DOÑA ANA 1973 🔥 THE BEST WAVE IN COSTA RICA 😲 EXTINCT & UNSEEN 😲 DONA ANA SURF TRIP

[@Heavymetalhettel]

l actually recalled that when I got to Miami intl airport to fly out, Lacsa Airlines was charging $20 to get my board on the plane. When I hit the ground in San Jose I had 80 bucks. That lasted a whole month.

[@junglechick13]

Unfortunately those days are long gone.

[@RealSurfStories]

Incredible story bro, thanks so much for sharing it with us!!

[@booklover3959]

I love this video for about twenty reasons....and there not all about surfing. Talk about living the dream in a magic era in a magic place.

[@jaimepiza1076]

Waw! What a valuable documentary! the train and the train stops in the Costa Rica I grew up... almost made my cry! And yes, Doña Ana was for me the best and most enjoyable experience surfing on late teens, from 1976 to 1980 ... some times it was solid 6 feet! and what I remember as most wonderful experience besides the wonderful waves, was paddling over the river to get to the beach after very rainy days... with such a push from the big river. Thanks for sharing this. btw, Jesus started surfing some how later around 78 but Secundino was surfing since maybe by 72. His father was one of the cross the river in boat service providers at Boca de Barranca.

[@Paradice351]

I will always remember my first trip there in '91. A place to stay for 5 of us was under $10 and camping on the beach was safe and free.

[@seandenneyhomes]

Love footage like this. Lived in Mal Pais for 5 years met a Tica and got married. Love Tiquicia (Costa Rica)

[@RealSurfStories]

Awesome, hope that works out for you!

[@michaela2427]

Dona Ana is like a protected bay/lake now..as it was in late 80s when I got there. Surf-tip ....Dona Ana is a state park with parking lot and bathrooms and concessions. It was closed when I saw it recently. We would park there and walk out on the beach and climb the rocks. From there you could jump into the take off spot.... avoiding the long paddle out. To leave the water you couldn't climb the rocks so you had to paddle all the way around the point to get back to la playa Dona Ana

[@gsmarin1]

Great history Marco as I remember that Era quite well surfing with Kevin and Merefith, Gary Jones, Steve Loveand yourself. I scored Big because we heard about this place south of Cauhita which is where the road ended. So we finally made it down to Old Harbor, and found incredible Hawaiian Style Barrels that we surfed all alone in 1978, and you were around as well during those early days

[@marcofidelvargasrodriguez7206]

My father used to surf there, he says when it good big and good from Dona Ana the wave would connnect all the way to Barranca. That would make it the longest left in the world.

[@petroniojulius4676]

My beutifull and peacefull contry🇨🇷🇨🇷🇨🇷 thanks PURA VIDA

[@KurtWiese-xu1vx]

Love this video, brings back great memories. 1972 Spring Break from Canal Zone college, made the trip to check out the surf in CR. Drove unpaved road over fogged in Mt of the Dead listening to Led Zep stairway to heaven for first time, what a trip!. Went to Pta Arenas and surfed Barranca because that was the only break we knew about at the time. Long rolling lefthander, lots of fun. Stopped off there again a few times driving back and forth from Texas to Panama. 1970s were the best for road trips thru Central America and Mexico.

[@arturocordoba4841]

Puravida gori excelente documental grandes recuerdos que tiempos amigo

[@williamhanley7031]

First trip was 89. Salsa bravo. Back then even it wasn't tottaly exhausted by tourists

[@marinat627]

Great video from a countrynI used to love and call home for over 20 years. I remember Marco from the Tamarindo days of the '90s. Special place and people.

[@creature_of_the_undergroun261]

That's a story. So awesome.

[@johncarlson4116]

Thanks for the precious memories. My best surf buddy and I set up at Boca in early March of 76 for a month and found Dona Ana as a hollower alternative to Boca's long wave. It gave me a chance to work on my switch stance while I was there. What we also found was Third Point and I am glad that was mentioned. The further south you rode, the hollower the waves were. This was a paddle only spot and when you ate it at Third Point you could not help but imagine yourself being slammed into the no beach rock cliff wall. The backwash off that no beach wall helped push you away from any serious injury. I know Dona Ana was destroyed and have always hoped Third Point could have survived. It appears it did not. Third Point was a hollow wave any surfer would appreciate and being only accessible by paddling kept the crowds down even more at the time. One of our friends from Fl., Jack, had shipped his Bronco over and set up at Boca. We were totally feral at the time and appreciated his set up with an actual house while we roughed it in a tent, or in my case a jungle hammock strung between two palm trees for our first month in CR. Precious times they have been ever since. Thanks for the memories that will last a lifetime.

