sv evi

06/01/2006, Costa Rica, Part 3

Courtney was recently certified in Utila, Honduras yet her demeanor below the surface was that of an ole pro. In no time we had doubled and tripled her logged dives. These conditions are more difficult than your standard dive charter. Dinghy diving takes practice and often the toughest part of our excursions is loading/unloading bulky, heavy gear, at anchorage and in an unpredictable ocean swell, from the decks of Guava. The reward of private sites and the interaction with curious (not spooked from a crowd) marine life is the payoff.

When not scubadiving we have been freediving twice a day. When possible we actually prefer this freedom to the heavy gear and as our skills improve the subsurface time does too. When relaxed and applying a few efficeincy tricks you can remain submerged for a surprisingly long time. Practicing these skills may prove valuable in an emergency situation. There have been many instances when i have freed fouled anchors for other cruisers.

Before leaving northern Guanacaste, Guava was left at anchor in Playa Panama while we travelled inland for two weeks to visit my friends from Seattle, Tim and Robin. They live in the mountains between San Jose and the coast on their property Ranchomastatal. (See Ranchomastatal in the index)

The end of June put Guava anchored at Playa Conchal. Back in 1992 on my first extended travel (I back-packed thru central america for six months) i spent nearly three months based on this beach honing my diving skills. There was nothing here then (now exists an exclusive resort) and the beauty of the surroundings remain intact. Accomodations then consisted of a tent on the beach and food options were what we cooked on the camp stove. Having Hotel Guava Jelly was five star in comparison.

Returning to Montezuma, then a small hippie village, was a treat tho it too had grown. Dozens of hotels and resturants have sprouted since my last visit. The real gem of this area is the waterfall hike outside of town. That incidently has not changed. 30 minutes up river is an incredible 100ftwaterfall, the source above a 60ft waterfall which has been the sight of many Rick swan dives. On this visit while surveying the launch and landing site, the local kids, thinking i was building up the nerve, were urging me to jump off into the small pool far below. Playing up the drama as they lept, one by one, i finally stood on the edge and appeared nervous. To their surprise i launched a swan dive and remained below the surface for a little longer then normal. The cheers from them made me a member of their exclusive jump club.