Surfing With Locals At Tamarindo Beach

Gino was absolutely incredible and hands down one of the highlights of our trip to Tamarindo! From the moment we met him, he was warm, patient, encouraging, and so much fun. He has a way of making you feel completely comfortable in the water while also giving you the confidence to push yourself and actually get up and surf! His energy is contagious, and you can tell how much he genuinely loves what he does. We laughed, learned a ton, and had the BEST time. It felt less like a lesson and more like spending the afternoon surfing with a friend who happens to be an amazing instructor. If you’re coming to Tamarindo and want to learn to surf, ask for Gino or Yury—you will not regret it. We will book with Nimbu Yumbo again in a heartbeat!

Yury and her crew were amazing from the start. She answered my questions promptly and was such a delight to work with. She was very patient with our group that had varying skill level across several ages. She surprised us with some local treats at the end which made the whole experience so special. We would recommend her to friends and utilize her services again if we are back in the area. Thank you Yury for providing everlasting memories for me and my family.

My husband and I wanted to surf at the world famous Tamarindo Beach and we were coming from the Papagayo area. Yury was very responsive with all my emails and questions, she gave us a very specific time and address for a meeting point for our surfing lesson, I really appreciated all the coordination and clear communication. She gave us the option to book a photographer as well for the session which was terrific and he showed up on time as well. Fabian was a great instructor. I have had a few in the past and he was incredible at reading the waves and giving us clear instructions on how to catch the waves. He gave me tips and pointers on my form. He was such a great instructor that my husband was able to catch his very first wave and ride it all the way to the beach! At the end, we were given cool fresh coconuts and Yury helped find us showers and a place to change! We highly recommend this very personable surfing school! Thank you Yury for a wonderful experience!

We had the best experience with Nimbu Yumbu surf school! I went up to Yury on the beach after she and another teacher finished a lesson and asked about getting one for my 8 year old son. We exchanged numbers and it was very easy to set things up. Coach Fabian met us on the beach for a 90 minute lesson. He was so wonderful with my son, very warm and helped him catch many waves! What I was most glad about was how watchful Fabian was if my son fell off the board and was still in the waves, Fabian was there in a second and made sure he didn’t get tossed around (he’s a good swimmer but some of the waves are rough). Afterwards he gave my son and my daughter each a fresh coconut. 10/10!! Highly recommend! Pura Vida 🫶🏼

For our first trip to CR, my two teen boys and I booked a surfing lesson with Nimbu Yumbu. We had an excellent time with Yury and Daniel. They were fun, safe, and so encouraging to us as absolute beginners. We all got up on our boards the first day! My normally too cool for school teens were smiling the whole time and we booked a second lesson the next day. I highly recommend Yury and her team, they are great teachers!

Yury and her team were awesome! We went with our friends and our kids. With multiple instructors attentive to our needs we all had a great time. Yury was great with the kids and adapting based on their needs, her team helped us have a great time in the waves. Thank you! Pura Vida!

Yury was amazing with my 13 year old son. We also rented boogie boards from her so we could play in the water while he learned. She’s very sweet and patient. She was also very generous and let us use her beach blanket and keep the boogie boards and blanket for 24 hours. She was also a great resource of where to eat or referral for ATV tours. It was a pleasure to do business with her.

Me and my sister are both complete beginners. The owner, Yuri, took wonderful care of us, showed us the basics and helped us have a wonderful first experience with surfing. Couldn’t recommend more highly.

One of our todo activities on our trip was surfing with the locals. My daughter who has taken surf lessons at a summer camp in Fort Lauderdale past few summer was eager to try the bigger more challenging waves. I had never tried surfing before in my life which is so hard to believe considering I grew up on Ft. Lauderdale beach. Anyway we stumbled into Yuri’s cute surf shop as we were out shopping for bathing suits. Her and my daughter hit it off and I arranged a lesson for the next morning. Yuri convinced me to try myself and share the experience with my daughter and I’m so glad I did. Her cousin Gino helped me and Yuri helped Zeta and long story short we just had an amazing time creating memories together. They have a personal photographer which captures the moments and they are absolutely amazing teachers. Gio makes it look so easy so be patient- it’s not easy but it is enjoyable. Highly recommend them as the only option I would ever consider.

