Again not breaking on the outside during the early morning high tide session. Two surfers out, one at the north end one at the south, both having trouble dropping in. Most waves holding up, not getting steep until it’s too late to get any distance. Nice clean shape otherwise; fairly peaky four footers, consistent and well spaced. A partially clear sky to begin the day and clearing further as the tide dropped. The waves dropped in size with the outgoing tide and conditions decayed with the flowering of the south wind. A pretty choppy afternoon never regained much status before nightfall. The waves were lumpy and bumpy and formless till dark. Then came the rain.
~Steve at www.jazzysriverhouse.com

Early morning low comedy at high tide. With recent sand dredging by currents leaving deep pockets on the outside edge of the lineup and a concurrent buildup of the sand bottom on the inside edge the high tide result is waves not getting steep enough to catch until it’s too late; breaking if at all on dry sand. A half a dozen or so paddlers were out enjoying the early morning sun and waiting for the tide to drop. Mid-morning, mid-tide, there were some scrappy sets, 4′, wind tossed, quite bumpy and yet some fun waves came and went and with another light crowd some not so fun waves just went. Dead low and dim at high noon. Mostly cloudy all day then the squalls arrived. One after another – a blustery wind pulling a fierce black cloud dumping it’s massive load of rainwater for half an hour then moving on. Not much color in the sunset but enough light was available to give great depth and texture.
~Steve at www.jazzysriverhouse.com

A fierce wind swept up the beach this morning heading north. The waves took a beating and to the south the sky was black. Blown out till noon when it calmed down and cleaned up some the five footers got worked over fairly well by the small crowd on the incoming and high tide sessions. Heavy clouds much of the day, spotted clearing now and then and the threat of rain was constant. Some heavy sprinkles after dark is the best it could do it seems. ~Steve at www.jazzysriverhouse.com

A four foot day with a weak beginning in the lower tides with mixed winds churning the surface and strange rips roping around the lineup. Some blue sky softened the ambiance now and again while the Baru River outflow shifted sections of the mouth and tried to improve the shape of the waves. Improvement came with the rising tide but overall conditions remained middling-to-poor and attendance was down and there were even some bouts of light rain. A majestic wrap around sunset took into dreamland at the end of the day on the outgoing tide. ~Steve at www.jazzysriverhouse.com

Low tide, small squirrely waves, thick dark cloud formations looming in all directions and precious little breeze to pick up the pace. Another strange ‘window’ day with an hour of classic shoulders and stretchy sections followed by a couple of hours of sloppy joes served up with a half-hearted rain squall morphing into a tattered collection of five foot dumping walls. A little something for everyone. Mid-day high tide sessions were sprinkled with a few clean strong charging walls, some going the distance, holding up to dry sand but much of the show was short and stiff. At the south end of the beach Hotel Roca Verde hosted it’s annual 4th of July Lifeguard Party and a good time was had by all though many won’t remember it. The Tortilla Flats Amazing Margarita Bar was mobbed till way past dark and Ben Jammin’ and the Howlers amped the crowd with the help of Nancy Buchan’s fancy fiddle and Richard Abraham’s snazzy drums. Over 200 diners enjoyed the BBQ’ed ribs and chicken and homemade side dishes and the preliminary report is an excess of $9000 after expenses with maybe another $3000 due after collections. ~Steve at www.jazzysriverhouse.com

Little Barrels Beach this morning. Drew a crowd like honey on the comb. Low tide shallow barrels and tangy walls opening up like magic. Still rough around the edges and still messy inside and lacking the usual winter swell punch but no end of entertainment throughout the day hooked to a meandering sky from the start. Enough blue sky and direct sun to brighten the mood and dry the laundry, thanks. Higher tide mid-day session was inconsistent and shifty like the sky and somewhere in the five foot range. There were some very nice waves ridden today from early on. No sunset but no rain either. A lumpy cloudy all gray sky is closing us out. Tomorrow is the annual Dominical Lifeguard Party starting at noon at Hotel Roca Verde, south end of Playa Dominical. Ben Jammin and the Howlers with locals Nancy Buchan, our fiddler extraordinaire and Richard Abraham our own ‘house’ drummer sitting in for our live entertainment with the perennial favorites filling out the day: BBQ ribs and Chicken and other great home cooked foods. Amazing Margarita Bar, Beer Garden, Auctions, raffles, games and on. ~Steve at www.jazzysriverhouse.com

Mid-tide dropping at daybreak. A dull gray morning with small sloppy surf and no humans stirring in the water or on the beach. While the cloud cover persisted throughout the day the waves improved with the rising tide. Something short of spectacular the four foot peaks had a soft, vague shape and were fun enough while the more common sloppy walls were chunking off here and there with a few opening up instead of shutting down. Not a blue ribbon day but hardly a throwaway. The size drained out of the afternoon as did the shape and other fun factors. The sunset asked for a rain check. We said ‘sure’. ~Steve at www.jazzysriverhouse.com

Another gray dawn with a feeble low tide and an unusually soft offshore breeze. 2-3′ mushy waves not going anywhere and not doing anything. The mid-day high tide session was certainly an improvement but that’s not saying much. Some four to five footers said hello but again not much of a crowd was on hand to respond. The sun was in hiding for most of the day and hot clean waves were nowhere to be seen. Overall conditions were mostly mellow all day: wind, weather, surf, crowds so nothing’s lost and by the end of the day the tide had dropped and the clouds closed in and left us without a sunset and then after dark the rain began and continued much of the night. ~Steve at www.jazzysriverhouse.com

Early morning low still with a close gray sky and a distinctly lackluster surf scene. Small waves – nothing over shoulder high – and quite messy. Poor shape and decidedly lacking in power. A lousy morning even for beginner surf lesson due to lack of punch. An overly mellow morning. No breeze, no shape to the waves and not even the usual strong rip current. The rising tide improved the surf scene generating some nice head high set waves by late morning. With wind chipped faces and soft edges the high tide session was close in and somewhat peaky and good fun for the few who were out. A fair crowd on the beach for a weekday especially since the sky stayed partially cloudy most of the day and closed in again toward sunset. ~Steve at www.jazzysriverhouse.com

Early morning low tide showing coastal low clouds with occasional sheet lightning in the distance and not much for surf in the lineup. No one out for the early session and not much of a crowd the rest of the day despite some excellent window here and there. Mid-morning offered a few large barrels up toward the rivermouth and some fine overhead shoulders and glassy sections on and off till mid-afternoon when the tide dropped, the size dropped and the partially cleared sky closed up and wave conditions reverted to small and junky. Sparse crowds in the water and on the beach. Not much color in the sky for the sunset hour with the gray fading to black and a smidgen of rain beginning at nightfall.
~Steve at www.jazzysriverhouse.com