By mwdguy , 08-05-2009

Killer wave - Surfed Boca Barranca today. Head high plus and breaking like a machine. Be prepared to do alot of paddling. I'd also recommend bringing some booties as the walk out to the break is on cobblestones with barnacles for about a 1/4 mile. I caught the longest left of my life. At least 300-400 yards. So long that my legs were quivering at the end. Then spent another 1/2 hour paddling back out. Easy trip from Hermosa. About 70 km and only takes about an hour. If the swell is pumping from the south or southwest and Hermosa is closing out, go here. You won't be dissapointed.

Pura Vida,
Mike

By Anonymous , 26-08-2007

Really Fun - Just got back from 8 days in Costa Rica and was lucky enough to get invited on an early morning run to Baranca from Playa Hermosa with a few local surfers. I was a little nervous having heard stories the night before about 8 foot crocs very near the lineup and extremely dirty water. We got there at 7am and the weather was absolutely perfect and the waves looked incredible, muddy, but incredible. The paddle out is sketchy and long, dirty river water flowing into the see, you lose sight of your hands as soon as there submerged in the water. Once you get out (15-20 mins) its a pretty amazing sight. Beautiful surroundings, big, fun left handers and an overall good, friendly atmosphere in the water. Don't get me wrong, the ticos wont think twice about burning you every time but when you do get a big one, or sit deep enough, it's definitely worth it. Really long rides, with a little juice right at the beginning. Definitely worth paddling out to for the experience alone, should you get a minute ++ left handers and the back breaking paddle back out that goes along with it, your stoked.

By Jason , 05-02-2007

Boca - This place is changing! Just went there last week, the swell was very small, we checked it twice and only surfed it once at knee to thigh high and choppy on a dead low tide. The place smells at low tide but i have never felt sick after surfing there.

The old parking area is gone, replaced by a new stone wall belonging to the new development (you can still park underneath the cantina at the end of the street for 2ooo Colones. The place was even crowded at less than knee high on a higher tide when it was actually breaking better right! Glad I caught a few good days there in the past, because the future of Boca is looking crowded!

By Olagrande , 29-12-2006

nice but dirty - One of my longest left's i've ridden. The water is definitly filthy. I met locals that surf this spot often, and i dont know how they can stand it. Easy spot to find, and easy paddle out. I felt sick for days afterwards.

By surfbeavernsb@yahoo.com , 11-12-2006

Poop water - Really fun if you like lefts, but just be aware that the water here is beyond disgusting, and this is definately one of the more shitty places (ambience wise) in Costa Rica. There is a hospital up Rio Barranca that dumps all of its shit into the water, so if you get cut be prepared for a nasty infection. Also, the bottom here is a all flat river rock, but in between them, the cracks are lined with nasty little barnacles. These little bastards will cut your feet for sure, so be careful!

By fitzsimmons , 30-11-2006

- im the best barrell rider you will ever see ya little munches

By Cesar (csarseque@yahoo.com) , 20-11-2006

Some advice - Be careful with the rocks in the bottom just getting in the water on the right of the river mouth because the rocks, which are supposed to be flat, are all covered with some kind of sharp volcano-shaped shells that can make serious wounds on your feet (like me). They are actually harmful during lowtide because it's really hard to paddle in without crashing your fins against the bottom, and the current is so strong that you can't help landing on you feet and steping on the "rocks". A good way to get in the water is to walk along the small cliff across the rivermouth and pass a tiny beach to get to the rocky point. Then, paddle in a few meters to the right until you find some cool lefties.

By Anonymous , 17-09-2006

nice, but be careful. - The hidden danger here is the water. My friend cut his leg out there with his fin. After it got stitched up .. he got an infection that took a youngest strongest person I know to overcome not losing his leg and having blood poisoning from this cut. I cant count how many times we had to get antibiotic injections. My theory is that if I am going to risk my life out surfing - I want the wave to kill me not the sewage. Ride plastic fins out here - the wave isnt demanding.. sounds crazy but Im serious. You dont want to get cut here.

By you guys are stoked , 11-03-2006

yep - damn this place looks fun... man im just grueling it, working all the time in a building, back hurts, no waves like this where i live... high cost of living not much vacation time. i wish i was as lucky as you folks going and traveling around to places like this and just enjoying life. when i was a grom society used to frown upon us surfers, but now surfing is a big trend and big business and everybody is out capitalizing on it and having fun traveling to these surf camps and partying down with the new surfer girls. yep its a lot different now and you folks got it made... im not old, just amazed at how everything has changed. even punk music is now used to sell oreo cookies and Ford Ranger trucks and stuff. what a trip... where do i belong now? Probably in an office... definitely not in a lineup full of 6 months newbie Shielas who act like they knew the Duke, and whipper snapper ripper snappers who buy $600 sticks and measure surfing by how many flip-whip skateboard tricks they can pull,or with pros sponsored by General Motors and Mountain Dew Amp Cola who blast Rage Against the Machine and have never read a book or given away a wave in their lives. That being said, I'm jealous of anyone who can make it out to Boca Barrance on a big swell...

By Niiicce , 31-01-2006

uumm yesss - uummm yes umm this place is so nice... Puntarenas is one of the best towns in Costa Rica uummm yes oh yeah very nice... you can rent a room in a very nice dilapidated shack right out front of here oohhh uummm so nice... the water is so refreshing especially after a rain fall... surfing with dead cow carcasses and trash bags right in the line up with the beautiful brown sewage water yess oh yes so nice... i heard you could surf 15-20 foot waves here back in 1946 oh that must have been so nice oh yeah niicccee... too bad the ocean doesn't make waves that big in this part anymore otherwise that would be nice