Beach
both
Level 6/10

Dominical

Puntarenas, Costa Rica
🌀Strong rips😮‍💨Hold-downs

Dominical is Costa Rica's wild southern showcase—a powerful beach break backed by primary jungle where humpback whales pass offshore during their annual migration. The wave doesn't mess around: heavy lips, strong rips, and a reputation for humbling those who underestimate its power. This is not a beginner beach, despite what some tourists discover the hard way. The jungle setting creates a mystical atmosphere, with toucans and monkeys providing the soundtrack and the kind of dramatic tropical scenery that defines postcard Costa Rica. Come prepared for a workout.

3-Day Forecast
Today
15
75
Good
1.6m
@17s
7km/h
Mon
16
74
Good
1.6m
@17s
7km/h
Tue
17
72
Good
1.4m
@15s
5km/h
+7
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Today's Conditions

Swell
1.6m
SSW(199°)
Score: 15/25
Period
17s
Long period groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
7km/h
SSW(193°)
Score: 15/25
Weather
29°C
0.0mm41%
Secondary Swell
0.8mWSW
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning

Location & Conditions

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0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
View in OpenStreetMap
Showing forecast for today

Tide Times

5:38 am
Low tide - -0.41m
12:00 pm
High tide - 0.83m
6:02 pm
Low tide - -0.27m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

75
Good
Components
Swell Direction20/25
Swell Size15/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind15/25
Raw Score75/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score75

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SSW (205°)
Direction range
175° - 245°
Size range
0.8m - 3m
Ideal size
2.3m
Height multiplier
0.92×
Ideal period
16s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
ENE (60°)
Offshore range
20° - 100°
Best window
morning

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.4m - 1.6m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

5/10

Access: 3hr drive from San Jose. Southern zone.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Oct

Secondary: Nov, Mar

SW swell season. Heavy beach break.

Getting There

Airport
SJO
Drive time
180 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion