Join avid bodysurfers and expert instructors, as well as a member of the Viva Adventures team as your onsite coordinator for an epic week of bodysurfing, relaxation, and fun in the incredible Caribbean.
Bodysurfing, or the art of catching waves with just your body, is an ancient and therapeutic pastime practiced by many distinctive civilizations for eons. It is an amazing way to connect with the ocean and yourself, great exercise, an exhilarating and innocent kind of joy that you will feel lucky to have experienced.
Outside of the bodysurfing, you can expect to eat amazing food, participate in a number of other optional activities in the area, wake up to the sound of howler monkeys and the scent of Costa Rican coffee on the breeze, and reconnect to nature and yourself.
We will be staying at the beautiful and environmentally-conscious Sonora Retreat Center near Playa Negra and Puerto Viejo. All transportation in-country is included with our awesome driver.
https://www.puertoviejoyogaretreat.com/
We can't wait to catch some waves with you 🌊
Hannah Walsh
Hannah Walsh began bodysurfing as a kid growing up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She was a competitive swimmer as well as an Ocean Lifeguard, and would spend her free time wave sliding. She began teaching bodysurfing while working at a surf camp in Costa Rica, co-designing a teaching curriculum.
She began in-water photography and videography while she lived in Costa Rica, going on to study documentary filming in Canada. Her filmmaking is grounded in stories about water, often featuring swimming, surfing, or bodysurfing. She aims to utilize her voice to make actions sports more inclusive, and to bring awareness to the natural world and compel people to take care of it.
Spencer Dunlap
Spencer has been bodysurfing for fun since he was young, loving the connection he felt with the ocean and the exhilaration of catching waves with his body alone. He started coaching bodysurfing and surfing formally after moving to Costa Rica, co-designing a teaching curriculum. He was also an Ocean Lifeguard in San Diego, California.
As he got more into the sport, Spencer would always try to seek information about bodysurfing online, but learned it was not easy to find. After years of researching and collecting any information he could find about bodysurfing around the world, he began The Bodysurf Blog and now publishes these finds for the world to see.
You'll be sharing an air conditioned bungalow at Sonora Retreat Center with two other people. Your bed is a twin sized bed and your room will have an ensuite bathroom.
At the hotel in San Jose you'll be sharing a room with 1 other person, each with your own bed and private bathroom.
You'll be sharing an air conditioned room at Sonora Retreat Center with one other person. Your bed may be a twin, full or queen size. Your room will have an ensuite bathroom.
At the airport hotel in San Jose, you'll be sharing a room with one other person and you'll have a private bathroom.
You'll enjoy your own air conditioned room, with ensuite bathroom, in both the San Jose hotel and at the Sonora Retreat Center.
This is the price for anyone who would like to join the experience but not receive bodysurf coaching nor participate in the organized official bodysurf classes.
You'll be sharing a room with another person. Bedding arrangements are your choice. Ensuite bathroom.
This is the price for anyone who would like to join the experience but not receive bodysurf coaching nor participate in the organized official bodysurf classes.
You'll be sharing a room with 2 other people. All beds in the room are twins. Ensuite bathroom.
Arrive to San Jose International Airport (SJO) on January 24, 2026. There, a Viva Adventures team member will be there to greet you and help you make your way to the hotel. We will share dinner together and make introductions for the week.