Waves

Just a one-minute walk from the front porch of our surf camp sits the legendary Playa Santana wedge. The Bodyboard Travel Guide referred to this spot as:

“This hollow lefthand wedge is just perfect for bodyboarding. Super consistent, the waves at this spot never seem to go flat. The take-off fires you down the line through kegs and into oncoming sections – the ultimate playground.”

This spot works through nearly all stages of the tide, meaning you get refracted A-frames off the rocks at the southern end of the beach for almost six hours per day – and always feathered clean with the grooming offshore breeze. The paddle out is super easy, and the rewards endless.

Just as a juicy little bonus, overlooking the wave is the Rancho Santana resort. So if you fancy a break from being barrelled, you can take five, chill by the pool, enjoy a smoothie, and watch perfect wedges breaking just 20 metres away from you.

It’s not just the wedge though, the main beach of Playa Santana also offers plenty of left and right-breaking peaks along a beautiful two-mile stretch, giving you heaps of opportunity to catch some super-fun tubes and practise your manoeuvres without the crowds.

The north end of the beach also has a mellower right-hand wedge, which can be a whole heap of fun when the tide pushes up.

If you fancy stepping it up, just around the headland to the north sits the famous reef break of Popoyo, which jacks up the swell further and offers great left and right walls to tear apart.

If this local smorgasbord of left and right-hand beachie peaks, wedges and reefs isn’t enough, we can easily explore all of the nearby secret spots, which offer everything from mellow point breaks and fun shoreys to fast rivermouths and heavier reefs.

Accommodation

Having travelled for decades and stayed in a load of different surf accommodations around the world, we can safely say our surf camp in Nicaragua is the best we’ve ever stayed in, period.

It comprises fully air-conditioned surf villas and apartments, as well as a communal eating area, free WiFi, a private swimming pool and gated security.

The best thing is, just 10 metres from the front gate are the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean, so we’re perfectly placed to wax up, paddle out and start getting slotted in the sun.

Climate

We time our trip to Southern Nicaragua slap bang in the middle of the dry season, when it’s virtually guaranteed to be warm and sunny. Being based on the Pacific coast (rather than the wetter Caribbean side) means it rarely – if ever – rains, giving you gorgeous clear skies and sunsets every day.

As well as the weather, the beauty of hitting this amazing corner of Central America in the dry season is there are fewer mosquitos and clearer waters for bodyboarding and snorkelling. It’s also a lot easier to spot wildlife like monkeys and birds in the canopies when there is less foliage.

Nicaragua is generally hotter and drier than Costa Rica, but luckily, with the ‘Papagayos’ offshore breeze, it’s always a really comfortable temperature – easily warm enough to just wear boardshorts, but not so hot that you feel as though you’re melting.

In addition to the perfect weather, the sea temperature on the Pacific coast is routinely 27-29C … about as good as it gets.

Food

Coaching

Travel

You need to make your own travel arrangements to get to Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport in Nicaragua. 

Once you’ve arrived, we’ll have organised for a driver to pick you up and take you to our surf camp, though this will be an extra cost you’ll need to factor into the trip.

We recommend you aim to pick a flight which arrives between 7pm and 9pm, and likewise when heading home aim to fly out between 7am and 9am, so we can group you up in the taxis. One-way from the airport can be as much as £95 ($125USD).  By sharing it will be much cheaper per person. So please try to arrange your flights to land and depart as close as possible to these times. If this is not possible we will do our best to create a schedule that works for everyone.

If you want to arrive earlier or leave later, that’s fine. We’ll let you know where and when to meet us on the first day. However please be aware, if you arrive at an airport other than at Managua, you will need to find your own way to our bodyboard camp.

Price

No trips currently available to this destination. Keep checking back for updates. 

Food package – $35USD per day

Alcoholic drinks – $2-$4USD

Airport transfer – Between $25USD and $125USD (depending on number in vehicle)

Optional excursions – $30USD

Area

This is like the land that time forgot – from the dense jungle and craggy mountains inland to the massive Lake Nicaragua and its islands, it wouldn’t look out of place to see a few dinosaurs stumbling about in the undergrowth.

It’s only natural then that as well as being a prime bodyboarding location, there are plenty of other activities to do in the area, such as jungle treks, wildlife spotting, volcano tours, offshore fishing trips, colonial city visits and some cool local markets to check out and spend some cash in.

Alternatively, back at the beach you can give horse riding a go, or simply relax and recharge between bodyboarding sessions by snorkelling in the crystal-clear waters or lazing in a hammock with a good book.

Kit List

Bodyboarding is one of life’s great pleasures, and we’re convinced if you haven’t already, you’ll want to get fully kitted out to get the most from the waves. 

Bodyboard

The super-warm waters of Southern Nicaragua do make older boards suffer. If you have an older PE board it’s likely to get very flexible in the heat, so we recommend boards with a stringered PP core. Also look for warm water waxes.

To help with this, we can supply hired boards which are perfect for use in Nicaraguan water temperature and wave types.

If you need to hire one, or are interested in trying one different to your own, get in touch and we can get you sorted with the right-sized board so you can get the most out of the trip.

On any tropical trip, it’s important to invest in a good pair of high quality, lightweight, stretchy board shorts, and a good lycra vest to help keep the sun off. In fact, make that two pairs of shorts – it’s not worth risking getting caught short if you rip a pair.

Fins

It’s essential to use a pair of comfortable, powerful, bodyboarding swim fins to get the most from the awesome waves on the trip.

