Beach
both
Level 5/10

Sipacate

Escuintla, Guatemala
🌀Strong rips

Sipacate is Guatemala's emerging surf destination—a consistent beach break on volcanic black sand that captures the southwest swells powering through Central America while remaining blissfully uncrowded. The wave is powerful for a beach break, with sandbars that create punchy peaks capable of genuine force. The growing scene here attracts pioneers who appreciate the authenticity of pre-development surf travel: basic facilities, genuine local culture, and the excitement of waves that few have ridden. For travelers willing to venture beyond the established destinations, Sipacate offers Central America as it used to be.

10-Day Forecast
Today5
39
Poor
0.9m@9s
8km/h
Thu6
40
Poor
0.9m@10s
7km/h
Fri7
46
Fair
1.0m@12s
9km/h
Sat8
67
Good
1.1m@16s
7km/h
Sun9
67
Good
1.3m@15s
9km/h
Mon10
68
Good
1.0m@14s
9km/h
Tue11
65
Good
1.0m@14s
10km/h
Wed12
49
Fair
0.9m@15s
9km/h
Thu13
58
Fair
0.7m@17s
10km/h
Fri14
54
Fair
1.2m@18s
10km/h
5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 3 km/h · PM 11 km/h
Swell
0.9m
SSW(208°)
Score: 9/25
Period
9s
Short period / windswell
Score: 4/25
Wind
8km/h
WSW(250°)
Score: 14/25
Weather
30°C
0.0mm33%
First light 5:19amSunrise 5:49amSunset 6:31pmLast light 7:01pm
Secondary0.5mConfidence
100%

Location & Conditions

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

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:19am–12:10pm · through highStrike window: 1:30–7:01pm · risingIdeal tide: 0.3–1.8m
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°
30°
33°
32°
29°
24°
28°
31°
30°
29°
24°
31°
33°
33°
31°
24°
29°
33°
32°
28°
23°
30°
34°
33°
31°
25°
33°
34°
34°
31°
26°
30°
34°
32°
30°
26°
29°
33°
32°
31°
26°
30°
35°
34°
31°
27°
31°
34°
34°
31°
2m1.0
sec
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
16s
16s
16s
16s
16s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
17s
17s
17s
17s
17s
18s
18s
18s
18s
18s
swell
windkm/h
4g7
2g12
11g30
17g37
5g16
3g12
4g16
14g37
8g28
7g22
1g1
2g13
13g31
15g34
11g32
4g7
1g11
11g32
16g38
11g20
1g9
3g14
15g34
13g38
11g31
2g3
3g14
12g31
15g35
12g35
3g9
7g23
15g39
12g39
9g35
7g12
6g23
12g35
12g37
11g35
2g15
7g23
14g33
14g38
11g39
1g10
8g21
14g34
13g39
10g39
tidem
6:40am1.7m
12:52pm0.3m
6:52pm1.4m
12:54am0.2m
7:26am1.7m
1:46pm0.3m
7:42pm1.4m
1:46am0.2m
8:19am1.7m
2:47pm0.3m
8:39pm1.4m
2:42am0.3m
9:22am1.7m
3:58pm0.4m
9:48pm1.4m
3:52am0.3m
10:30am1.7m
5:01pm0.3m
5:01am0.3m
11:37am1.8m
6:05pm0.3m
6:10am0.2m
12:40pm1.8m
7:04pm0.1m
1:11am1.6m
7:14am0.1m
1:38pm1.9m
7:58pm0.1m
2:10am1.7m
8:14am0.1m
2:30pm1.9m
8:50pm0.0m
3:00am1.8m
9:10am0.1m
3:19pm1.9m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

6:40 am
High tide - 1.72m
12:52 pm
Low tide - 0.25m
6:52 pm
High tide - 1.45m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

39
Poor
Components
Swell Direction19/25
Swell Size9/25
Swell Period4/25
Wind14/25
Raw Score46/100
Adjustments
🌊 Tide+5
💨 Gusty Wind-5
📉 Undersized Swell-7
Adjusted Score39/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score39
🌊 Optimal tide window

Plan Your Strike

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

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SSW (200°)
Direction range
170° - 240°
Size range
0.8m - 3m
Ideal size
2.3m
Height multiplier
0.92×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
N (10°)
Offshore range
330° - 60°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
all
Optimal range
0.3m - 1.8m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

5/10

Crowd level

2/10

Access: Between El Paredon and Iztapa. Basic facilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Sipacate?

Sipacate works best on a mid tide, ideally between 0.3m and 1.8m on the local tide chart. The tide chart above shows today’s strike window.

What wind direction is offshore at Sipacate?

Offshore wind at Sipacate blows from the N (10°). Anything in the 330° to 60° range grooms the faces; outside it, expect chop or bumpy conditions.

What swell size and direction work best at Sipacate?

Sipacate wants SSW swell (170° to 240°) between 0.8m and 3m, with a period of 14s or more for quality waves.

When is the best time of year to surf Sipacate?

The main season at Sipacate is Mar-Oct. A secondary window runs Nov, Feb. SW swell season. Black volcanic sand beach.

How do I get to Sipacate?

Fly into GUA, then allow about 120 minutes by road. Between El Paredon and Iztapa. Basic facilities.

What kind of wave is Sipacate?

Sipacate is a beach break, a peak with lefts and rights. Difficulty is rated 5/10.

Best Season

Peak: Mar-Oct

Secondary: Nov, Feb

SW swell season. Black volcanic sand beach.

Getting There

Airport
GUA
Drive time
120 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion