Tamarindo Receives Awesome Northwest Swell To Start 2019 Season

@witchsrocksurf

Psst! The Tamarindo Rivermouth is breaking again!

If you were lucky enough to be down here this past weekend, you saw some giant waves breaking up and down the beach as a booming northwest swell slammed into Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. These were the same waves that broke last week during the Jaws Challenge big wave surf contest at Pe’ahi, Maui, Hawaii.

The swell is still hitting as I write this. Tamarindo and Witch’s Rock, arguably the two best spots in Costa Rica to receive a northwest swell, have been firing on all cylinders.

Spot: Tamarindo Rivermouth | Surfer: Joe Walsh | Photo: Leonardo Pinero

 

For those of us that live and surf in Tamarindo or visit often, we can all remember how the estuary drifted a couple of years ago and how our beach landscape completely changed. The Tamarindo Rivermouth surf break all but disappeared.

But then earlier this year the rivermouth started to show signs of life. Offshore winds helped add some sand to the sand bar. And now, with the start of our northwest swell season, the Tamarindo Rivermouth is once again throwing out some tubes.

Spot: Tamarindo Rivermouth | Surfer: Unknown | Photo: Leonardo Pinero

 

During the peak of the swell the biggest waves were breaking at Pico Grande. This lava rock outcropping and slab has a perfect northwest orientation that helps to amplify the wave’s size. Local surf stars Dean Vanderwalle and Malakai Martinez were pulling into barrels that looked like Backdoor. It was a pretty solid show.

Spot: Pico Grande | Surfer: Dean Vandewalle | Photo: Toni Vandewalle

 

And of course Witch’s Rock has been PUMPING. Check out local ripper Josymar Fuentes Villalobos (long time friend and past employee) showing us how its done in this epic multi-shot tube ride at the rock.

Spot: Witch’s Rock | Surfer: Josymar Fuentes Villalobos | Photo: @gu_party
Spot: Witch’s Rock | Surfer: Josymar Fuentes Villalobos | Photo: @gu_party
Spot: Witch’s Rock | Surfer: Josymar Fuentes Villalobos | Photo: @gu_party
Spot: Witch’s Rock | Surfer: Josymar Fuentes Villalobos | Photo: @gu_party
Spot: Witch’s Rock | Surfer: Josymar Fuentes Villalobos | Photo: @gu_party

 

With the sand bars set up better than they’ve been in a long time, now’s a great time to get down here and surf. The rainy season has all but ended, the offshore winds are starting to pick up, and the conditions are great. We are looking forward to another awesome surf season.

I’ll see you surfing! Pura vida, Joe Walsh

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