We’ve come to the end of our first full season at the Surf Simply resort.For the next two months, as the rains fall hard in Nosara, the Surf Simply team have spread far and wide. We’ll all be back here in November though, ready for the sunshine and perfectly groomed off-shore waves which Playa Guiones produced so mechanically from mid-November onwards.

We’re sad to say goodbye to Alex, who is heading back to the UK to pursue a career in oceanography and marine biology. Al has been a cornerstone of Surf Simply for the last few years and we’re really sad to see him go (we luv ya Al).

Al put in hours of extra time video coaching young competitors from all over the States. Here, Becky and Al are with super groms Zale & Luca.

Al was also always a favorite among Surf Simply guests for his passionate approach to surf coaching (and his wild-man hair cut).

Al tucking into the shade at Playa Guiones, giving him a whole new perspective on oceanography.

We’re so stoked with how our first season has gone, and all our guests seem to have a had a good time too if their TripAdvisor reviews are anything to go by. The bookings are coming in fast and furious for next year with almost a third of the places available for the entire year already gone!

Here, cut together for your view pleasure by Sam, are some of our favorite moments from our last week at Surf Simply…

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The surf has been so fun here in Nosara over the last few days that we’ve all been getting pretty frothed up. Especially because in between sessions we’ve been watching the US Open live webcast. Check out Dane Reynold’s insane ariel that got him a 9.87 (below).

Gem (above), Luke and Sam (below) have all had the photographers snapping away at them in the water too, although the line up in Nosara is certainly a bit more mellow than the 100,000 or so people on the beach at in Huntington this week end.

Don’t miss the webcast as the chance to watch amazing surfers in real time is so invaluable to your own surfing. Much more useful than watching highlight clips pieced together retrospectively. You get to see how much they paddle, how they position themselves and how much they fall. Not to mention the commentators this year (namely Barton Lynch and Rabbit Bartholomew) are among some of the most experienced and articulate surfers on the planet and they provide some real insight into what’s going on. Here’s the link to the US Open webcast, enjoy…

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Last week was a beautiful week at the Surf Simply. Some great sessions were punctuated by heavy rain storms followed by the sun burning through the green steaming jungle.

We were joined by surfing honeymooners, Rachel and Murray, all the way from the biting cold waves of Scotland. They both were charging with Braveheartesque enthusiasm and got some sick waves (as you can see).

Murray nearly got barreled on this one although we think he was a bit too focussed to hear the hoots from the beach.

Deliciously bubbly school teacher Andrea’s expressions when riding waves seemed to be either intense concentration or beaming for ear to ear but not much in between.

Veteran surfer Rob caught some of those classic glassy Costa Rican waves which put the country on every surfer list of places to go. His toes are getting progressively closer to the nose too.

Matt, Dani and Camilla completed the perfect week with a wonderful combination of comedy moments, high fives and our favorite moment of the week, Camilla coming down the face of an over head wave in a perfect yoga pose. (Check all the photos on Facebook.)

Hope we see you all again…

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We were really stoked to read this article about us in Antenna Magazine. The uber trendy New York based, style and culture magazine dropped by for a visit a few months ago and recently published they’re findings. Read on below for they’re full report of Surf Simply or check it out in the free version of Antenna Mag, summer 2010 edition by clicking here…

For more on Antenna Magazine check out www.antennamag.com.

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Sambo (above left) stepped up to the editing plate again this week to produce another classic Surf Simply movie. Ian, Camilla, Michelle, Andre (above right) and Zsolt stayed with us a few weeks ago and it was a blast. Michelle and Zsolt ended up staying for two weeks and Camilla is still here doing her yoga teacher training at the Nosara Yoga Institute next door.

My favorite bits of the movie are Michelle’s sunset session with the GoPro camera at the end, Andre’s massive take offs and Ian’s first ever unbroken wave (you can’t beat the first time). I hope we’ll see you guys again and don’t forget to tell us about your future surfing exploits. We’re always stoked to get emails and photos from Surf Simply guests showing us the surfing they’ve done since staying with us. As a coach there’s nothing better.

Having a willingness to wipeout and not be too “precious” with your waves is one of the most import lessons to learn in surfing. It means that ultimately you progress a lot quicker and up enjoying the sport all the more as the years tick by. We, the Surf Simply team, secretly prefer a good wipeout photo to a shot of a great wave. There’s simply more entertainment value in it (just look at Ru’s Facebook profile pic). This week we managed to get some of our favorite all time wipeouts on camera and may we tip our collective hats and offer much kudos to all the protagonists.

Most good surfers wipe out on more waves than not, because they’re trying to do something new. That’s where the fun is in surfing. So a wipeout isn’t a fail, just as standing up and riding a wave isn’t necessarily a success. I think it was Rudyard Kipling who said that you need to “meet success and failure and treat both imposters just the same.” Good one Ruyard (he must have been a heavy shredder).

If you’ve put in the preparation and planning, you may wipeout over and over but eventually it will all come together. It’s only a matter on time.

Zsolt and Ian – putting it all together.

(This blog was sponsored by www.OneTravel.com the cheap flights website.)

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