[@Heavymetalhettel]

Si, mucho!

[@Heavymetalhettel]

I never saw a wave connect from 3rd to 2nd but when I sat as deep as possible at 2nd I could look right into the barrel at 3rd. I saw a big shark cruising between 2 and 3 and was afraid to ever paddle over there! But as you see we caught it good

[@johncarlson4116]

@@Heavymetalhettel What was not seen while out at Third Point is small comfort. That rock wall with no beach was the only imagined threat until we experienced the backwash keeping us relatively safe. No worries, or so we thought at the time. haha The thought of the men in gray suits never came to mind. Then again, we were young and fearless. I must relate what we found a month later in April on CR's Caribbean coast. After a week in Cahuita we blindly hitched a ride south to Puerto Viejo in a VW van packed to the hilt with a family who somehow made room for us and our boards. When we pulled up to the inside the bay closed out beach break, we all jumped out and the family wanted to see us surf. In the distance we could see the peeling waves off the point and knew that was where we wanted to paddle out. They obliged and drove us out there. There was nothing else there at the time in Viejo but Sandford's restaurant out on the point. The local busses would not drive any further either. It was quite a hike when a couple of days later we took the earliest bus south at 5am and had to hike at least a mile with our gear out to Sandfords. We were lucky that Sandford had a one room shack off the beach for us to crash in. There was nothing else at the time. That whole month of April of '76 the surf never dropped below a couple of feet overhead. When it jumped up, it was easily double to triple overhead. This was long before the earthquake raised the seabed and eliminated the wave that we came to love. During our month long stay the wave would peak up and barrel through three to four sections. I distinctly recall dropping into that peak and pulling into that barrel and watching the lip move back and forth through those four sections while staying in the tube the whole time. The view, well, what more can be said. I recently saw a video of that wave and it was nothing like it was when we came upon it in April of '76. A couple of hundred yards long barreling the whole way is long gone now. There was no left back then. We used a key hole in reef off the point near Sandfords for an easy paddle out, and good timing of course. we could paddle out dry headed and save the wet for the tube. I did return in the late 80's and found I was lucky to have found it when I did. A large full time resident population had sprung up along with many places to stay. The wave was not the same. Not even close. The earthquake lifting of the sea floor in the 80's ? had done a number on that once incredible multi barreling hundreds yards long wave. The discovery we make ourselves without Surfline or word of mouth carries a value for all our days. I know my surf buddy and I pretty much kept out mouths shut out of respect for all the tubes we shared with no one else in town, if it was even called a town at that time. Now back to the Pacific side. Sorry, not sorry for the diversion. haha

[@Heavymetalhettel]

@@johncarlson4116 hi John where do you live now?

[@captainscottlum2371]

Very cool thanks for sharing. This reminds me of a trip back in the 90's I made with Bill Haney who had Ocean Image Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach at the time. I had to the leave accommodations I was staying at (The RioMar hotel), I ended up staying just on the other side of the river with another friend Denny who was staying in a small shack owned by a Tico commercial fisherman by the name of Choos, he also fixed surfboards, he had some really cool old photos in his shaping room of triple overhead Barranca.

[@RamFly1A1]

This is my home, I was born here, I walked all this mountains, and now my children walk in them, many come by , but we will keep here talking about el duende que camina , . Home. Pura Vida 🇨🇷

[@RealSurfStories]

Buena nota

[@sunsensational]

This is a gold mine. Finding lost footage of one of the first true surf safari expeditions. Wow. Really brings back memories of my own trips in the late 80s.