Leash

It’s a simple insurance policy on any trip, so don’t forget – bring an extra leash. The day you snap one you’ll thank yourself. 

Bodyboard travel bag

A decent board bag will keep your kit safely protected throughout your journey, especially when you consider the brutality of some baggage handlers. They range from £20 to more than £100 – the more you pay, the better protection you get. The best on the market is the Creatures wheelie bag, it’s heat-reflective, padded and you can wheel it around, saving your arms and shoulders for paddling.

Board sock

Board socks perform a dual purpose, protecting your board from the harsh South Sumatran sun, and drying you off as it’s a handy towel. The humble board sock is an awesome piece of kit for travelling (or home use). 

Anti-rub protection

Fin slippers and socks prevent rub on the foot and Achilles heel, and also save you from needing to wear full-length fin socks. Absolutely worth picking some up. 

Heel shields

If you don’t wear wetsuit socks and want to prevent rub around your heels, it’s worth considering a set of heel shields. They make fins comfortable, stop chafe and have different thickness levels to suit the snugness of your fin. 

Finserts

Finserts are (in our opinion) the ultimate foot protection from fin rub! Definitely have a look at buying a pair. 

Fin tethers

Don’t let a lost fin ruin the rest of your trip. Bag a set of tethers and know you’ll pop up from every duckdive and wipeout with both fins still attached.

Shorts and rash vests

On any tropical trip, it’s important to invest in a good pair of high quality, lightweight, stretchy board shorts, and a good lycra vest to help keep the sun off. In fact, make that two pairs of shorts – it’s not worth risking getting caught short if you rip a pair.

Sun protection

There are a range of sun creams geared specifically for bodyboarding abroad. We can attest they actually stay on in the water, and we’ve tested them in some searing conditions.

We strongly advise you buy some bodyboard or surf-specific sun protection. They’re much more effective than regular creams – there’s nothing worse than having to sit out on an epic session because your suncream washed off yesterday and today you’re painfully crispy.

Sun hat

Maximise your surf time by keeping the sun off your head. If you don’t already have one, please purchase a surf hat, especially if you have a shaved head or have fair skin. Trust us, it will make your trip much more enjoyable.

General things to make your life more comfortable

• You will be sleeping in fairly close proximity to others in traditional buildings, and noise travels through this jungle area. Whether that is the wildlife, people listening to music in the bar/eating area or somebody snoring in your room, it’s a good idea to pack some ear plugs if you are a light sleeper.
• Cool, light clothing. You will spend most of your time in just shorts. Make sure they are lightweight and ‘quick dry’ – heavy denim shorts will be uncomfortable in the tropics, especially when travelling.
• Lycra shorts to wear under your boardshorts. Just in case you missed it, here it is again: Lycra shorts to wear under your boardshorts.
• A good book or a Kindle, a stack of music on your phone, and movies to watch on your tablet.
• Sunglasses (and spares if you are prone to losing/breaking them).
• Flip flops / sandals.
• Your own refillable water bottle – always stay hydrated.
• A waterproof bag to help keep your kit dry if you go out on a boat.
• Earplugs for use in the water.

First Aid Kit

While we do have a trained medic on-site throughout the trip, it is always best practice (and polite) to bring your own first aid kit.

Accidents can happen when travelling and/or around camp, and there is the ever-present danger of connecting with a sharp coral reef at some point during a session. It’s important to expect this, and to bring a first aid kit with contents ready for it.

Essentials

• Mosquito repellent (an obvious one, but easy to forget)
• Antiseptic wipes / wash / cream
• Sterile saline solution
• Steri-strips / sutures
• Wound dressings
• Bandages / sterile gauzes
• Band aids / plasters (a good selection of sizes)
• Waterproof tape / duct tape (basically fixes everything)
• Aspirin
• Latex gloves
• Cotton tips
• Stainless steel scissors
• Stainless steel fine point tweezers (key for removing bits of coral)
• Safety pins
• Tourniquet / triangle sling

Recommended

• First aid manual (or better yet get some training)
• Deep Heat / muscle rub gel
• Hydrogen peroxide / iodine water purification tablets
• Scorpion sting remover
• Anti-histamine tablets
• Super glue
• Compeed (pads for fin rub)

Extras

• Sudacrem
• Vaseline
• Hydration sachets
• Imodium / travel sickness tablets
• Zinc lip cream
• Cold and flu tablets/Lemsip

What’s Included

• One week’s awesome accommodation
• Administration of land transfers
• Clean waves with offshore winds all day every day
• Surf guiding each day to find waves to suit your ability
• Video and photo analysis to advance your riding
• Expert tuition tailored to your ability
• Guaranteed good times! 

Every day we’ll be exploring the region’s stunning coastline to track down the best waves for your ability, normally getting up early, grabbing a snack and getting in before anyone else.

After a couple of hours we’ll head back to the pad for a refuel. Once done we’re straight back on it – if it’s been pumping we’ll head back out, or check out different spots to make the most of it before tides drop or swell shifts.

Back at camp we’ll then go through a photo and video analysis session, and people’s time is then their own to chill, crack open a cold one or relax in a hammock with a book.

For the frothers there’s always the chance of a sneaky third session before dinner, kicking back, witnessing a stunning sunset over the Pacific, or catching the latest bodyboarding flick before bed.

Photography and video analysis will be available throughout all sessions to help improve your riding, and each of these will be available to take away and keep at the end of the week too, for an additional £30 and £50 respectively.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about our Nicaragua Trip.