[Uncle Buck]

My wife and I are celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary this May. We got married in Jamaica and thought about going back with our three kids. We almost booked our trip, then my wife found a link to a "family surf camp"; Green Iguana in Costa Rica. Has anyone been there? I looks pretty cool on their website and we have emailed them and it seems great.

I am of course all over this, but I wonder what it is like for the non-surfers. I will take lessons along with my 8 year old daughter. My wife, 3 year old son and 7 month (in May) son will not. We like an adventure (we moved from Indiana to NYC). They will like hanging around the pool, playing at the beach. There are some fun excursions that we can take, like “nature” walks, water falls. Is there time for excursions with the two surf lessons a day?

If anyone has been there, I would be curious about your experiences. Good or Bad. We want to get our trip booked in the next week or so.

Thanks.

UB
 

[surfplusart]

I have not been to Green Iguana but i suggest try tripadvisor for reviews. They are pretty good, but watch out for fake reviews... pretty obvious which ones they are. Good luck.

[Uncle Buck]

Well, my wife and I said "Let's do it!" So we booked our tickets and reservations at The Green Iguana Surf Camp in Dominical Costa Rica for May 1st to May 7th. The whole tribe is coming down along with my mother-in-law to help with the kids.

Now I need to get passports for the kids, immunizations, and learn a little Spanish.

If nothing else, it will be one heck of an adventure!

-UB ß--- STOKED!!!
 

[Uncle Buck]

Less than 5 weeks away!

[rockyveiga]

u'll be coming back and i'll be heading out! i'm going to a yoga / surf retreat though, at the OSA peninsula. pretty excited about that as well. We surf at Matapalo. it's through the KULA Yoga studio here in the city. anyone know about this trip? cheesy name - Slaves to the Waves

[Uncle Buck]

Well the family and I made it back with little to no trouble. The Green Iguana People (Carla, Bob, Jason, Raymond, and Jen) where all awesome. The hotel that we where supposed to stay at was under construction and the pool was being retiled. This would have put a real damper on our trip with the kids. But Carla made arrangements for us to stay at a near by hotel and shuttled us to and from the beach. The did what ever they had to do to make our trip a easy as possible.
 
My eight year old daughter had one-on-one instruction the entire time. I had one-on-one instruction for three days and two other guys with me the other two days. I know I caught and rode more waves in five days then I have caught in total since I started surfing last August. The water was about 85deg, waves where between 4-6 feet and very consistant. Since I am still just learning I stayed at the same beach as my daughter. But there are other beaches near by for the more intermediate/adavanced surfers. But fore me the 4-6 foot waves where perfect.
 
We also go to intertube down the river, go to a waterfall, and visist a reptile zoo. The food was amazing. The people where amazing. When we ate, the waitresses held out 6 month old so my wife and I could eat and he loved the women speaking spanish to him.
 
The kids had a great time and asked when we can go back. They have the travel bug now too. My daughter wants to take more lessons this summer in LB. And I can't wait to get back in the water.
 
If anyone has any questions, let me know. I definately recommend Green Iguana Surf (http://www.greeniguanasurfcamp.com/).
 
-UB

[rockyveiga]

Dude i totally hear ya. I'm in the south coast right now and such great 4-6ft. So easy to ride. I feel like I've progressed more in 5 days than the last 5 months. Absolute stoke. Good for you

[Uncle Buck]

We met a couple that own the Lookout Hotel on the Osa peninsula. It looks likes a nice place and the couple were pretty fun to hang out with. How did you get the Osa peninsula? It is a pretty long drive from SJO. They mentioned about flying from SJO to a smaller airport.

Have fun!
UB

[rockyveiga]

Yah I flew down here. I'm near matapalo at a secret spot. There's a family that owns a cool place where u can do yoga an surf pretty much all day.

Swell is growing...

[ankleslapper]

nice UB!  Happy Anniversary...sounds like a rad family adventure!  good for you and the wife and crew...