[@jkp1238]

Wow no tiene precio este video....🏄‍♂️😎🏄‍♀️👍👍👍

[@dudeleboski2692]

That is so cool

[@timothytice3074]

So sweet thank you

[@williamhanley7031]

Wow, now I know why I never herd of this place. Stated to comment before it was finished

[@icysurfer1]

Marco's a legend. Great Vid. I was first there in around 1988. Tamarindo. Last there June 2021. I love the country, it has changed a bit for the worse, but still great. For a solo Guy Surfer.

[@rulialvarez6594]

Thank you, I really enjoy It

[@williamhanley7031]

Got to be stoked to have this under your belts. Tottaly scoring . Pioneers of the day for surfing Costa Rica. Insane I've been there 8 times and never herd of that left . Still haven't even ride bocca. I go off the beaten path to score empty waves if I can. There's plenty. May not be total quality like some other known but sure beats smelling cologne and hygienic products while you're surfing . Epic story

[@Batichango]

I used to go with my family when I was a kid in the 80's, to a house really close to that beach, half a mile maybe, we used to go to the Barranca river and cross it to go to Doña Ana beach, lots of crocs also. Great footage, lots of memories, thanks!

[@barrymulharan8637]

Been there twice, mid eighties, and early 2000. Great waves!!!

[@edwardippoliti626]

Thank you for sharing ,never knew this place existed, but it's all time !!

[@Centralcoastagliving]

Cool story and footage T

[@davidhutchison3952]

Good history documentations. Thank you!

[@lauramurphy5169]

Wow! What great history. John Kelly who formed Save Our Surf, one of the early surf conservation groups taught us that waves can go extinct through development and destruction of rivers that flow to the sea. This is a true representation of this. Amazing documentary.

[@RealSurfStories]

🎯

[@josymarfuentesv4242]

I want to cry ❤

[@misael369]

cho

[@fernandofrazao]

Me 2

[@guyfitter3006]

Yes this is so sad to see it so deep and flat now, and how good it was!

[@Aldoztytyoutube]

Sige siendo hermoso

[@NationalHIT]

That was rad!

[@SlimJimIce80]

Awesome story

[@xx7101]

Fantastico

[@rachelflair4835]

Thanks for sharing this gem.

[@randyneilson7465]

Lucky you. I was one of the last to ride Killer Dana. Great memories

[@schreds]

my first trip to costa rica was in 81-82 and it was the wild west i cant even imagine any earlier , beautiful footage ,, those early daze of freedom and exploration sad to say are long gone

[@RealSurfStories]

It's different now but the days of freedom and exploration are better now than ever!! Still finding new spots.

[@BikeHikeBotany]

great stuff. I love seeing old footage of CR. I've surfed Boca Barranca before. Can't imagine what it was like back in 1973. 🤩Thanks for sharing this story. Pura vida

[@michaelscurr9046]

Thanks. great story about your travels.❤

[@ericcasey506]

Love it I have surfed all those spots except valor. See ya in the water bless

[@stephenmmccabe59]

First went to CR in early 90s and headed to Tamarindo. We soon learned of a long left on the way called Boca Barranca so would stay at the big hotel in front. More than once I was only one out in overhead sets. We made friends with a young Tico who taught us to avoid the long paddle out by going across the rivermouth and entering there. This was well after Dona Ana of course.our local friend also showed us a secret spot , the name I forget, that was well off the beaten path and we had to ourselves. Mainly lefts with a take off right in front of some rocks. It worked best at high tide for some reason. We stopped going since the road was blocked by a large tree and the walk was too far.

[@walkonwatertv7744]

Incredible TR!!

[@2HitWonder]

WOW! Amazing footage about a golden era in Costa Rica. I was born in 72, started surfing in 82, but didn't make it to Costa Rica until 2005. Caught some good days at Boca, but have never seen a wave break around Dona. Also caught some fun days further south, as shown in the map near the end. Thanks for sharing your story. What an amazing time to surf travel that must have been.

[@surfdetective]

Great share……thanks

[@deborahcrane5979]

parque DonaAnn now. I had a blast on a 5 turns down the line but could not paddle thru the river mouth. Current too strong and my noodle arms were gone. I had to get out and walk back to DonaAnn on the highway.my feet still are sore but what a great ride.

