Reef

both

Level 6/10

Panga Drops

Rivas, Nicaragua

🪸Sharp reef🦈Sharks

Panga Drops is the Emerald Coast's swell magnet—a deep water reef break that catches and amplifies swell when other spots remain small. The wave offers long rides with wide open faces and a softer character than the nearby heavy reefs, making it excellent for progressive surfing rather than pure barrel hunting. Boat access via panga (local fishing boat) is required, which adds adventure while keeping crowds manageable. When the southwest pulse arrives, Panga Drops provides some of the most consistent quality surf in the entire region.

10-Day Forecast

Today

Firing

1.4mSW

@15s

20km/h

1.4m

@15s

20km/h

Groomed

Mon

Good

1.3mSW

@14s

19km/h

1.3m

@14s

19km/h

Groomed

Tue

Good

1.3mSW

@16s

26km/h

1.3m

@16s

26km/h

Groomed

Wed

Good

1.3mSW

@17s

26km/h

1.3m

@17s

26km/h

Groomed

Thu

Good

1.2mSW

@16s

23km/h

1.2m

@16s

23km/h

Groomed

Fri

Good

1.2mSW

@16s

21km/h

1.2m

@16s

21km/h

Groomed

Sat

Good

1.2mSW

@17s

21km/h

1.2m

@17s

21km/h

Groomed

Sun

Good

1.2mSW

@15s

24km/h

1.2m

@15s

24km/h

Groomed

Mon

Fair

0.9mSW

@15s

23km/h

0.9m

@15s

23km/h

Groomed

Tue

Poor

0.8mSW

@15s

24km/h

0.8m

@15s

24km/h

Groomed

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's Conditions

Find Flights

✨

Groomed

Clean faces from offshore winds

Swell

1.4m

SW(222°)

Score: 9/25

Period

15s

Long period groundswell

Score: 18/25

Wind

20km/h

ENE(68°)

Score: 22/25

Weather

29°C

0.2mm78%

Windswell Component

0.4mENE@2s

Secondary Swell

0.1mE

Forecast Confidence

100%

Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather

Best Session

morning

AM: 18 km/h NE|PM: 20 km/h ENE

Similar wind — morning has better tide for this spot

High tide at 7am (1.5m)

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell

Wind

View in OpenStreetMap

Showing forecast for today

Tide Times

12:45 am

Low tide - -0.58m

7:09 am

High tide - 1.54m

1:19 pm

Low tide - -0.32m

7:24 pm

High tide - 1.36m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Firing

Components

Swell Direction20/25

Swell Size9/25

Swell Period18/25

Wind22/25

Raw Score69/100

Adjustments

✨ Wind History+6

🌊 Tide+5

Adjusted Score80/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score80

✨ Groomed🌊 Optimal tide window

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell

Wind

View in OpenStreetMap

Showing forecast for today

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Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: SW (215°)
Direction range: 185° - 260°
Size range: 1m - 4m
Ideal size: 3.3m
Height multiplier: 1.00×
Ideal period: 17s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: NE (55°)
Offshore range: 15° - 95°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid to high
Optimal range: 0.5m - 2m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

3/10

Access: Panga (boat) access from Popoyo area. Multiple operators.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Oct

Secondary: Mar, Nov

Deep water reef magnifies swell. Works all season.

Getting There

Airport

MGA

Drive time

115 min

Boat required

$40

Data quality

verified

🤙 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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