Posts by Spencer Dunlap
How to Develop Your Surfing Style
When it comes to surfing, we all have our own unique way of riding waves. Whether bodysurfing, boogie boarding, longboarding, or shortboarding, your performance on the wave is the ultimate expression of your individuality in the ocean. This “individuality” is more commonly known as surf style. As an ISA certified surf instructor who has taught…
Read MoreFitness for Surfers: Workouts, Exercises & Training
Here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga, one of the most common things we hear from our beginner surf students is: “I didn’t know surfing was going to be so exhausting! I need to exercise more.” Yes, this is true! Surfing demands a high level of fitness in a variety of different capacities. The more surf…
Read MoreHow to Read a Surf Report
Surfing is one of the most unique and challenging sports to learn for the simple fact that the “playing field” is constantly changing from moment to moment. This can make it extremely difficult for beginner surfers to rack up consistent repetitions. Here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga, we have guided thousands of beginner and intermediate…
Read MoreThe 5 Most Common Surfing Fears
Let’s face it, surfing is an intimidating pursuit. In surfing, unlike most other sports, the playing field is constantly shifting. There are no consistent boundaries, and all the rules are unwritten. What is more, surfing takes place in the ocean, an intimidating and powerful place far outside of most people’s comfort zone. In order to…
Read MoreCosta Rica: The Little Engine That Could
Did you know that Costa Rica accounts for just 0.03% of the Earth’s surface but contains nearly 6% of its biodiversity? For decades, tourists from all over the world have been traveling to Costa Rica (a country roughly the size of West Virginia with a population of just over 5 million people) to experience the…
Read More4 Ways Bodysurfing Makes You a Better Surfer
Bodysurfing undoubtedly makes you a better surfer and waterwoman. Learning to catch waves with little more than your body connects you in a very special way to the ocean, certainly. But there are other ways as well! We believe that, no matter what level you are at with board surfing (and especially if you are…
Read MoreLessons from Surfing and Yoga
We, like many small businesses and tourism companies, are feeling the impacts of the global coronavirus pandemic most acutely. We have been unable to operate normally since March 2020, and have no clear idea on the horizon when (and even if!) things will ever go back to normal. It’s been paralyzing, challenging, and stressful. We…
Read MoreShoshin: Having a “Beginner’s Mind” Can Improve Your Life
In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few. – Shunryu Suzuki Here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga, we firmly believe that the best way to live is in a constant state of learning (like a child), because when you become complacent and halt the learning process, you also…
Read MoreNature Therapy: The Case for Spending More Time Outside
Here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga, we spend an inordinate amount of time out of doors. We are constantly soaking up the flourishing beauty that surrounds us in our quiet little town of Bahia Ballena. Not only do we live and work in a small, relatively undeveloped community — nestled between tree-laden mountains and the…
Read MoreWhy Humans Should Care About Ocean Health
Did you know that over 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by oceans, and yet we have more scientific data about the surface of Mars and the Moon than we do about our own planet’s seafloors? How can that be? As evidenced by the estimated 8 million metric tons of plastic pollution our…
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