Dominicalifornia Dreamin'

From Manuel Antonio we took a three hour bus ride to the small surfing town of Dominical which is still further down the Pacific coast. This would turn out to be the final stop in Costa for us, and it didn’t disappoint. As you may remember Robyn and I took surfing lessons in Guatemala, and we rented a board for a day in Montezuma so we were both excited to get back in the waves, and Dominical promised to be a great place to do so. The town is tiny, consisting of three main roads forming a triangle, and the whole area is probably 3km in diameter. In this area there are a few restaurants, more ‘tienda’ grocery stores, and the most populous business – the surf shop. I was amazed at how many places rented and sold surf boards and apparel in such a small town, and the number of options available for surf lessons. As our time played out in the town it was easy to see how closely-knit the whole community was. It was mainly gringo expats who have settled into a very low key lifestyle in which they work to surf. Attitudes are relaxed, clothing is functional, the ocean bathes everyone and haircutting is for suckers.
On our arrival we found our way to the hotel and checked in and then went roaming the town. We knew that we weren’t going to be in town very long and that we definitely wanted to ride, so our first order of business (after lunch) was to find the right outfit to get lessons from. After an exhaustive search we finally agreed that Kelly’s shop, right on the beach, would be the perfect partnership. $35 each got us a two hour lesson and free use of the board for the next 24 hours. This meant that we could have the lesson in the morning, go back for lunch, out again in the afternoon, and again the next morning. Pretty sweet deal.
We woke the next morning in order to make our 9am start time. The proper time for beginner surfing changes daily in accordance with the tides, and I learned that we would (typically) be learning in mid-tide. This meant that the tide is neither rolling in or out for the duration of our lesson, rather it’s in a holding pattern. This is the opportune time to learn because the waves are consistent and predictable and not too large. Apparently at low tides the waves are large and perfect tubes, but the water below them is too shallow for learners to safely ride. At high tide the waves are crashing very close to the shore and so there are too many sand bars in motion and rip tides to compete with. We met our instructor, Junior, at 8:50 and were off into the water. We shared our lesson with two French guys who were taking their first lesson but were in good spirits. As before Robyn rocked it. She was up almost every time she attempted it and by mid-session she was riding waves all the way into the beach. I was fortunate, this time, to get a board that suited my size and so I had much more success this time in properly riding and getting a feel for everything. We had a great time and I think we’re both quickly getting hooked on the sport.
After our lesson we went to the local hangout, Tortilla Flats, and had lunch. Back to the hotel for a refresh and back to the beach to catch some sun. Tortilla Flats again for dinner (there weren’t many options and this was, by far, the most lively and popular) where we had the amazing Nachos Fuerte and a few Imperials.
We were leaving the area the next morning, heading into Panama, but we still managed to wake early and get the boards again and catch some more sets. This time we were without an instructor and on our own, which was more challenging, but we’re both really enjoying not only being in the water but the learning curve of this great sport.
Another rinse off and lunch, and we boarded the bus to Panama….