Around The World In 80 Waves

Late in the afternoon I take the family over to Playa Grande from Tamarindo. We take the option of the 40 minute drive there as opposed to the one minute paddle across a crocodile infested river mouth followed by a 20 minute stroll down the beach you see here. I paddle straight out and catch two great shoulder high waves, one left and right. However when I paddle back out I am faced by a frothing mouthed local youth who is going bezerk. I’m not easily intimidated and being my size helps, but this kid is seriously pissed apparently because I caught something he felt he should have had, which was bullshit by the way.

He is raving right in my face, yelling that I don’t show enough respect, shoving my board, throwing water in my face and stating that he is now going to prevent me catching anything else there. This may sound quite intimidating but like most Central Americans he is tiny so the scene is like a Jack Russell terrier trying to pick a fight with a Grizzly Bear, all of which I find quite amusing and am grinning in his face telling him he needs to grow up. However this only serves to send him into orbit like some sort of Tazmanian Devil and he is doing everything bar swinging a punch. (Wisely I hasten to add – I was just going to sit on him in the water and see how he coped without air!)

This is going on for about 10 minutes and I later discover that everyone is laughing at the scene behind me, as he is suggesting we go into the beach to get into a ruck. Tempting as this was I declined pointing out his immaturity once more, but was glad when Doren had exchanged child minding duties and paddled out alongside me albeit completely unaware of what was going on because it gave me a bit of support. The kid still took one last opportunity to surf directly at my head before wisely retreating. Despite the ravings of this local loon I still caught a few more and had a great time there before driving the family back to Tamarindo after the sun had set.