SURF REPORT -- Costa Rica: in harmony with nature

Welcome to Costa Rica! Watch out for the alligators!

Costa Rica is an estate of more than 20 tropical sims showcasing a variety of Costa Rican natural environments from miles of golden sandy beaches to dense tropical rain forest. In fact, one of the objectives of the estate is to highlight the importance of living in harmony with nature. The estate is home to the three most famous beaches of the Manuel Antonio National Park in real life Costa Rica: Playa Espadilla Sur, Playa Manuel Antonio and Playa Escondido.

The Epic wave on Playa Del Rey

Costa Rica has several interesting surf breaks and there are plans to further develop the Costa Rica estate as a surfing destination. The main surf breaks today are Playa Del Rey on Pacifico Central 1, Playa Escondido on Pacifico Central 4 and Playa Santa Teresa on Pacifico Norte 1.

Playa Del Rey is the home of the Costa Rica estate's only Epic wave. This is a short 100 yard Epic break starting in the middle of the sim and breaking into the beach. Pacifico Central 1 is also home to the Playa del Rey Surf Shack, which sells a variety of surfboards including Analog Surf, Jac Mornington's Realistic, Namiko, Poid Mahovlich's glow at night surfboards and also Heather Goodliffe windsurfers. You can just about see the pod of humpback whales in the neighbouring Pacifico Central sim to the north, although they tend to stay away from the waves.

Playa Escondida's pipeline wave breaks into a secluded bay

Three sims south of Playa Del Rey is Playa Escondida, where a three section wide pipeline wave breaks into an otherwise calm bay fringed with tropical vegetation. Whilst, the newest addition to the Costa Rica surf scene is a long four-wave pipeline break at Playa Santa Teresa, with phosphorescent waves that run in for just about 255 yards onto an island just in front of the Peninsula Nicoya Sur mainland. Playa Santa Teresa also has a vendor for Poid's luminous surfboards. There are two or three sets of fluffies that break along the shores of Golfo de Nicoya and Isla Venado, which are both north of Pacifico Central, but these all run for just a few yards each and so of limited interest to surfers.

Playa Santa Teresa's phosphorescent pipeline wave break

There are many other activities for visitors in Costa Rica include boating, canoeing, fishing, hang gliding, scuba diving, whale watching and white water rafting. Costa Rica has clearly developed the estate aiming to provide visitors and residents with the best experience and the attention to detail really shows.

White water rafting

Most of Costa Rica is residential with privately owned land, but the convenant for the land ensures free passage to allow non-residents to explore the estate, although the homes themselves are out-of-bounds. There's a lot to explore. The estate provides a hovercraft tour for new arrivals in Costa Rica, accessible via hovercraft stations on different sims throughout the estate.

Flickr: More images of Costa Rica
URL: Costa Rica Sims
SLURL: Playa Del Rey
SLURL: Playa Escondida
SLURL: Playa Santa Teresa

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SURF REPORT -- Black River Harbor: surfing serenity

The natural serenity of Black River Harbor

Black River Harbor is a long surfable natural harbour in the Heliopolis Estates group of sims with a single pipeline break that runs in for more than 240 yards. Inspired by the Pacific north-west of America, the setting for Black River Harbor is truly picturesque with grassy shorelines on each side of the surf break, the eastern shore being dotted with reeds, pine trees and cherry trees. The western shore borders the main Heliopolis sim and if one continues westwards, Monkeh Barrel is about 350 yards away. The length of the harbour is marked out with hazard marker lights to help guide boats around the waves and away from other hidden water hazards.

The uninhabited eastern island border of Black River Harbor provides a quiet meeting point for surfers or simply a place to chill out and there are a couple of open wood camp fires to help keep surfers warm in the near constant cold drizzle of the harbour. You will fine a wrecked sailing boat at the north end of the island (someone clearly didn't pay much attention to the hazard markers!) and you should be able to hear the sounds of some woodland birds. If you listen carefully, you may be able to hear flocks of Canada geese flying high overhead.

The view looking to the west across the eastern island

The western shore is more hilly, has more pine trees and experiences the odd thunderstorm on occasion. The western hills sink into the harbour creating an interesting shoreline and waterfall in nearby Heliopolis runs into an inlet linking up with the main waterway. A stone waterside 'meditation zone' has been built by the owners, surrounded by flaming torches with another wood fire. Divers will find kelp beds off the northern edge of the shore and shoals of yellow fin tuna, angel fish, butterfly fish and blue tang. There is also another sunken sailing boat wreck if you look for hard for it.

Black River Harbor early in the morning

Pipeline waves break right down the centre of the harbor from north to south, in single file and veerying a little to the west towards the Persistence sim due south and Ambrosia Island south-west. The pipeline break is clearly marked with yellow and red lit hazard markers and has a nearly 45 second run. Meanwhile, to make things interesting, two sets of ocean foam waves break diagonally across pipeline break from north east to south west and from north west to south east.

The pipeline break running through the hazard warning lights

There are no commercial facilities at Black River Harbor, giving it an 'out in the wilds' appeal (watch out for the bears). However, for those that want to explore under the waves, the sim offers visitors free scuba gear (just click on the sign) including a face mask, flippers, air tanks and wetsuit! Visitors can rez their own boards at the harbour and there are usually free boards available on the shore for use on the sim.

Surfwatch: SURF REPORT -- Monkeh Barrel takes no prisoners
Flickr: More images of Black River Harbor
SLURL: Black River Harbor

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SURF REPORT -- Monkeh Barrel takes no prisoners

The fury of Monkeh Barrel unleashed on the beach

Slow, short and unforgiving it may be, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the Monkeh Barrel remains one of the most challenging and popular surf breaks in Second Life. The Monkeh is one of several surfing spots in Helio Estates, which include Heliopolis itself, Nymphs Beach and Black River Harbor. The big wave break also provides the setting for one of the most demanding competitions in the SLSA annual series.

Named Monkeh Barrel because its more fun than a barrel of monkeys, the Monkeh's dark brooding EPIC II wave breaks a few yards short of the Western edge of the sim and runs in for about 150 yards onto a green rocky shoreline. For comparison, the wave runs in about 50 yards short of the distance that the EPIC II wave at Majini beach does, or roughly about the same length of ride as the EPIC II wave at Neart. The wave also has the reputation of having a mind of its own.

Monkeh Barrel in the morning

The short duration of the break means that surfers must get up and running fast if they are to make the most of the wave. The slower forward movement means they its also important for surfers to pay attention to speed so as not to stall and end up belly-riding all the way into the beach. This wave takes no prisoners!

This beach has no onshore facilities, but due to the short wave run and elevation of the beach, the Monkeh Barrel offers surfwatchers an excellent view. For surfers, the rocky shallows on the shore make a convenient place to rezz your board into the water, while the wave itself is perhaps the ultimate test of SL surfing skills and technology.

Update 28 May 08 -- Monkeh Barrel has disappeared, we understand, following the sale of the sim to a new owner.

SLURL: Monkeh Barrel (not valid as of May 08)

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