Witch’s Rock Employee Profile: Flaco
Introducing Juan Carlos “Flaco” Surf Guide for Witch’s Rock Surf Camp.
His name is Juan Carlos but everyone knows him as “Flaco” . He’s such a pura vida laid back guy who not only rips, but most importantly loves being a surf instructor. His job is not just being a rad surf instructor, but sharing his passion, his culture & his country’s beautiful beaches.
If you book a surf tour package at the camp, Flaco will be the guy to dial you into world class waves.
How did you get into surfing?
I started surfing when I was 10 years old. Living in Playa Jacó, A friend from Florida gave me a surfboard for my birthday and I’ve been surfing ever since.
What kind of surfer are you? How would you describe your surf style?
I consider myself as a relaxed person. I don’t like fighting over waves, but I can be a little bit serious in the water. My surfing style is relaxed as well. I tend to get the most out of waves by surfing cleanly down the line and combining power surfing with radical maneuvers
What’s your favorite spot in Guanacaste to Surf?
My favorite wave in Guanacaste is Playa Grande.
Techniques for Duck Dive?
First things first: Do you have a surfboard that you can properly sink underwater? Surfboards with a lot of volume are very difficult to push underwater, sometimes they are impossible to duck dive with because they float too much.
Step 1- Paddle Hard To Gain Speed
It’s impossible to duck dive a powerful white water wave without proper speed. You need a forward momentum to be able to go all the way through.
Step 2- Start 2 Meters Before Hitting The Wave
Step 3- Push The Front Part of The Board Down & Forward
After grabbing the rails under your pectorals, lean your upper body over the front part of the board and use your shoulder’s strength to dig the nose under water.
Step 4- Push on Tail with your Foot (or Knee)
Step 5- Bring your Body to your Board
Once your surfboard is deep and parallel to the bottom, bend your arms and bring your body to your surfboard as the wave passes over you.
What are the most common questions you get from the intermediate surfers?
The most common questions are usually related with turning (either left or right) on the wave, and also on how to read the waves.
How to Improve your style?
You can always improve your style by getting feedback from videos, it could be your own footage or other surfing videos that you can find online. Another way is using a skateboard
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