[@alfonsomanuelrivas3769]

Excelente mae...grandes momentos 🌊💪🤙 Pasión sin límites 🤙

[@IndialanticRob]

Very cool video

[@wescheslak9408]

What a great video. ❤

[@marceloliveira6212]

Amazing little doccumentary. I can feel the nostalgia.

[@dennisparker1363]

Wow. I love this. You guys had a such a amazing experience.

[@noahfigueras]

Crazy! A month ago in my first trip to Costa Rica. I was coming back from the ferry in punta arenas and I saw this really long left with no one surfing. Looked it up online and it was boca barranco.

[@carloslaertef.dasilva30]

Sensacional registro para história do surf. Grande postagem parabéns.

[@RealSurfStories]

Valeu irmao

[@longboardarian6790]

Great video my friends 🤙🏼

[@LakeMeadowsAdventures]

Beautifully put together! love how you went into the localism an said it very respectful but in true manner.

[@adambamf9365]

cool story

[@chilltime4878]

Surfed Boca in 04. Even paddled out that damn river. I don’t think I would paddle out the river again at 48. Those crocs were huge!

[@atlanticearthaerials6197]

This is awesome! The sense of adventure and the unknown is really captivating to listen to. Thank you for sharing

[@badbeatbilly8997]

Cool story bro

[@RealSurfStories]

Yeah man. So stoked they trusted me with it!

[@johngillem5435]

Good one Tony! Numerous times we would have to paddle out at Dona Ana when Boca was 10’+ just to try and get outside. And often very sketchy!

[@RealSurfStories]

epic Johnny!!

[@Muddminnows]

Gold!🙌🏼

[@Hrmn8tor]

So good man!

[@2stroke984]

Really enjoyed this. Thank you.

[@michaelwertz6689]

Awesome stuff!

[@jamespardue3055]

Priceless footage!!!! I took my first Baja trip that year, and yeah, we had 7 foot single pins. You guys got it GOOD. Kudos!!

[@CRsurfCostaRica]

What a sick left! I'm glad at least Boca Barranca is still around. Great to see Marco and Coldino in the vid, too.

[@wedepeixmen]

sin palabras...oro puro una vez mas

[@bombietours]

Marcos is a great friend of mine. He kind of took me under his wing in Hermosa when I moved there in 96. Showed me around and hung out together. He is really down to earth and shows you the Pura Vida way. He was also in The Endless Summer 2 as the tour guide. Kind of funny story but he helped me choose the name for my first son. Great guy. He is up in Tamarindo shaping boards and enjoying family life. Pura Vida🌴

[@RealSurfStories]

Marco is the Real Deal.

[@Sonofawildanimal]

This is awesome 🙏🏼

[@mikeockslong5409]

Paddling across boca barranca...crazy 🐊

[@ValverdeLeov]

Increíble poder ver esto después de tantas historias.

[@dennisthemenace57]

When surfing was still pure

[@brianlong9566]

Yep right above BB rivermouth. I saw it break but there were a bunch of caiman

[@Heavymetalhettel]

I purchased a bungee cord as my first leash in 73 0:46 so we could surf in front of the cliffs at Dona Ana

[@h.carterballii27]

sick!

[@babypapaya8229]

I’ve been lucky enough to surf Boca Barranca on a solid swell and we were always warned that the river mouth was full of crocodiles. I can’t imagine paddling across it

[@bombietours]

We would jump in it to get out quicker at low tide. Good waves make you do crazy things. The current was always fast on the low going out tide so not much to worry about but for sure keep a eye out I have seen a few crocs there before.🐊

[@ehlava]

like many I had a great sizable day at boca, car parked understory at condinos, about 20 years ago, those long walks back up the beach after thigh burning rides. if I recall correctly there is a pullout on the S side of the bridge and locals would dangle chicken off ropes so the crocs would jump out to get them. could be confusing the bridge tho, been a while.

[@misael369]

INSANE

[@aland.549]

Great vid. What song starts at 6:50

[@datapusher-]

Very cool. 200 bucks for a month? What a time!

[@Heavymetalhettel]

100!

[@captainscottlum2371]

The interview part starting at 10:19 looks like it was filmed at The RioMar Hotel?

