Exceptional Surf Coaching! - If you want to progress as a surfer, Alvaro is your guy! He has a great ability to read your skill level and give you the confidence to take on waves you’d normally shy away from, always backed by a strict focus on awareness and safety in the water. His coaching is super precise and he gives specific, actionable feedback on your pop up and stance to improve your surfing. What I love most about Alvaro is his balance - he’s fun and always down to joke on the beach, but the second you’re in the water he’s completely dialed in. He builds genuine bonds with everyone he teaches so you aren’t just getting a great surf coach, you’re hanging out with a genuinely cool person who always has your back. Can’t wait to get back out with Salt Water Surfing Co!

Amazing Surfing Sessions in the Pacific Ocean - I had an amazing one-week surfing experience with Alvaro and Juan, and I can’t recommend surfing lessons with them enough🏄‍♀️ They are both highly experienced, professional, knowledgeable, and attentive, but also genuinely great local people with cool energy. It was a real pleasure to surf with them and learn from them. What makes them such a great team is that they have different teaching styles and energies. Depending on your skills, mood, personality, and what you need in the moment, you can connect with their guidance in different ways. They complement each other beautifully, and that makes the learning experience even richer. I also appreciated the small group size. Usually there were three students per instructor maximum. It was comfortable because you still had time to relax and breathe after paddling, and observe others catching waves before your next turn. Because the groups are small, Alvaro and Juan can pay close attention to every student. You feel supported, safe, and encouraged to grow. They don’t just give technical instructions. They help you connect with the ocean, the waves, and the spirit of surfing. They shared their own perspective about ocean which made the experience much deeper than just learning a sport. Safety was a priority, and I felt in very good hands from the first day. With every wave, I was learning something new. Alvaro and Juan gave me very valuable feedback about what I could adjust, and I tried to apply it wave by wave. That kind of attention and guidance makes a huge difference. Most importantly, I had so much fun and joy. I progressed every day, felt more confident in the water, and truly enjoyed the whole process. It felt not only like learning from great instructors, but also like sharing the ocean with good friends. This week was unforgettable, and I deeply appreciate the experience with both Alvaro and Juan. Highly, highly recommended 🩵

A 100% MUST!!! - This was an overall exceptional experience that I cannot recommend enough! My fiancé and I surfed 8 days with Juan and Alvaro. The lessons were top notch - extremely tactical, practical, and helpful. Not only that but they really make an effort to make you feel extremely confident in the water. I’ve now been around the world surfing and this is truly some of the best instruction I’ve ever received. We are already excited for more lessons when we return! Pura vida 🤙

The BEST CLASS IN THE WORLD for surfing (without a doubt) - I don't think I exaggerate when I say that Alvaro and Juan are the two best instructors in the world. The instruction is world class and it is difficult to explain because in words. Both Alvaro and Juan give mega accurate and tactical feedback that allows you to quickly improve whether you are new or advanced to surfing. Just as important is their closeness and attitude, you always find yourself supported by them and in an engrossing environment that is particularly important in a sport that is not given to everyone the first time. Add up that your instruction is given in a magical place and becomes a 10/10. 100% RECOMMENDED!! Pure life!

Shaka Surfing - always a highlight! - We were coached by two very competent surf instructors. Surfing is a lot of fun for us and we have learned a lot again. Thank you both!

Top Surf Coaches - Salt Water Surf Co. has the absolute best surf coaches! If your goal is to improve your surf skills, Alvaro and Juan provide consistent training, and excellent feedback for all levels of surf athletes! This was my third visit to Playa Hermosa, and my best endorsement is that I hire this team every time!!!

Always go to Alvaro. - We always have such a blast with Alvaro! I've come to Playa Hermosa 4-5 times now, and always hit up Alvaro for lessons while here. He'll always put you in the right spot, navigate any crowds for you, and make sure it's a blast. He won't hold back on giving you feedback too :)

AMAZING instructor for beginners! - Alvaro was the BEST surf instructor! We are total beginners but we got the hang of it by the end of the lesson, because Alvaro was so helpful and made us feel so confident!

Alvaro will have you surfing soon enough! - Alvaro is a fantastic surf coach (and I've had a lot of them!). I keep coming back to Santa Teresa because of the waves and Alvaro. He understands how to progress your surfing and he'll challenge you to get better. He can see what you're capable of and how to push you, which comes with having taught countless lessons and knowing the break better than the back of his hand. Also, many coaches will tell you every tip at once which is just too much to remember when a wave is coming, but Alvaro understands that less is more when it comes to instruction. One you have those few things down, you work on the next layer. I've learned a lot from Alvaro and had fun in the process!

Best surfing lessons I've ever had - I can't thank Alvaro / Salty Water Surfing Co. enough... I am so, so grateful for the amazing surfing lessons they gave me during my week in Playa Hermosa. I had a a pretty scary surfing experience back home a couple years ago and have struggled with my anxiety in the water since. This trip changed everything for me. I learned the tools I needed to feel more confident in the water and the coaches, Juan and Alvaro helped me paddle out the back (for the first time) and catch some unbroken waves. I felt safe and accounted for the entire time I was out there with them. Their tips helped my partner and I actually progress and get out of some bad habits we had from trying to teach ourselves how to surf. I fell in love with surfing again because of them... I bought a new hard top board to surf at home the day after I came home from Costa Rica (and guess what... I feel so much more comfortable and confident in the water back home now, too... and I credit all of that to my lessons!!) It makes me so happy I am tearing up as I write this. Absolute 1000/10 experience – if you're headed to Costa Rica and you want to actually learn how to surf / progress, you have to get lessons from Salty Water Surfing Co!