The RipJack Inn is a beachfront hotel on Costa Rica’s famous Gold Coast in Guanacaste. It is a family-owned and operated establishment that has long appealed to many different walks of life from all corners of the globe. Playa Grande has a special way of grabbing and holding onto people. Many who visit Playa Grande, often return many more times and sometimes even decide to relocate here somewhere along the way. The RipJack Inn is a sort of epicenter where locals and visitors alike find that home-away-from-home atmosphere.
The RipJack Inn in Playa Grande, Costa Rica is a hotel for…
The RipJack Inn is more than just a hotel, it is a home for the first time and the returning visitor to Playa Grande. Dave, Annie, Luli, and the entire staff at the RipJack Inn are all one big loving family. That warm family feeling is extended to everyone who sets foot here, whether in the hotel, the restaurant, the bar, or the yoga shalas. Even Playa Grande locals frequent the RipJack Inn for a post-surf breakfast, sunset cocktails, and weekly live music.
One of two pools
Perfectly positioned right across the street from one of the main beach access paths, the RipJack Inn is the epicenter of the coastal neighborhood of Playa Grande. It is a place where everyone knows or quickly learns your name. It a place where you know you can always go and feel like you belong there.
It is this friendly and welcoming energy that attracts surfers, yogis, families, couples, friends, and solo travelers from around the globe. It is also for this reason that many people who stay at the RipJack Inn once, often come back again. There is nothing quite like feeling like you are home and part of a community when you are thousands of miles away from your actual home.
Healthy, happy family and friends
In recent years, the RipJack Inn has also become a popular destination for yoga, surf, and fitness retreats; student group trips and weddings. Between two yoga shalas, two pools, a restaurant, a bar, and immediate access to the beach and surf, the location doesn’t get much better than this in Playa Grande. There is also a diverse selection of rooms, suites, and bungalows to choose from.
A place of love
Wedding parties have rented out the entire RipJack Inn to host one of the most romantic moments of any couple’s life. Ceremonies are usually conducted on the beach around sunset, dinner is served upstairs, and the party carries on into the night around the pool. Of course, you can customize your day however you see fit. Your guests will likely be delighted that they get to celebrate your love in one of the most magical places in Northern Guanacaste. You’ll feel like you are getting married at a beloved family member’s home.
There is nothing impersonal about staying at and spending time at the RipJack Inn. You might arrive as a guest, but you will surely leave as a member of the RipJack Inn family.
You may have noticed that it is particularly windy these days. If you are a surfer, you have definitely noticed that those strong winds are predominantly offshore. Every year, starting sometime in December and usually lasting through March, the Papagayo wind returns to the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.
With these winds come perfectly groomed waves and colder water temperatures. You can also expect the occasional sand blasts to the body on the beach and falling tree branches; so, watch out! The summer months in Costa Rica rival the cliché Groundhog’s Day. Every day is sunny, dry, and very windy. Record wind gusts have been recorded at 70 mile per hour!
Have you ever wondered why though? Why is this wind so predictable and where does it come from?
Without getting too technical, here’s a brief breakdown of the seasonal phenomenon known as the Papagayo wind. Simply put, wind is caused by air flowing from high pressure to low pressure areas. The strong offshore wind that you are experiencing right now actually originates in North America and flows across the Gulf of Mexico.
There are three zones in Central America were these high-pressure systems escape to low-pressure areas. Lake Nicaragua is one of these zones, and the one that affects Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast.
“In winter, cold high-pressure weather systems move southward from North American over the Gulf of Mexico. These high-pressure systems create strong pressure gradients between the atmosphere over the Gulf of Mexico and the warmer, moister atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. Just as a river flows from high elevations to lower elevations, the air in the high-pressure system will “flow” downhill toward lower pressure, but the Cordillera mountains block the flow of air, channeling it through Chivela Pass in Mexico, Lake Nicaragua in Nicaragua, and the Gillard Cut in Panama.”