[@Heavymetalhettel]

there was no Rio Mar Hotel yet, only Chenita's

[@claytonjones8358]

Got to surf Pavones with my pops in 05. Ran into a friend from Texas. Surf was pumping. Super fun time

[@randyparker8590]

I like the part where the guy mentions "chuz".i would go talk to chuz alot about fisbing and surfboards and our mutual freind "kapper years ago at his place by the river.

[@RealSurfStories]

Classic!

[@randyparker8590]

I really should make an effort to go see chuz soon.been a long time.

[@rainsandshop]

Epic, we now surf EL HOYO

[@kevinmiller4138]

Does it even break still?

[@aland.549]

Music score is awesome. Got any names to those bands

[@RealSurfStories]

Music: St. Gohmen, Tsee

[@aland.549]

@@RealSurfStories thanks amigo. Passed CR on a sail boat from Panama and stayed a month in April 96. Solo missions with the locals to some secret spots. You have to really know the tides. Amen.

[@aland.549]

@@RealSurfStories tsee mud rocks

[@luissimarro9843]

Buena musica

[@narcisosotomayor5596]

Who’s playing?

[@xisotopex]

so dona ana was further south? before the port? or between caldera and barranca?

[@RealSurfStories]

Driving north to south: it was both. Between Caldera and Barranca- before the port.

[@Heavymetalhettel]

right next to Boca Barranca of the south

[@dudeleboski2692]

We must stop the destruction of all these precious spots

[@mauriciocalderon8641]

que nostalgia, respetos a Cundino

[@jerometotes5311]

I missed the explanation somehow in watching this. What happened to the Doña Ana surf spot?

[@RealSurfStories]

9:36

[@davidmunozmartinez1955]

Where can I find that music?

[@RealSurfStories]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5TXdYZtrbh0gMk

[@Hotwire_RCTrix]

Still riding a 7+ and the reason is simple, 1 board for most conditions. You may be as talented as Kelly Slater but I'm only human.

[@TastyPockets]

Is Tom DeMoss the same guy as Tommy Moss the shaper for Driftwood Surfboards in the 90s?

[@Heavymetalhettel]

no he's a retired fishing guide

[@chrisculley3756]

This is cool as s*** and I always remembered Costa Rica Venus lost little gem that nobody knew about. Until I think the Endless Summer 2 came out. I remember correctly Gerry Lopez was living down there. I mean Costa Rica was all I talked about back in college back in 91 trying to convince a couple of dudes to go live there for a year. Still pissed off that I didn't just say f*** them and go myself. RLTW 3/75

[@rodgallagher5566]

Great surf history!?????????

[@siestam44]

The filmer had no idea we’d be frothing so hard over this footage in 2023

[@FelipeMartinBaileyFigueiredo]

Quien toca primera canción? The one song?

[@RealSurfStories]

St Gohmen, "El Tren" (Costa Rica- 1971)

[@alienal8278]

What happened to Alex ??

[@alienal8278]

Barranca !!!!

[@lucabentivoglio7538]

Correction my dear fellows, I was surfing Doña Ana and Barrancas with a few pals from Venezuela in 1973 and we were already exploring breaks in Limón such as Playa Bonita and Portete. Between 1973 and 1974 we surfed Matapalos, Pavones, Tamarindo, Avellanas and Punta Vita, where we surfed alone for days end. The only break that had some surfers from the USA was Barrancas and your footage seems to be a bit crowded for 1973. I was there and surfed by myself many times. I guess everyone likes to write their own story. You can ask some of the first tico surfers if this rings true. Anyhow, your video is nice.

[@lucabentivoglio7538]

I meant Punta Uvita

[@RealSurfStories]

Correction of what? In this movie no one ever claimed to have discovered anything. They told the story of their surf trip and experience.

[@Heavymetalhettel]

I stand corrected about Pavones. And the footage is 74. I was there only in 73 and then started going back a couple years later. For a couple days a few guys showed up but usually no one out for most of the month. I didnt know anything about CR personally when I first went in 1973, but we did have intell from a couple Fl surfers who had been there. We also encountered a board left by Roger Kincaid of Cocoa. When Chris was in El Salvador in 71 he made friends with a SFL surfer who had been surfing the central coast of CR since 1969, mostly alone. He was the main source for us.