At 5:30 AM the alarm sounds. I wake to blue December Costa Rican skies, grab my quad fish and take the ten-minute walk to my local surf break. During the walk the howler monkeys are having their morning conference “hooo, hooo, hooo, hooo”. I pass through the mangroves and pause, check out the blossoming mangrove trees, take a deep breathe inhaling through my nose, and give thanks to the new day. A few minutes later I’m at the shoreline of my home break, “Playa Chaman”, in the Marino Ballena National Park. The waves are chest high with slight offshore breeze. The sun is coming up over “el cierro del tigre” and the suns rays dance on the face of the waves. I take a few moments to stretch, strap on my leash, and start my walk into the Pacific Ocean. At waist deep water I lie down on my surfboard and start the paddle to reach the outside where the waves are forming. Once outside, I wait patiently for the first morning wave. One minute. Two minutes. Three minutes. Finally, I see a wave coming, but inside the wave I see a dark shadow. My heart starts to pound. What is that? The wave passes. I’m the only one out.
Am I The Only One Surfing?
Fifteen minutes pass and the sets are starting to come again. I paddle out a little further to grab the best wave. The third wave of the set is starting to break and so I duck dive. When I come up and regain my position I see a fin surfacing fifteen feet from me. 30 seconds later, I see two. First thing that pops into my head, SHARK! Sharks travel in pairs! 2 vs. 1, this isn’t fair. I see the fourth wave of the set coming and fiercely paddle toward the shore! I position myself well, slide down the face of the wave and set-up for a bottom turn to connect and drive down the line. I end the wave with a solid floater off the top and then lie down and cruise to the shore. Now I’m secure on the shore, mother-ocean doesn’t have me in her hands. My curiosity perks. I sit for 10 minutes watching the horizon trying hard to see the two sharks. The set of the day rolls through. My eyes are glued to these waves. Two dark figures appear in the third wave of the set. Together they surf the waves for a good 20 seconds. I’m astonished. I say to myself, sharks don’t surf waves like that! And in that very moment, two resident bottlenose dolphins jump out of the back of the wave. I don’t wait one second more! I put my leash back on, paddle out, and enjoy a wonderful surf session with two bottlenose dolphins. I reflect for a few minutes and remind myself; I’m never the only one out, the ocean and her inhabitants are constantly joining me during my surf sessions. It was a beautiful and humbling experience.
Tags: Surfing, Surfing Costa Rica