Part of the food chain
These consistent gusty winds also cause the warmer surface water in the ocean to mix with the cooler nutrient-dense water the lies just a bit deeper. An entire food chain actually depends on the algae blooms that take place along the Pacific Coast when the nutrients are brought up from the depths.
Aside from blessing surfers with perfect surf winds, this seasonal wind is one of the main ingredients for the summer feast that takes place in the ocean.
Surfing in Summer in Costa Rica
The Papagayo winds are here to stay for the next couple of months, so brace yourself and enjoy the summer surfs in Costa Rica! And to answer your question, yes it will be offshore tomorrow in Playa Grande.
Between working, taking care of our families, keeping up with some sort of social life, managing our finances, planning for the future, and possibly even volunteering or attending community benefits, our agendas are booked up week after week. Then throw in all of the stimulus our eyes, brains, and souls face on a daily basis from the constant barrage of the media, politics, social media and mindless entertainment.
It’s no wonder many of us feel stressed, anxious, sleep deprived, and in serious need of a vacation.
Do you dream of days on end where you can sleep in, nourish your body with healthy and fresh food that you don’t have to personally prepare, bask in the sunshine, walk barefoot in the sand, practice yoga, finish a book, and simply do nothing but listen to the sounds of nature from the hug of a hammock?
It sounds like you need and want a wellness escape! And you deserve one, we all do! The RipJack Inn makes it possible for you to create your very own wellness retreat with very little effort. Basically, all you have to do is book your ticket to Costa Rica, reserve your room at the RipJack Inn, pack your bags, and voila!
Welcome home
The RipJack Inn has all the ingredients readily available for a proper wellness escape.
Daily Yoga
Yoga is offered throughout the week at the RipJack Inn in one of two of our yoga shalas. Meditation, special full moon ceremonies, workshops, and other mind and body classes are regularly hosted, as well.
Healthy and Delicious Meal Choices
Our menu is a fusion of traditional Costa Rican flavors and international favorites. Our dishes feature a lot of fresh fruit, vegetables, and locally-caught fish. We have acai bowls, veggie bowls, and plenty of salads. Our menu also includes some pretty sinfully delicious dishes too!
Your body will thank you!
Clean Cocktails and Smoothies
Think fresh tropical fruit juices and frozen concoctions made from scratch.
It doesn’t get any fresher!
Direct Beach Access
The path to the beach is directly in front of the RipJack Inn. How convenient, right? On the other side of this beautiful path is miles of beach and plenty of oceanfront space to have entirely to yourself.
We also recommend taking naps, lounging by either one of our pools, and making it down to the beach every evening to watch the sun set into the sea. We all need a little time to rest and rejuvenate. The benefits of treating yourself to a wellness vacation are immediate and long-lasting! Let us help you help yourself. Hit the easy button today.
You’ve learned all about ocean currents, tides, and the sun as they relate to safety and the sport of surfing in the previous post of this two-part comprehensive surf safety guide. Now we would like to share with you some safety information and tips relating to marine life, surf equipment, and other surfers.
The more you know, the safer you will be out in the sea.
Marine Life
Costa Rica has a thriving marine ecosystem. When you enter the ocean, you are entering the territory of hundreds of different species of animals. It is important that you respect the ocean and those who call it home.
While most marine wildlife interactions are completely harmless and pose no real danger, it is important to know the potential hazards.
Small jellyfish and sea lice are not uncommon, especially when cool underwater currents flush sea life to the surface. Getting stung by a jellyfish or sea lice while surfing in Playa Grande isn’t a life or death type of situation, but it can be uncomfortable.
Typically, the stinging sensation dissipates within a few minutes. If you find that you are getting stung a lot, it is probably a good idea to get out of the water to avoid being very itchy later.
Stingrays
Stingrays are very common in Costa Rica. These relatives of the shark are graceful and harmless unless you accidentally step on one. The best way to avoid this unfortunate and very painful accident is to shuffle your feet when you are walking in the shallows. Shuffling your feet will alert the stingrays of your approach and give them time to swim away.
