Just around the southern point of Nosara’s most famous surf spot Playa Guiones is the normally calm-watered fisherman’s bay of Playa Garza. A substantial reef lies a few hundred meters from the shoreline, creating a natural harbor perfect for fishing boats to tie up after long days at sea. While recording this, it seemed all the boats were at bay for the day although it was still early afternoon. Ocean conditions were critical and can change quickly this time of year leading to many boat captains choosing to stay in rather than risk their safety or possibly losing their boat. Most local surfers of Garza are the sons of these fishermen and wasted no time taking full advantage of their father’s misfortune. Accompanied by a few carloads of surfers and instructors from other beaches, these locals enjoyed over head waves just 6 meters from the shoreline.

Costa Rican hero Carlos Munoz made the most of the swell and caught some heavy barrels in his current backyard at Playa Hermosa.

As an entire country, Costa Rica is roughly three times smaller than the state of Florida. Although its size difference in relation to most nations around the globe is dramatically inferior… what it boasts is the worlds highest ratings of bio diversity in climate variations as well as plant and animal species. Every region of Costa Rica is different, and each beach has its own reaction to large swells or any swell for the matter. Keeping your eye on conditions and swell directions will help in knowing at which breaks you want to be and when. Here’s a screen grab from a Nosara-based search via Surfline.com today.