We caught up with our guy Grant Begley @dontfearthesweeper to talk story about his recent trip to Costa Rica. How he planned it, to what happened while they were down there. From the looks of it we think he scored. Our very own Sam Nelson @brothersnelson sat down to chat with him.
Grant, your trip looked epic! Tell us a little bit about your trip, when you first started going to Costa Rica and how has your love for it developed?
“I have been going to Costa Rica thrill seeking land and sea for over 20 years. Its amazing to see how it has changed before my own eyes. What once was all dirt road has been replaced with pavement, tolls, and açaí bowls. Surf schools up and down the beach accompanied by local ticos with waiting of tourist for a coco frìo is pretty common. These things are great for the economy, but when I want to get away, I want to get away from all of that.”
So what do you do instead of going to mainstream Costa Rica?
“I want the real Costa Rica. About 6 years ago, I found Spearfishing Adventures guide that offered my getaway. Now I have been running away 1-2 times a year to get there. No cell service, power is a maybe and definitely no hot water. I love it! You either take a small plane or a small boat down a river to get to it, and someone once said the smaller the plane when traveling means the bigger the fish.”
From the looks of it, sounds like you scored. So where do you find them?
“Poor Mans paradise is in south Costa Rica that is designed to cater to the everyday backpacker or birdwatcher. It’s quite the subtle place…… until our guide stepped foot onto the land. Good Time Charlie Charters definitely brought a wild sided absolute thrill seeking adventure to the area. The property and bungalows are surrounded by the Corcovado National Park, and filled with pristine wildlife. There are no major ports or harbors close, so the fishing is very lightly impacted.”
So what were you searching for on this trip?
“The main target is big Pargo (snapper), but this year we changed it up to focus on Yellowfin Tuna. A faster growing pelagic fish, higher specie population, and still big! We planned our arrival almost 8 months in advance to arrive on the new moon. This means the tuna should be looking for food during the day since there is no light at night. It worked. With two boats, and two professional guides, we decided to set up a friendly fishing tournament.”
Do you always use a guide or do you go out remotely?
“Something we find very important and won’t do trips without is a guide. Although Spearfishing can seem as easy as swim and shoot, it can be extremely dangerous. Even the smartest individuals can make the dumbest mistakes. It’s important to plan safety and do research before trips like this. Fortunately our guide service does all the ground work, and we just get to have fun.”
We were stoked to help make the trip happen how was the outcome?
“Yeah man, everyone was hyped that Waterman provided the prizes for the daily weigh ins giving a next level experience for the final winning boat. Everyone literally killed it, putting over 500lbs of tuna in the boats over the trip.”
Wow, that’s so rad dude. What were some highlights from the trip?
“The main highlight of this trip is that a group of working class fisherman bring over 500lbs of fish back to the base camp and all go home safe. Everyone in the village shows up and the rewards from the days catch are passed around and quickly brought home. Nothing is wasted. It is truly a waterman paradise. You eat what you catch, diving in shore reef to blue water all in the same day. On your off days, the beach has surf to play in and rivers to follow up to hidden waterfalls. I can’t wait to go back next year.”
We are stoked you continue to show everyone here what a true waterman does. It’s inspiring to say the least. We can’t wait to see some more of your trips throughout the year!
