Beach

both

Level 3/10

Tamarindo

Guanacaste, Costa Rica

👥Crowded🌀Strong rips

YouTubeWatch on YouTube CustomizeCustomize this spot

Tamarindo is Costa Rica's most famous surf town—a once-sleepy fishing village transformed into an international beach destination where surf schools outnumber restaurants and the lineup can resemble a lesson plan. The wave itself is a friendly beach break perfect for beginners, with year-round warmth and consistent small to medium swells. The crowds are real, but so is the infrastructure: quality rentals, professional instruction, and a vibrant nightlife that makes this the most complete surf town experience in Central America. For first-time visitors to Costa Rica, Tamarindo provides a soft landing.

Tamarindo surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today19

Fair

0.9mSSW@12s

7km/h

0.9m@12s

7km/h

Sun20

Good

0.9mSSW@12s

7km/h

0.9m@12s

7km/h

Mon21

Firing

1.0mSW@17s

6km/h

1.0m@17s

6km/h

Tue22

Firing

1.0mSW@17s

7km/h

1.0m@17s

7km/h

Wed23

Good

1.2mSW@8s

7km/h

1.2m@8s

7km/h

Thu24

Firing

1.0mSW@15s

6km/h

1.0m@15s

6km/h

Fri25

Fair

0.9mWSW@14s

11km/h

0.9m@14s

11km/h

Sat26

Firing

1.4mSW@15s

6km/h

1.4m@15s

6km/h

Sun27

Good

1.8mWSW@14s

7km/h

1.8m@14s

7km/h

Mon28

Fair

1.3mW@13s

9km/h

1.3m@13s

9km/h

5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 5 km/h · PM 10 km/h

Swell

0.9m

SSW(197°)

Score: 18/25

Period

12s

Medium period swell

Score: 14/25

Wind

7km/h

SSE(152°)

Score: 20/25

Weather

29°C

0.5mm89%

First light 5:02amSunrise 5:32amSunset 5:41pmLast light 6:11pm

Secondary0.7mConfidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell

Wind

Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 9:38am–6:11pm · through lowIdeal tide: 0.3–1.5m

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

°C

25°

32°

30°

29°

26°

25°

30°

32°

27°

26°

25°

26°

25°

23°

25°

26°

28°

26°

24°

28°

27°

25°

24°

27°

26°

24°

26°

27°

26°

25°

24°

26°

29°

28°

26°

25°

27°

29°

28°

26°

25°

27°

28°

26°

2m1.0

sec

12s

17s

15s

14s

15s

14s

13s

swell

windkm/h

8g14

2g19

16g39

8g23

11g27

9g16

6g20

9g30

6g28

2g9

6g11

2g16

9g22

4g22

3g9

8g23

7g22

10g25

5g9

10g17

4g17

8g27

7g25

5g17

9g16

3g17

6g22

11g29

5g22

7g16

8g25

16g34

13g36

8g34

4g15

3g21

10g27

8g28

3g27

4g13

9g22

12g32

6g36

0g35

5g19

7g25

11g29

11g31

9g30

tidem

1:08am0.6m

7:30am1.8m

2:02pm0.6m

8:13pm1.6m

2:08am0.8m

8:34am1.8m

3:13pm0.7m

9:19pm1.6m

3:24am0.8m

9:45am1.8m

4:16pm0.7m

4:42am0.8m

10:53am1.8m

5:18pm0.7m

5:41am0.7m

11:48am1.9m

6:07pm0.5m

6:26am0.6m

12:36pm1.9m

6:45pm0.4m

1:01am2.1m

7:12am0.4m

1:16pm2.0m

7:24pm0.3m

1:37am2.2m

7:52am0.2m

1:57pm2.1m

8:01pm0.2m

2:14am2.3m

8:32am0.1m

2:36pm2.2m

8:38pm0.1m

2:50am2.4m

9:09am0.0m

3:15pm2.3m

Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

1:08 am

Low tide - 0.60m

7:30 am

High tide - 1.82m

2:02 pm

Low tide - 0.59m

8:13 pm

High tide - 1.59m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Fair

Components

Swell Direction12/25

Swell Size18/25

Swell Period14/25

Wind20/25

Raw Score64/100

Adjustments

🌊 Tide+1

💨 Gusty Wind-5

Adjusted Score60/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score60

🌊 Partly in the tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to LIR, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

Search Flights on Skyscanner

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell

Wind

Showing forecast for today

See where's firing right nowToday's best waves worldwide, scored live

Free Strike Report

Know when Central America is about to fire

Get the best strike windows in Central America — and worldwide — in your inbox every Monday & Thursday. Live Strike Scores, the swell behind them, zero fluff.

¿Prefieres español? Recibe el Strike Report en español, gratis →

For real surf travel

Get the full Tamarindo trip window

Pro unlocks the 10-day forecast window, unlimited alerts, and custom spot tracking that help turn a good-looking surf report into a better travel decision.

See Pro Pricing Start Free

10-day window

See the trip window before flights get expensive.

Unlimited alerts

Let the app watch your score threshold for you.

Custom spots

Track the breaks that actually matter to your travel plans.

Spot Details

CustomizeCustomize this spot

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: SW (220°)
Direction range: 205° - 260°
Size range: 0.5m - 2m
Ideal size: 1.2m - 1.6m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: E (80°)
Offshore range: 40° - 120°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: all
Optimal range: 0.3m - 1.5m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

3/10

Crowd level

8/10

Access: Main tourist surf town. Easy access everywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Tamarindo?

The Tamarindo profile favors the recorded tide range, ideally between 0.3m and 1.5m on the local tide chart. Compare this preference with the forecast tide and local conditions before choosing a session.

What wind direction is offshore at Tamarindo?

The Tamarindo profile uses wind from E (80°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 40° to 120°. Wind speed matters too: light winds outside that range can still produce surfable conditions, while strong offshore winds can make takeoffs difficult.

What swell size and direction work best at Tamarindo?

The Tamarindo scoring profile favors swell from SW (205° to 260°), a swell-height range of 0.5m to 2m, and a reference period of 14s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.