Welcome to August! It was a quiet “news week” here in Nosara so for this week’s edition I thought it would be fun to take a look at surfing rides – the vehicles used by surfers to get to the beach. I’ll make sure to cover transportation options available here in Nosara as well. Surfing really caught on in California in the early 60’s and spread like wildfire to the Gulf and East Coasts. Surfers were becoming a distinct “demographic” with their own culture; music, clothing, lingo, hair styles, and surf vehicles. I remember my very first surf vehicle – it was a 1960 hand-me-down Valiant station wagon with pushbutton transmission. Mom make curtains for the back windows, and I had an 8 track tape deck blasting the latest Iron Butterfly album- a sure-fire chick magnet. Wood paneled station wagons or ‘Woodies’ were all the rage back in the day, and many woody clubs are going strong in the USA. The venerable Volkswagen Bus was the surf ride de rigueur back in my surf hippie days. Seeing them always sparks a tinge of nostalgia. Nowadays big SUV’s dominate the beach lots, but creativity is still in charge when it comes to finding a ride to the beach in style.
My 1st car – 1960 Valiant The legendary VW Bus
Back in the 60’s we had a word for someone who talked a good surf but never actually paddled out: HODAD. A hodad would bleach his hair blond, wear baggies and sandals, and drive around with a board strapped on his car to impress the girls. In later years these characters still existed and were called many things: poser, greaser, glam, wannabe, pretender, etc.
Perfect Hodad Car!
Surfing Safari
‘Let’s go surfin’ now, everybody’s learning how, come on and Safari with me’ – The Beach Boys
Tim and Tyler had it right when they chose the name Safari Surf. Perhaps based on the African wildlife expedition concept, a surfing safari is the search for waves by vehicle.
Camping
Most surfing safaris became camping trips, and over the years I’ve seen some amazing vehicles customized for a long stay at the beach.
The Woody
Very popular in the 50’s, the woody is a wood paneled station wagon. It became the perfect surf vehicle. There are many thriving woody car clubs that won’t let go!
VW Bus
If there ever was a classic timepiece of 1970’s surfing it was the coveted VW Bus!
Different Rides for Different Tribes
Horsepower to the surf zone – (just keep an eye on your board)!
Helicopter Entry Fine Car Transport Pedal Power
Camel Taxis are booming in the bustling Morocco surf scene!
Indonesia Luxury Charter Cruising south of San Francisco
Hearses were great surf vehicles!
Where there’s a will, there’s a way…….
What the???
Getting Around Nosara
Playa Guiones in Nosara is the front yard of a mellow little surf community. Hotels, restaurants, a market, and bank all lay within easy walking distance. For those looking to explore a bit there are several options available: rental car, bicycle, golf cart, and ATV’s.
My favorite is the quad or ATV (all terrain vehicle). Quads are economical and easy to drive.
The best thing about the quad is you feel part of everything you see since you are outside.
Quads handle our rough dirt roads and seem tailor-made for this kind of place. Answering to demand, most quad rental businesses equip them with surf racks.
Customized Quads – ideal for surf exploration!
Tinis & Ricardo’s surf ride Helberth’s clan off to the beach
Fun Mobile!
True Story: This group of guys has been coming to Nosara every year for 20 years. In the early days they would charter a private plane that would remove the seats to be able to load all the boards on. The hotel owner would meet them at the airport and drive them to the hotel in his dump truck!
And don’t forget good ole’ walking – Go Surfing!
PURA VIDA!
