If you want to learn to surf…..

I remember when I decided to take up the “art” of surfing. I was excited…..well, exhilarated really. Challenging myself always pumped me up and surfing was something I had always wanted to do. For my surf vacation Nicaragua, I headed to San Juan del Sur, where they supposedly have pretty consistent waves all year round.

First, I talked to other beginners. San Juan del Sur has several surf beaches, so I needed help choosing the best spot to learn. I heard some bad stories about going to the other beaches where the skilled surfers go and getting yelled out of the water. Apparently some surfers take life way to seriously and don’t like beginners using their waves. Other problems included: not being able to catch a wave because it was too crowded, or getting hurt because they hadn’t learned enough to get out of a bad situation like another board bearing down on them.

Beginners and more advanced surfers were all in agreement on the same things: find the surf beach with the right waves for you, avoid the crowds, bring a friend and TAKE LESSONS!

Look for mushy waves. Pro surfers look for plunging waves. Those are the kind that happen when the swell comes out of deep water and hits a shallow sandbar or reef.  They break top to bottom and are faster and more challenging. Beginners should not look for the most famous surf spot in town to practice; that’s where the pros go. Inexperienced surfers should look for mushy, or slow-rolling waves. These waves are formed when a swell approaches a more gradual bottom contour. Mushy waves are the best for learning how to surf as quickly as possible.

Avoid the crowds. Don’t go to a crowded beach. Make sure you have enough space. Nothing can ruin your surfing day faster than a bunch of wave hogs who slice past you just to terrify you. If you can, look for a place that is big enough to have different kinds of waves and few people. That way you can practice your technique in various conditions. People kept mentioning Remanso Beach.

Bring a friend. Hopefully someone who surfs better than you do. As I said, surfing is tougher than it looks. You end up learning a lot just by watching and talking to other surfers. Sometimes it’s the best way to learn. In surfing, your skills are always at a certain level. When you see someone doing something you never thought of doing, then you try that and move to your next level. See how it works? If you’re serious about learning to surf, you’ll always be pushing yourself to the next level.

TAKE LESSONS, at least one.  If you want to learn as quickly as possible, you should take a few surf lessons. In San Juan del Sur, it typically costs $25 for a one-hour lesson that includes the board, transportion to and from the beach and a rashguard (to protect your virgin surf body).  I actually chose to stay at the Remanso Beach Lodge, which offered me an incredible surfing experience. It was such a good choice because I was really going on this “surf vacation Nicaragua” just to learn how to surf. Not only did I have a beautiful room only a one-minute walk to the ocean, but the food was great, there were other surfers staying there and we could surf all day, any day, anytime we wanted to! Remanso Beach Lodge also has a terrific onsite surf instructor so I was actually able to take several surf lessons during that week. They also rent boards and rashguards right there. Rather than going from town and hoping that the waves would be good, the instructor would just come to my room and get me when the waves were perfect for me. Can you imagine anything better than that? It’s surfer heaven!

Other things I learned along the way…..

Watch surf videos. It may sound crazy, but just like subliminal advertising, there’s something to be learned from watching surf videos. And the more, the better. You’ll enjoy the exciting scenes of pro surfing around the world and at the same time….your brain will be gearing up to help you hone your surfing skills.

Take yoga classes. Yoga exercises the body, mind and spirit. It works out your muscle issues, calms you and energizes your brain: all things that help you when you are learning to surf. I talked to many people who were taking yoga classes twice a week so what did I do? Talked to the staff at Remanso Beach Lodge and they found an instructor who would come right to the hotel. Like I said, surfer heaven! Try it!

Shanna Y.

Nicaragua and Remanso Beach Lodge suited me perfectly!

I’ve traveled, but not that much. After watching travel programs on TV and listening to the adventures  my friends have had, I decided that I just had to explore on my own. It’s a little daunting when you leave the comfort of your own country alone to visit a place where you do not speak the language and don’t know what to expect. But I had to prove something to myself.

I chose Nicaragua for several reasons.  First, it’s not that far away, so the airfare was reasonable. Second, it seemed from what I read that it hasn’t been spoiled by over-tourism yet. Most people think of Costa Rica when they want to go to Central America and that’s because there are more ads for it, and many people have already been there. However, Costa Rica not only has our U.S. fast-food restaurants, it also has our major chains like TGIF Fridays, the Olive Garden and places like that. For my first big vacation, I really wanted to get away from my comfort zone and my people and have a fresh world experience. Friends of mine told me that going to Costa Rica was like going to a “Little America,” so I decided I wanted something more exotic. Another great factor: I didn’t need shots to go to Nicaragua, which was good because I hate shots! And finally, Nicaragua is advertised as one of the cheapest places to travel in the world, being the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere (after Haiti). I also wanted to see if I could pick up Spanish while I was there, though I only had one week.

