Course Updates

With all the activities and locations, it can be hard for families & friends to keep track of students in the field. All our current courses will transition phases soon, so we expect them all on base (in San Ramon de Tres Rios) this week. We’ll do our best to get photos- read below to catch up on their adventures!

Water & Wave (day 16 of 70): Water & Wave students began their journey in Costa Rica with a week-long trek to Piedras Blancas, where they rappelled down a waterfall, spent a night alone in the jungle for their solo, and experienced life in the Costa Rican countryside. Students backpacked to the coast where they began surfing! They’ve been surfing & volunteering at the turtle refugre on Playa Tulin (read for more info.), and arrived at our beach base on Manuel Antonio on Saturday for more surfing.

What’s next? Panama with Tri-Country! Both courses will get scuba certified, wakeboard, and sail in the archipelago of Bocas del Toro in Panama.

See this video for what students can expect in Bocas del Toro:



Tri-Country (day 52 of 85): Tri-Country left 8 days ago to paddle up the Rio San Juan, the border between Nicaragua & Costa Rica. They will take a tour of El Castillo (read this article for more info.) as well as visit San Juan del Norte.

What’s next? Panama with Water & Wave! Both courses will get scuba certified, wakeboard, and sail in the archipelago of Bocas del Toro in Panama. See video above.


OB USA: Both patrols of OB USA have been paddling on the Rio General, in class III-IV rapids. They have been kayaking & rafting on the river for a week, learning swift water rescue & how to guide.

What’s next? Six days of lifeguard training, surfing, and staying at the turtle refuge at Playa Tulin (read this article for more info) on the Central Pacific coast.

Nicaragua's El Castillo

El Castillo in Spanish means "The Castle".

Did you know there was a castle in Nicaragua? Not only is there a castle, but it has a fun history as well. This week, our Tri-Country students are seeing and learning about this northern neighbor and its rich history which includes El Castillo.

To understand why El Castillo became an important spot in Nicaragua, it's best to first view its geography on this satellite map.

The students arrive at El Castillo by water taxi from Rio San Carlos - the town can only be reached by boat. The town’s name is derived from the fortress built by the Spanish in 1675 with the idea of protecting its colonial cities inland from pirates and other countries by blocking the river. It was built on a hill on the shores of the San Juan River, which connects Lake Cocibolca with the Caribbean Sea. This route was used on various occasions by pirates to attack Spanish settlements bordering the river. The most precious Spanish city of that time, Granada, was also attacked several times.

Now let's get down to the fun history.

When Britain and Spain clashed in Central America during the 18th century, control over the San Juan River and Lake Nicaragua was one of the great prizes in their conflict. Any conquering force needed first to capture the fort at El Castillo, and in 1762 the British mounted an attack that was thwarted by a woman's valor.

''According to the traditional account, the Spanish sergeant in charge, seeing the hopeless odds against him, started to hand over the keys of the fort when his hand was stayed by Rafaela Herrera, young daughter of the deceased commandant,'' one historian has written. ''Rafaela herself, whose entire life had been spent in forts, took charge of the cannon, and killed the English commander with the third shot. A desultory artillery duel followed for four days; then the English withdrew.''

Britain did not give up easily, however. In 1780, a flotilla set out from Jamaica for a second assault on El Castillo. Among the leaders was Horatio Nelson, then a young captain.

British troops cut the fort's water supply, besieged it for 17 days and finally seized it. But the British force was ravaged by disease and overwhelmed by rain, which falls here at the rate of 200 inches a year. So weakened that survivors could not muster enough strength to bury their dead, the British were unable to advance and extend their power into the heart of Central America. Spain's hold on the region was secure.

Semester students get more than just outdoor adventure, animal photography and language; they learn why not to mess with women with cannons.

Course Updates - April 28th

Tri-Country left its 72 hour solo Monday morning and began the final phase of its coast-to-coast hike. They then ran the Rio Pacuare from La Cruz to just before Siquirres and camped by the river last night. This morning they rafted to the Siquirres bridge where they switched out the rafts for inflatable kayaks (IKs). They are IK'ing from the bridge to another point to camp on the river, and then Thursday they will finally IK from that point to the beach. That night they will transfer to Puerto Viejo del Sarapiqui. Friday they will have a transition day in Sarapiqui, and Saturday morning they head out on their Nicaragua paddling expedition.

Leadership will be doing their Rescue 3 International Technical Ropes Rescue Operation Level training for the next four days. Yesterday morning they went to the indoor futbol 5 field in Tres Rios. Today to tomorrow they are at the climbing wall in Iztaru, and Thursday is their final exam. Friday they will have a transition day, and Saturday and Sunday they will be doing their lifeguard training at a pool in Tres Rios or San Jose.