The problem with a Costa Rican surf trip is not the waves: it is that the best breaks sit where the road is worst. And the baggage you need to move is eight feet long. On request per aircraft.
Start with the baggage, because it decides everything
A board bag is not a large suitcase: it is a long, rigid object that fits or does not fit according to the aircraft's hold, not according to weight.
That is the variable that governs a surf charter, and the one charter websites almost never mention. A group of four with eight boards is a different logistical problem from a group of eight with hand baggage.
Our board bag policy — maximum dimensions, number per aircraft, and how they count against passenger weight — is here: Boards travel according to the assigned category’s available volume: tell us the number and dimensions when requesting the quote.
Before looking at destinations, send the number of boards and their lengths. The aircraft follows from that; it does not work the other way round.
The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
The destinations, and what each strip imposes
| Destination | Field | Operational note |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Teresa / Mal País | Tambor (TMU) or Cóbano | Tambor publishes no METAR of its own; nearest station is around 93 km away |
| Nosara / Guiones | Nosara (NOB) | 125 m displaced threshold on runway 04 |
| Tamarindo | Tamarindo (TNO) | Closes frequently in the rainy season |
| Manuel Antonio | Quepos (XQP) | More generous infrastructure than the rest of the coast |
| Drake Bay / south | Drake Bay (DRK) | 1,000 × 18 m. The most demanding strip in the network |
Two practical consequences worth understanding before booking.
Tamarindo has a real seasonal problem. If your trip falls in the rainy season — which is exactly when the southern Pacific swell works best — plan a fallback from the start. This is not a hypothetical risk.
Drake Bay is the extreme case. Eleven metres of runway width is the severest restriction in the catalogue, and it affects both which aircraft gets in and how much long baggage fits inside it. For the southern zone, the board conversation is tighter than in Guanacaste.
When it earns its place and when it does not
Let us be concrete, because a surf trip has a budget and the flight competes with food and lodging.
It earns its place when the road transfer eats a day of waves each way, when the group splits the cost four or more ways, or when the swell window is short and losing two days to travel takes half the trip.
It does not for a long, unhurried stay in one spot. If you are going to Santa Teresa for three weeks, a transfer in and a transfer out is two days out of twenty-one. There the car or the shuttle is the reasonable answer, and we will tell you so.
The honest rule: the flight buys days in the water, not comfort. If your trip is not limited by days, you probably do not need it.
Several breaks in one trip
This is where a charter genuinely changes the equation. Chaining Guanacaste, Nicoya and the southern zone by road is a trip in itself; by air they are hops of between twenty and a hundred and sixty nautical miles.
The constraint is not distance but the daylight window and the baggage: every stop means unloading and loading board bags. A three-break itinerary in a week is reasonable; five usually is not.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring my boards on a private flight?
Yes, but it is the variable that decides the aircraft. A board bag is long and rigid and fits by hold volume, not by weight. Boards travel according to the assigned category’s available volume: tell us the number and dimensions when requesting the quote.
How many boards fit?
It depends on the assigned aircraft and the bag lengths. That is why we ask for number and length before quoting. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
Which surf destination is the most problematic?
Tamarindo closes frequently in the rainy season, which overlaps much of the swell season. Plan a fallback from the start.
Can you fly to Drake Bay with boards?
The runway is 750 by 11 metres, the most demanding in the network. That restricts both the aircraft and the long baggage that fits in it.
Is it worth it for a long stay in one place?
Usually not. For three weeks in one spot, two days of transfer out of twenty-one do not justify the cost. The flight buys days in the water, not comfort.
How much does it cost?
On request for the whole aircraft, not per person. Split four or more ways the per-head figure changes.