Absolutely recommend! Yury, is so professional and SO SO good with kids. My 10 year-old daughter and I each took a lesson. We both have had our own instructor and they were wonderful. We had so much fun and received excellent instruction both getting up our first time we will absolutely come back! If you have kids or solo adult, this is your place!!

I had taken some surf lessons before and had my own board, but I felt a bit stuck and wasn’t sure how to progress. I asked around on social media, and almost 90% of people recommended Yuri Álvarez. So, I reached out to her, and we formed a little Saturday surf group. We had four sessions together, and the photo I’m sharing shows the difference between day one and the last day—it’s incredible! I learned so much. The service was amazing, the attention to detail was fantastic, and even when I felt nervous at times, she was super professional and helped me through it. I can’t recommend her enough! She’s absolutely amazing, and if you’re looking to level up your surfing skills, definitely check her out!

I had my very first surf lesson with Yury, and it couldn’t have gone better. She was absolutely awesome. Calm, encouraging, and super informative. As a complete beginner, I wasn’t expecting to catch many waves, but thanks to her guidance, I ended up riding more than I imagined! Her clear instructions and positive energy made all the difference. I felt totally safe and supported the entire time. I’d 100% book with her again. Highly recommend Yury to anyone looking to learn how to surf! 🏄‍♂️🌊

We had an awesome time! Yury, Gino and Joshua are awesome instructors. I took my kids and it was their first time surfing. Both of them got up and rode tons of waves. I surfed as a teenager but it had been many years. They got me back onto the waves with no problem! It was a fantastic experience. I would highly recommend them.

My family took a surf lesson from Nimbu Yumbu. They were perfect. All of us were able to get up and enjoy the experience. The instructors we very good with kids. It was fairly priced. We even rented a board from them the next day. Overall enjoyable.

I did three sessions with Yury when I was in Costa Rica. First, I brought three teenage girls out for a Surf session. Yuri was patient and very fun with the girls, and also very safety orientated which was important to me. They all stood up and celebrated their waves. I also had two sessions with Yuri where we focused on more intermediate surfing. I appreciate her deep local knowledge so that we maximize our day, and I appreciate her enthusiasm and encouragement, I can’t wait to go back and Surf with her again.

Yuri and her team were incredible. We brought our group of 14 (8 adults and 6 kiddos - aged 7-10) and they treated us like family. We had 4 instructors in the water with us and they were patient and encouraging. Everyone in our group had success and so much fun! We enjoyed smoothies before our class (get the mixed berry or mango) and came back to the shop to fresh fruit prepared for us. She has local jewelry and other items available for purchase. We’re already thinking about one of her surfing camps for the kids!

Yury and Geno were great! My daughter and I had so much fun surfing with them. They gave great instruction and feedback. 100% recommend!

Great experience. Kods 13,11,8 did great. I felt safe! Very kind instructors! We had 3 instructors our 8 people. Their English was great. Female owned! Everyone got up!

Love it! had a great time with Yury and Gino. Our kids were up and surfing within minutes. highly recommend booking with these super knowledgeable locals!

This was an amazing experience for our family. Everyone had a fantastic time. The instructors prioritized safety and fun. We will be back.

I had The Best experience ever with Yuri and Gino!...Real, legit local surfers..Born and raised in Guanacaste! Expert surfers instruction!...Not "teachers"...more like "Coaches"...The level of real enthusiasm that I felt was so inspirational and the encouragement without being judgemental (It had been several years for me since I paddled out on a board and attempted to pop up and ride)...it's not like riding a bike! 🤣..I'm older now and out of shape, but Yuri and Gino pumped me up and encouraged me to keep going!..And when I finally stood up and rode a tiny wave, I would look back after wiping out, and Yury or Gino would be giving me a big thumbs up or a high five! Such a great experience! One on one lessons tailored to your skills. 👍🤙😀🇨🇷♥️

We had a fantastic time learning to surf today. No one had any idea what they were doing to start, but by the end everyone was up! Our instructor was very patient and positive, everyone felt safe and comfortable in the water with him. Wouldn’t hesitate to book again, many thanks for an incredible experience!

