Reef
left
Level 6/10

Playa Negra

Guanacaste, Costa Rica
🪸Sharp reef🦔Urchins

Playa Negra is Guanacaste's reef break crown jewel—a long, peeling left that offers some of the most consistent quality surf on Costa Rica's Pacific coast. The wave breaks over a flat rock shelf, producing predictable, workable walls with occasional barreling sections that have drawn surfers to this dusty coastal outpost for decades. The take-off is defined and the wave peels with reliable rhythm, rewarding patient positioning and smooth rail work. Urchins patrol the reef and booties are advisable, but the tradeoff is waves that maintain their form even when nearby beach breaks blow out.

10-Day Forecast
Today
21
68
Good
1.3m
@12s
8km/h
Mon
22
74
Good
1.1m
@13s
3km/h
Tue
23
66
Good
1.2m
@15s
10km/h
Wed
24
75
Good
1.3m
@14s
8km/h
Thu
25
55
Fair
1.1m
@12s
9km/h
Fri
26
55
Fair
1.2m
@11s
6km/h
Sat
27
54
Fair
1.2m
@12s
9km/h
Sun
28
73
Good
1.2m
@14s
11km/h
Mon
29
65
Good
0.9m
@13s
13km/h
Tue
30
55
Fair
0.7m
@14s
11km/h

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Swell
1.3m
SW(223°)
Score: 12/25
Period
12s
Medium period swell
Score: 14/25
Wind
8km/h
SSE(165°)
Score: 18/25
Weather
27°C
1.0mm83%
Windswell Component
0.1mSE@1s
Secondary Swell
0.3mSW
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning
AM: 6 km/h ENE|PM: 10 km/h SSW
Lighter winds early (6 km/h)
Tide at 7am (1.6m)

Location & Conditions

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

Tide Times

12:43 am
Low tide - -0.55m
7:06 am
High tide - 1.57m
1:19 pm
Low tide - -0.33m
7:24 pm
High tide - 1.37m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

68
Good
Components
Swell Direction23/25
Swell Size12/25
Swell Period14/25
Wind18/25
Raw Score67/100
Adjustments
🌊 Tide+1
Adjusted Score68/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score68
🌊 Partly in the tide window
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Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SW (220°)
Direction range
200° - 250°
Size range
0.8m - 2.5m
Ideal size
2.1m
Height multiplier
0.97×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
E (90°)
Offshore range
45° - 135°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.4m - 1.4m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

5/10

Access: Beach access from road.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Oct

Secondary: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Year-round. Rainy season (May-Nov) often glassier mornings.

Getting There

Airport
LIR
Drive time
90 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion