three years. She also said that the best surfer in Tamarindo, Roche, said yesterday was insane. He took out his big board and hurt his back getting drilled by a huge one. I know what I can handle. I am not ready for this. But, it was pretty amazing this morning.

We never paddled out that first afternoon, stuffed from the good food and so tired. Plus, her reading me the current swell conditons of 8 to 12 feet had me intimidated and nervous. But this morning we were up at the crack of dawn, headed for Avellanas.

I was scared just standing on the beach.

There were about four guys out, but we never saw them take any. I was trembling just looking at the shorepound. We saw some guys down at Little Hawaii, so we walked down there, but it was even scarier. Some guys had the guts to drop in, and when they did it was double overhead plus.

This made me think that New Zealand came to me.

Helen told me that these huge waves were from a huge system off the southeast coast of New Zealand.

So, we went back to the rivermouth. She didn´t want any pàrt of it, but it looked smaller, even fun, and more managable to me. Once I got out there, my heart was in my throat on some of the drops. There were about eight of us at first, but the number quickly grew. I made myself take the bigger ones after I scoped it out. What a rush that was! The water was warm and the waves groomed and glassy from the light offshores.

The tide will be getting better for Playa Grande soon, so hopefully the waves will get small enough for Helen to paddle out with me for some shreddable fun. Today was more of a big drop and race to the finish. The Firewire was in its element! My first session was a blast!

More to come...