We had the best morning surfing with Gino. One adult in our group had had one lesson a decade ago, so we were all novices. He was super pleasant and got us all up by the end. He got the teen up quickly and was very patient with the middle-aged parents.

Yurt and Gino were so wonderful to work with! They were closed and opened up special for my kids (ages 12 and 14) surfed lessons today. The instruction was so good they were able to get up on their first try! She also helped to keep our luggage safe as we were between our Air B&B and hotel. Truly fantastic! Thanks for the memories! ❤️

I don’t usually post this type of thing but we had such a positive experience with Nimbu Yumbu Surf School in Tamarindo that I have to share! Local owned and woman owned, longtime surfer and instructor Yury has opened her own shop just this past November. She is very professional, attentive and quick to reply to messages. I had booked two days of lessons for my 10 yr old daughter and husband and they had such a great time that we added a third day. Instructors Fabìan and Gino were kind, patient, full of knowledge and great tips! They’re very good with kids. My family has taken a few lessons in other parts of the world and these were by far their favourite lessons so far. Lessons were followed up in their super cute (and very clean!) shop with fresh fruit and cold water. We bought empanadas made fresh, they were so good!! Shop has really nice jewelry, local made skincare and swimwear. We plan to visit them again one day! — at Nimbu-Yumbu Surf School Costa Rica.

I reached out to Yury before our trip to make sure that we got the lessons the day we wanted them. She was so helpful with planning our entire time in Tamarindo. I asked for her insight on a few tours we were interested in doing. She advised which tours were best and also booked them for us for less money than any website. She was even able to customize a tour that was not offered on any website. When we needed to make changes she gladly helped us. We had some undecided travellers with us and she gladly helped by adding them to our tours after we arrived in Tam. We have had surf lessons before but the instructors were never as friendly, informative and interactive as Gino and Fabian. They advised us on what nearby beaches were safe and less busy than Tam for the entire family. How to get to them and what to avoid. When our rental car broke down and I tried to secure another one on short notice none were available. No shuttles were available on such short notice either. We already had accommodations and tours booked in Monteverde. I contacted Yury as a last resort at 11 am the day we were supposed to go to Monteverde. SHE WAS A SAVIOUR . She was able to set up a private shuttle for our family of 5 for pick up at 130 not only to Monteverde the driver spent the night in MV and brought us to the airport in Liberia the next afternoon. The driver Juan was professional and full of info. (Like a tour guide) He drove us to our tour in MV. He took us through the McDonalds drive thru in Liberia (our Spanish isn’t very good) en route to the airport. I can’t thank Yury enough for saving our trip to MV and setting up our excursions while in Tam.I am so happy and grateful for all the help she provided with planned and unplanned tours and transfers. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND CONTACTING YURY @NIMBU YUMBU FOR ALL OF YOUR NEEDS WHILE IN TAMARINDO. She runs an AWESOME LOCAL business that I will gladly use in the future.

We learned about Yury's surf school when asking around about great places for lessons. We wandered into the surf shop one day to investigate. Yury was incredibly friendly and helpful; fully explaining the options, cost and process. We are both in our 50s and had never surfed before. After talking with Yury, we felt comfortable and confident to take a lesson. We showed up for our lesson and was introduced to Gino, our instructor. Gino has the personality, the charisma, the patience and the skill of an excellent coach. He promised he would get us up and he did!! I highly recommend Nimbu Yumbu Surf School. Yury even helped us identify many local places to visit and restaurants to eat. We fell in love with Tamarindo and plan to return. We will definitely keep working on our surfing while there.

It was an awesome experience. I had so much fun. I would come back for sure to have the professional lessons I had. Thanks a lot to this wonderful team.