Tamarindo is the most touristed beach in all of Costa Rica. This is because of its clean, safe sand and water, its plethora of accommodation, dining, shopping and night life options, its modern amenities, and its easy access to major cities and airports.
Which airport is most convenient if I'm coming to Tamarindo?
A:
Daniel Oduber Liberia International Airport is located less than an hour from Tamarindo. Several major airlines including Air Canada, Continental, American, Delta, and TACA airlines run frequent flights to Liberia. While the airport in San Jose (the capital of Costa Rica) is busier and sometimes cheaper to fly into, the convenience makes Liberia Airport a better option in most cases.
Do your prices increase during peak times of the year?
A:
No. Some Local Surf Camps advertise one price on their website but have a disclaimer stating that if you want to come during the peak season, which is pretty much all of December through April, that their advertised rates no longer apply. We find this type of false advertising unethical since many of our customers plan their vacations around this time to avoid the colder weather. It's comparable to the store that triples the prices of their umbrellas when it's raining outside.
No! Some Local Surf Camps ask you to arrive on Saturdays because they try to arrange their customers to come on the same day so they can cut instructor and transportation costs by putting you in large groups with people you don't know. At CR Surf Vacations you are treated as an individual, not as a reservation number in our computer system.
I don't travel a lot and have never been to Central America before, how can I be sure that things like your airport pick-up are going to be reliable? I don't want to be stranded somewhere in a strange country.
A:
Kelly's Surf Shop and Surf Camp is a privately owned company and we handle each reservation individually. Our managers and employees have been hired for their organization skills, as well as their extensive work in the travel and tourism industry. Also, all the companies that we hire out for airport pick-ups are well-managed, local companies whom in our experience have been reliable and professional.
We absolutely guarantee that you will be comfortable. Unlike surf camps, we don't over charge you for simple, budget accommodation. Our Budget Accomodations are at the beach, safe, comfortable, secure and incredible value for the price. Our Mid Price Condo Accomodations come with fully equipped kitchens, cable tv, wireless internet, air conditioning, king sized beds, hide-a-beds, and hot water. The grounds are beautifully landscaped with a swimming pool. There is also 24-hour security to protect you and your belongings, as well as maid service. Also, they are centrally located to give you very easy access to the beach, restaurants, supermarkets, and night life. Most importantly, you will be able to relax without drunken teenagers and little children disturbing you like you would find at a local Surf Camp.
We have an extensive selection of boards for both beginners and advanced surfers. We have Softops and NSP boards made specifically for easy learning, as well as numerous quality long boards, fun boards, and short boards in various shapes and sizes. We realize that it is becoming more and more expensive to travel with your own surfboard, so we strive to provide you with a board that you can feel comfortable on in the water.
It seems that you provide an action packed schedule, will I have time to do other things while I am there?
A:
Absolutely. Unlike Surf Camps, we don't have set times for our lessons and surf trips. The reason is that Surf Camps like to group you with other people that you don't know in order to save them money on transportation and instructor costs. At CR Surf Vacations, we teach you on an individual basis because our goal is to actually teach you how to surf, not just get you in the water and then collect your money. We also understand that, even though this is a surf holiday, you would like to spend some time enjoying some of the other things Tamarindo has to offer. Therefore, if you want to sightsee in the afternoon, we will schedule your surf activities in the morning. Or, if you like to party late into the night, we'll get you on the water in the afternoons.
What is the one thing that sets Kelly's Surf Shop and Surf Camp apart from other companies?
A:
What makes us different is that no one can match our personalized service. The people you correspond with before arriving in Costa Rica are the same people you will meet when you first arrive in Tamarindo, the same people you see out in the water with you, and the same people you have a beer with at the bar in the evening.
Kelly's Surf Shop & Surf Camp - for all your surfing needs
Compare Kelly's Surf Camp with other local Surf Camps:
KELLY'S SURF CAMP
OTHER SURF CAMPS
Comfortable, clean, quiet, 4-star quality condos complete with fully equipped kitchens, air conditioning, cable tv, free wireless internet, swimming pool, security, king sized beds, and centrally located near all amenities.
Budget, hostel-style accommodation located on the edge of town away from most restaurants and shopping. Combination of on-site night club, thin walls, rowdy teenagers, and unattended little kids can make for a very noisy experience.
Personalized service where you will communicate with, meet, surf, and hang out with all staff including the owners.
Like most large hotels, you will be thought of as a reservation number and will be treated as such. That's fine for a hotel, but not for a surf holiday.
Customers treated as individuals. You will never be put in a group with a bunch of people you don't know. Your surf experience is far more important to us than trying to cut a few corners. You will receive your own personal instructor/guide.
Attempt to put their clients in large groups to cut instructor and transportation costs. This results in groups far too big for one instructor to handle. They even go so far as to ask their clients to arrive on Saturdays so they can arrange this grouping.
Providing you with the absolute best value. To buy each part of your package individually would cost you far more than buying it direct through us. In fact, hotels/condos in the Tamarindo area can run into the thousands for a weekly stay. Also, our advertising rates are the actual prices at ALL times of the year. If our spaces begin to fill up, we won't increase our prices.
Overcharge you, especially for accommodations. Similar budget/hostel-style rooms can be found for as little as $10/night, sometimes even located right across the street from the Surf Camp. They also advertise one price but if you want to stay during the winter months, you must phone them to get a quote significantly higher than what is on their website.
Provide you with an outstanding selection of equipment. We have surf boards suited for beginners, intermediate, and expert surfers. We also have reliable, comfortable, and mechanically sound transportation.
Surfboard fleet consists mainly of beginner boards and cheap, generic, Made in China rentals. Many use run down vans or old, dirty, uncomfortable trucks, as well as unreliable boats.
Following Costa Rican environmental laws and having social responsibilities are a very high priority for us. We understand that we are foreigners and due to our attempts to fit into the community, we have gained respect from the local people. We also choose our business partners carefully, being sure that they are as socially and environmentally conscious as we are. We also work with local organizations doing beach clean-ups and recycling programs.
Most foreign owed surf operations are highly disliked by the local people as they have made a habit of exploiting the area. One Surf Camp has gone so far as to blatantly break the national Maritime Law by building their facility too close to the beach, thereby endangering the local ecosystem including the threatened Leatherback Turtles. They are also blamed by high profile local people as contributing to the shift in sand bars at the mouth of the extremely important estuary.
Surfing times around YOUR schedule, not ours. Some people prefer to surf the mornings and relax in the afternoons. Some people prefer to party at night, sleep in the mornings and surf in the afternoon. This is your surf vacation and you should get the most out of it.
As mentioned before, these Surf Camps try to group all their customers together to save themselves money. If you sleep through a lesson, they won't let you re-schedule. They also consume your vacation time with boring, lengthy seminars which you are paying for.
