De Anonymous , 02-09-2009

Give it up - You might as well pick the punk out that you want to give your $$$, sunglasses, trunks, camera and whatever else you leave in your car.

Every spot in Costa Rica will drain you if you're gullible.

De Barranqueño , 13-06-2007

Good wave - I surfed Negra back in late nineties, early millenium. Probably one of my favorite waves in the world. IT can get crowded these days but if you hang out for a while you can always find a time to slip in for a few drainers. I never had a problem with anyone there. There was one dude who was a loud mouth from somewhere in the States. He owned land and was jaded but he would only come down for a couple weeks at a time. We used to camp on the beach and surf for a couple weeks at a time. Does Manou still hold it down? He is the man, he rips and his woman is really hot. The wave is great but it is not as heavy as some people here say. It get's power and you can get a barrel but the take off is not to critical. In fact, if you get one off the boil, dry hair tube rides with a mellow take-off.

De Javy , 22-02-2007

Great - Dont go unless you know what your doing. And dont forget to bring a good vibe.

De Anonymous , 25-01-2007

Radiator drained - I went surfing with some friends here once in December 2005. We got back to our 4x4 we drove down the road where some locals were hanging around. Minutes later our engine in our new truck began to overheat. We opened the hood and the water was empty. Instantly a man pulled up and happened to have several gallons of water. We gave him $10.

After that we kept a few filled water jugs. I recommend you do the same.

De gallardosurf@gmail.com , 29-10-2006

Hola Amigos - Hola, this is Dave from Gallardo Surf Co. I live in Tamarindo. There is 512kbps high-speed internet access at some of the rental properties in Tamarindo, it's fairly reliable and if you have Vonage (voice over IP), you can plug it in, and have your US/Canadian/European phone number come with you down here. Playa Negra is about 1/2 hour drive from Tamarindo. The nightlife in Tamarindo and the variety of restaraunts make it a key spot for staying, and just do your day trips and such from here, otherwise, you might wind up bored out of your mind in other spots.

Pura Vida
Dave
Gallardo Surf Co.
www.gallardosurf.com

De jonathan , 13-10-2006

South African couple - greetings guys, i lost your email adreess thats why i have not replied.
This is what a found out for you:
Internet acces there is available, but very very slow. Tamarindo has faster conecction.
there are a couple of houses, not so many and go from 500 to 1000 or a lot more if you want, but they go quick.
the best i think is to show up.
Thats the bottom line.

Personally i think it isd best to get a place in tamarindo with acces to all the tecnology and get wheels and hit all the spots near by.

Take care guys

jonathanyonkers@gmail.com

De Anonymous , 04-10-2006

I agree - Well said Markus. Surfers are like sheep... they feel the need to herd together. Whether you are in CR, Cali, Hawaii or Indo, there is always a less known and less crowded wave right around the corner. You may not be able to brag to all your bros back home that you surfed Negra, Trestles or Rocky Point, but if you put in a little extra effort you can surf good waves in your trunks with only a few people around.
Pura Vida!

De Anonymous , 03-10-2006

stay irie markus!! - Right after I rip my three footer, I will be irie and mellow enough to follow markus's advice

De Markus from Newport Beach , 05-09-2006

IMPORTANT: read this! - I just read through all the comments that people have left about Playa Negra over the years. For those of you who fly to Costa Rica and expect to be the only person in the lineup, you need to get logical for a moment. Everyone else that's there is doing the same thing as you are, so you're all each others' problem. Stop complaining and enjoy it for what it is...great surf, warm water, awesome culture, friendly people, and beautiful scenery. You shouldn't be complaining about crowds because you're part of the crowd. If crowds are a problem for you, then don't surf there...it'll be one less lame-ass, complaining prick in the water. If you're the kind of person who visits one of the most beautiful places on earth and actually finds stuff to complain about, then you need to re-evaluate your priorities and stay back in wherever you came from.

Anyway, all this complaining about crowds is pointless. I come from Southern California where there are thousands of surfers: 100 guys at Malibu competing for 4-6 foot waves with one very small take-off point. Same for Trestles. Even the crappy beach breaks in Newport (where I live a block from the sand) get so crowded in the summer that there's hardly room for everyone between the rock groins...not to mention all the boogie boarders and kids swimming and people playing frisbee, etc that are in your way once you do catch a wave.)

The point is this: If you're one of these idiots who's complaining about crowds, you need to realize that you're not the only person who gets to surf. The ocean is an amazing place for everyone to enjoy, even the frisbee throwers. This ridiculous competition for waves, bitching about this and that, etc is exactly what destroys the soul of surfing and is the kind of attitude that makes the locals hate the tourists. When a picture perfect wave like Playa Negra is firing, there are more than enough waves to go around so take a deep breath, check out the scenery, watch a sea turtle float by, let someone take the next wave, and then go rip it up yourself. That's where stoke comes from. If you're so busy worrying about crowds, or someone dropping in on you, or looking tough, or whatever, then when you finish an epic ride, you can't appreciate the stoke. That stoke what Pura Vida and the soul of surfing is all about and if you can't embrace the mentality, then you don't belong in Costa Rica anyway.

De atomicrooster , 13-03-2006

Negra Si - I've been to Costa 3 times and each time had good sessions at Playa Negra.My first trip was in 2001 and my last trip was Oct of 2005, each trip it seemed to get a bit more crowded and aggro. If you catch a clean uncrowded head high session, you will remember it for the rest of your life!