Shark and crocodile sightings are very uncommon, however, the estuary that separates Playa Grande from Tamarindo has a very healthy population of crocodiles and they do from time to time like to swim out to sea. It is best to avoid surfing or swimming near the estuary.
As far as sharks go, if you see one, just calmly exit the water. You are not on their menu, but it is better just to play it safe. It is also a good idea to avoid surfing or swimming when you see large congregations of small fish in the shallows. This happens throughout the year and these “bait balls” or large schools of fish do attract larger predators.
Always check your equipment before you go surfing. Make sure that your leash isn’t compromised in any way. Check to make sure there aren’t any dings, cracks, or breaks in your board and that your fins and track pad are securely in place.
Surfing is a sport that requires your utmost attention, awareness, and present mindedness. Always look in front of you, behind you, and to your left and right before you drop into a wave. When you are surfing around a lot of other people it is your job to make sure that you don’t put yourself or anyone else in harm’s way by being reckless.
Respect your surfing ability, know your place in the line-up, wait your turn, and follow the rules. There are enough waves for everyone. It is not worth risking an injury or damaged surfboard because you think the wave on the horizon is the last wave that will ever roll through.
Above all, trust your instincts and listen to your inner intuition. Don’t put yourself in obviously dangerous situations, such as trying to surf when the waves are above your ability, the currents are too strong, when the ocean is blooming with sea lice, or when it feels sharky or a bit sketchy.
Now, grab your board, paddle out, have fun, and be safe!
Unlike other sports where the playing field is constant or predictable, surfing is a sport with an element of infinite surprise. No two sessions are ever the same. There are multiple factors that play into what makes a surf break work, including tide, wind, and swell direction, height, and period. Then throw in ocean currents, marine life, and other surfers and you have an ever-changing playground.
It is this continuously changing environment that makes surfing so appealing and difficult. Because there are so many factors, surfing can be dangerous if you are not cognizant of the semi-avoidable hazards. For the most stoke-provoking and safe surf session, you must be well-versed in the following components that make up the sport of surfing.
Ocean currents
To the untrained eye, ocean currents, such as rip currents are nearly invisible. It is only when you get stuck in a current that you will get a glimpse of the ocean’s underlying strength. It is important when you are surfing, especially if you aren’t in top surf shape, to pay attention and not let yourself get sucked out too far from the line-up. Paddling back in against the current can be exhausting.
Rip currents can be very dangerous if you don’t understand them, get caught in one, and panic. Read “Safety and Wellness Tips to Follow While in Costa Rica” for a brief lesson on this particular common type of current and how to get out of one.
There are two high tides and two low tides every day. The tides will change every day (usually between 30 and 60 minutes) and the length of time between tides varies from place to place but is typically around every six hours. The moon cycle also affects how big the tides are. The difference between low and high tide in Playa Grande is quite impressive and sometimes upwards up 10 feet.
Different breaks work best around different tides. Playa Grande is usually at its best from a mid to high tide or high to mid tide. However, if you are a beginner surfer, surfing at a lower tide might be more desirable since the strength and size of the waves isn’t usually as strong or big.
Sometimes in Playa Grande, when the tide is particularly high there can be a backwash effect. If you are surfing when this is happening, be extra careful as this presents an added level unpredictability and challenge.
While you should always wear sunscreen when out in the sun and in the surf (reef-friendly sunscreen, of course), it is incredibly important to do so in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is only 10 degrees north of the equator and due to this close proximity the sun is extra strong here; not to mention the added strength from the reflection on the ocean. A wicked sunburn can wreck your surf vacation.
Also, unlike other sports where you visibly sweat and have easy access to water or other hydrating liquids, when you are surfing it is far more difficult to gauge dehydration. Between the beating sun and the constant paddling and movement, you are losing a lot of water even if you don’t realize it. Dehydration is dangerous. Make sure that you drink plenty of water before you go for a surf and to rehydrate often.
*This portion of the surf guide will be split into two parts. Part two will include safety information regarding marine life, surf equipment, and other surfers, and the importance of trusting your intuition.
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