Reef
both
Level 4/10

Little Corn Island

Corn Islands, Nicaragua
🪸Sharp reef⚠️Shallow🏝️Remote🚶Difficult access

Little Corn Island is the ultimate off-grid surf adventure—a car-free Caribbean island where the rugged east coast transforms into dramatic surf when east-northeast swells (30°-130°) arrive from tropical storms or sustained trade winds. The island has no motor vehicles, so you'll walk everywhere through jungle paths to reach the breaks. Consistency is low, but when conditions align during peak rainy season (July-August), you'll surf empty reef breaks in crystal-clear Caribbean water with zero crowds. This isn't a surf trip destination—it's a tropical island escape that occasionally delivers waves.

Little Corn Island surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast
Today19
11
Poor
0.8m@7s
17km/h
Sun20
40
Poor
0.7m@9s
12km/h
Mon21
37
Poor
0.6m@8s
9km/h
Tue22
8
Poor
0.4m@6s
8km/h
Wed23
18
Poor
0.3m@7s
10km/h
Thu24
11
Poor
0.4m@8s
13km/h
Fri25
8
Poor
0.5m@6s
12km/h
Sat26
33
Poor
0.5m@7s
4km/h
Sun27
29
Poor
0.4m@7s
9km/h
Mon28
30
Poor
0.3m@7s
13km/h
5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: AfternoonAM 22 km/h · PM 9 km/h · High tide at 5pm (0.4m)
Swell
0.8m
ENE(74°)
Score: 15/25
Period
7s
Short period / windswell
Score: 4/25
Wind
17km/h
NE(56°)
Score: 0/25
Weather
27°C
0.8mm92%
First light 4:50amSunrise 5:20amSunset 5:29pmLast light 5:59pm
Windswell0.2m@2sSecondary0.1mConfidence
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

No ideal tide during daylight todayIdeal tide: 0.4–1.4m
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
27°
27°
28°
27°
27°
26°
27°
28°
28°
28°
27°
27°
27°
27°
28°
28°
28°
27°
28°
28°
28°
27°
27°
27°
29°
27°
27°
27°
27°
28°
27°
27°
28°
28°
28°
28°
28°
28°
28°
29°
28°
28°
28°
29°
29°
27°
28°
28°
28°
28°
2m1.0
sec
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
6s
6s
6s
6s
6s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
6s
6s
6s
6s
6s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
swell
windkm/h
22g28
22g31
20g26
14g35
5g10
14g20
17g22
14g21
9g13
9g15
6g11
14g17
15g21
7g13
2g5
5g9
4g7
17g22
9g16
6g13
8g18
11g17
10g21
10g19
13g20
10g17
11g18
13g27
15g22
13g22
11g16
12g23
12g31
12g28
11g22
4g11
4g9
5g9
4g12
4g15
7g18
7g20
7g21
10g19
13g18
16g28
12g29
10g28
13g24
16g21
tidem
5:50am0.2m
10:00am0.1m
5:10pm0.4m
12:45am0.0m
5:30am0.1m
9:30am0.1m
5:50pm0.4m
1:10am0.0m
7:00am0.1m
10:30am0.1m
5:50pm0.3m
1:30am0.0m
8:00am0.1m
12:00pm0.1m
6:30pm0.4m
2:30am0.1m
10:30am0.2m
7:00pm0.3m
3:00am0.1m
10:30am0.2m
2:30pm0.2m
8:30pm0.3m
3:50am0.1m
11:30am0.3m
4:00pm0.2m
9:30pm0.3m
4:00am0.2m
11:30am0.3m
6:30pm0.2m
4:30am0.2m
12:30pm0.3m
7:30pm0.1m
1:30am0.2m
5:30am0.2m
12:50pm0.4m
Ideal tideDanger tideNight

Tide times today

5:50 am
High tide - 0.17m
10:00 am
Low tide - 0.08m
5:10 pm
High tide - 0.38m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

11
Poor
Components
Swell Direction21/25
Swell Size15/25
Swell Period4/25
Wind0/25
Raw Score40/100
Adjustments
Wind History-5
🚫 Tide-10
💨 Gusty Wind-4
⚠️ Weak Component-10
🚫 Tide Capmax 40
Adjusted Score11/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score11
🌊 Too low for this break

Plan Your Strike

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

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
E (80°)
Direction range
30° - 130°
Size range
0.6m - 2m
Ideal size
1.2m - 1.7m
Height multiplier
1.00×
Ideal period
11s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
W (270°)
Offshore range
220° - 320°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid to high
Optimal range
0.4m - 1.4m
Danger below
0.3m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

1/10

Access: Fly to Big Corn (RNI), then panga boat to Little Corn. No vehicles on island.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Little Corn Island?

The Little Corn Island profile favors mid to high tide, ideally between 0.4m and 1.4m on the local tide chart. Compare this preference with the forecast tide and local conditions before choosing a session. The profile flags a low-tide hazard below 0.3m.

What wind direction is offshore at Little Corn Island?

The Little Corn Island profile uses wind from W (270°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 220° to 320°. 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 Little Corn Island?

The Little Corn Island scoring profile favors swell from E (30° to 130°), a swell-height range of 0.6m to 2m, and a reference period of 11s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.

When is the best time of year to surf Little Corn Island?

The main season at Little Corn Island is Jun-Oct. A secondary window runs Nov, Dec, Jan. Peak rainy season (July-Aug) best. Needs sustained E-NE Caribbean swell. Very inconsistent.

How do I get to Little Corn Island?

The spot profile lists RNI as a nearby airport. A boat transfer is also required. The profile estimates $15 USD; confirm the current price and departure point with an operator. Fly to Big Corn (RNI), then panga boat to Little Corn. No vehicles on island.

What kind of wave is Little Corn Island?

Little Corn Island is a reef break, a peak with lefts and rights. Difficulty is rated 4/10.

Best Season

Peak: Jun-Oct

Secondary: Nov, Dec, Jan

Peak rainy season (July-Aug) best. Needs sustained E-NE Caribbean swell. Very inconsistent.

Getting There

Airport
RNI
Drive time
0 min
Boat required
$15
Data quality
community

🤙 Strike Specialist

The Strike Specialist in Nicaragua is Sea Nicaragua Travel. Get in touch with them for the best chance of scoring the best waves in Nicaragua — and don't forget to tell 'em Barrel D sent ya.

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