The big decision in a vacation like this is deciding where to stay. If you are not used to traveling, or you are traveling alone, or you have special needs, or you are with children, or you feel the least bit uncomfortable, you really need to find a place to stay where you feel safe and there are people who will help you all the time. I so lucked out on this one! A brand-new hotel had just opened and it was right on the beach. It wasn’t advertised yet; a friend of a friend had just come back from a surf trip to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, and had gone surfing at Remanso beach and said they were working on the hotel and it was going to open soon (www.nicaraguansurfhotel.com). I was able to find a link to them and made my reservation!

I only had a week and wanted to make the most of my time. I read up on San Juan del Sur, which was about a 10-minute drive away from the hotel, and for such a small town, there was plenty for me to do. However, I would never have been able to coordinate it all without the help of the staff at Remanso Beach Lodge. One of the biggest things they did for me was to send a shuttle to pick me up right at the airport (yes a guy with a piece of paper with my name on it…it makes you feel important) and take me straight to the hotel. That was one huge worry off my mind, as Managua’s reputation for safety is not too good.

The hotel was perfect!    Each guestroom is like its own little cabin with antique furniture and a private patio out in front. From my patio I had a great view of the ocean through the trees…of course it was only a 10-second walk from my room to the water’s edge, a big plus as far as I’m concerned!  The staff understood that I was a bit nervous so they really helped me out. They had a smattering of English, some great, some still learning, but it wasn’t hard to communicate.  The food situation there is great…they have a small beachside café for when you are spending the whole day surfing or with your family on the water. You’ll be amused by the funky sculptures someone has added outside…..there are probably 50 of them, some religious, some clearly not and some outright weird (one huge woman with some kind of creeping vine growing all around her and another couple of them seemingly in a pose that would be better behind closed doors), but it doesn’t matter. They add to the whole ambiance in a positive way. You’ll definitely be taking photos of these!  

There are 14 beaches around San Juan del Sur, and the main bay of the town is beautiful, but still not the prettiest beach of all! I was used to doing yoga at home and didn’t want to miss out on my practice twice a week (if possible). I had never been on a canopy tour or had gone fishing for that matter, so both things were on the list. And if I was going to a surfing town, well I had to learn to surf, didn’t I? And what about the Spanish? You can see how quickly the list of activities could fill up my week.

I gave Suyen, the owner, a list of the things I wanted to do. That evening she returned with a planned itinerary. She told me I could actually fit everything in! I started the next day with a 4-hour Spanish class after having breakfast in the cool café on the beach. We actually had the Spanish class there as well. Most beautiful classroom I’ve ever been in. That afternoon I took my first surfing lesson for two hours. After many attempts and some minor bumps and scrapes, I decided surfing was not for me. But that’s OK! I needed to know. The boogie board they taught me how to use, on the other hand, was perfect for me! Catching those waves and skimming rapidly toward shore was enough of a thrill. During the next few days I had a chance to do the Canopy Tour (great for a first time…highly recommended to all), I went up to the top of the cliff to the statue of Jesus (fabulous aerial photos of the bay ),  I took a horseback riding trip on the beach and through the subtropical forest (saw howler monkees and some pretty turquoise bird with a long spindly tail that they say is the national bird of Nicaragua). The staff at the beach hotel even arranged for a yoga instructor to come to my guestroom and the class was great! And the fishing….what a laugh.  I asked to fish “as the natives do.” My fishing apparatus consisted of an empty plastic coca cola bottle with fish line wrapped around it. The local guys on the boat seemed to catch a fish every 5 minutes or so. And me? Just about to give up after three hours, I suddenly felt that tug on the line that everyone waits for.  I started re-wrapping the line around the bottle…I was so excited…I had caught something! Little by little I got whatever it was closer and closer. When finally it popped out of the water, everyone yelled…I had caught one of those poisonous blowfish…the kind that puffs themselves up! I had had these visions of dining on my “fresh catch” for dinner, but I guess that was off the table now. They carefully removed the fish and threw it back.  It was so fun though…where else would I experience catching a poisonous fish my first time out? Everything was perfect!

Remanso Beach Lodge also arranged for me to have a couple of nights out, where I was able to meet other tourists at the Tourist Bar called Iguanas, listen to local Latin music at the Blue Marlin, and go crazy dancing at the beach disco, Crazy Crab. For such a little town, the nightlife is pretty darn good.

I met people during my trip and we made arrangements to meet at different times. Remanso Beach Lodge was very accommodating and always helped me find transportation, whether it was another guest going to town, a taxi, or even renting a car (which I did for two days).

Sarah G.