Going to Morro Negrito?
Here are some rather random thoughts about the place to give you an idea.
Baggage Embargo
Before booking your flight, make sure that there are no baggage embargoes in affect when your flight leaves. Unfortunately, it's quite likely that nobody at the airline will actually know, so you're forced to dig it out of them. And then you're likely to get different answers. If you can, get it in writing that you can take a surfboard before you get to the airport. If there is a baggage embargo, your board will not be going with you. For example, American Airlines had a baggage embargo start on December 15th, 2004. I left on the 13th, so had no problem.
Cesar
Cesar will likely pick you up at the airport in Panama City. He actually does look just like his picture, sunglasses, hat and all. He has no fancy sign with your name on it. I stood there looking rather lost with my board and he came up to me and said one word - "Cesar." He speaks zero English, so be prepared to at least gimp by with some Spanish. No worries though because he does take good care of you. And it makes for a better adventure ;). He seems to know EVERYBODY in Panama who matters.
Bus to Tolé
Cesar will get you onto the proper bus to Tolé. The bus is indeed very cold and generally the most comfortable bus I've ever been in. There is a scheduled stop several hours into the trip for food and such. This is not Tolé. Get off the bus and enjoy some of the food at the rest area, it's good. Just keep an eye on the bus for when everybody gets back on (20-30 minutes). When you reach Tolé the bus driver will tell you to get off. It's just a gravel parking lot with a cantina in the middle of nowhere. Have one of the cheapest rounds of beer you could imagine and enjoy the atmosphere.
The "Port"
In my case, there was somebody waiting for us at Tolé. He motioned for us to get a drink at the cantina while he loaded our stuff into his van. At least I was hoping it was really our contact, since he was loading our stuff. Heh. Take a cold one for the road ;). It's an enjoyable ride.
The port is little more than a small building with access to a canal that is full at high tide and dry rock at low tide. At this point, you should have sandels or some other waterish shoes readily available because you will get your feet and legs wet.
Trip to Surf Camp
The boat trip is nice ride, about 30 minutes. The "port" at the camp is just a sheltered beach behind a rocky point. So you will have to walk through the water to the beach. Then it's a hundred or so yards to the camp, past the small school house.
Camp Accommodations
The rooms have a couple of beds with thin foamy mattresses and equipped with mosquito nets. There is a floor fan in the room that will last a varying degree of time throughout the night - sometimes a couple of hours, sometimes longer. There is a solar power thingy that charges some batteries during the day. That provides enough power for dinner, lights and a few other things like camera chargers for several hours in the evening. When the power is gone, the power is gone... keep a flashlight handy! There is definitely no A/C. heh. It does get quite hot at night normally so you'll likely just be laying on top of the bed with no covers. And there's only a thin sheet available anyway. There was one night where I actually had to use my sheet because it got chilly (late December).
The Food
All meals are eaten together as a group. When the bell rings, don't miss it. If you miss a meal, you miss a meal. By the end of the week, everybody at the camp is family.
I'm a pretty picky eater, and I thought every single meal provided was great. All of the fish meals were particularly good. You get three square meals a day that do provide adequate energy. There isn't normally seconds, and there is no snacking in between meals. If you need to cram your face with food all day, then you better bring some with you. I'd suggest some candy bars or power bars to hold you over on particularly heavy surfing days.
There is one industrious local guy who opened up a "store" to cater to the surfers. It's a bit of a hike, and they don't have all that much, so don't count on it necessarily, but certainly help out the local non-existant economy if you can. You might be able to get a can of Pringles, some cheesy poofs, candy and maybe a tube of toothpaste.
There is no refrigeration on the island, so cold sodas and beer are not necessarily cold. heh. But it's all relative, right? They rely on block ice. They keep a block of ice in one cooler and chip off pieces and put it in the cooler with the beverages to keep them cooler than outside the cooler :). Their beer selection is either Panama, or Panama, which actually is pretty good. Somebody requested juice and some showed up a few days later after a supply run. When I was there it was $1 per beverage, on the honor system - write it down on a pad and pay up at the end of the week.
The Surfing
There were two boat trips a day. The times and destinations depend on the tides, swell and group consensus to some degree. There is some flexibility because there are several boats. The number of people in camp determines the number of boats that go out. One day we took one boat and dropped a few people off at a more tame beach break and then headed out to P-Land and Nestle's Crunch. Another boat headed out for some deep-sea fishing.
The boats are ponga boats. The back is covered and the front is open. I didn't use a board sock the week I was there and didn't have any problem, but you may want to consider it. The boards get stacked in the front so if you're a neat freak who can't have somebody elses wax touching your board, or can't handle the inevitable scratch, take one.
In addition to the surf spots accessible by boat, there are several spots you can walk to. Again, it depends on swell and tide as to what is breaking. I caught Emilies, which is right outside the rooms, at about chest high with a few larger sets (low tide). It was an awesome left, and quite shallow. I'd suggest some reef booties for sure for this break.