Beach

both

Level 4/10

Playa Maderas

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

🌀Strong rips

Playa Maderas is Nicaragua's most beloved intermediate wave—a fun beach break near San Juan del Sur that has become the heart of the country's growing surf scene. The wave offers consistent left and right peaks that work for all skill levels, from beginners finding their feet to experienced surfers looking for playful sessions. The vibe here is pure Central American warmth: sunset sessions, beachfront bars, and a community of international travelers who've discovered Nicaragua's incredible value proposition. When the southwest swells pump from April through October, Maderas delivers daily surfable conditions at a fraction of Costa Rica's prices.

10-Day Forecast

Today

Good

1.1mSW

@15s

20km/h

1.1m

@15s

20km/h

Groomed

Mon

Good

1.0mSW

@14s

20km/h

1.0m

@14s

20km/h

Groomed

Tue

Good

1.1mSW

@16s

26km/h

1.1m

@16s

26km/h

Groomed

Wed

Good

1.1mSW

@17s

26km/h

1.1m

@17s

26km/h

Groomed

Thu

Good

1.0mSW

@16s

24km/h

1.0m

@16s

24km/h

Groomed

Fri

Good

1.0mSW

@16s

22km/h

1.0m

@16s

22km/h

Groomed

Sat

Good

1.0mSW

@17s

21km/h

1.0m

@17s

21km/h

Groomed

Sun

Good

1.0mSW

@15s

25km/h

1.0m

@15s

25km/h

Groomed

Mon

Good

0.8mSW

@16s

23km/h

0.8m

@16s

23km/h

Groomed

Tue

Good

0.8mSW

@15s

23km/h

0.8m

@15s

23km/h

Groomed

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's Conditions

Find Flights

✨

Groomed

Clean faces from offshore winds

Swell

1.1m

SW(227°)

Score: 11/25

Period

15s

Long period groundswell

Score: 25/25

Wind

20km/h

ENE(68°)

Score: 19/25

Weather

28°C

0.2mm80%

Windswell Component

0.3mENE@2s

Secondary Swell

0.1mENE

Forecast Confidence

100%

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

Best Session

morning

AM: 18 km/h ENE|PM: 21 km/h ENE

Lighter winds early (18 km/h)

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 - -0.33m

7:24 pm

High tide - 1.36m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Good

Components

Swell Direction14/25

Swell Size11/25

Swell Period25/25

Wind19/25

Raw Score69/100

Adjustments

✨ Wind History+6

🌊 Tide+3

Adjusted Score78/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score78

✨ Groomed🌊 Mostly in the 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: SSW (210°)
Direction range: 180° - 250°
Size range: 0.8m - 2.5m
Ideal size: 2.0m
Height multiplier: 0.92×
Ideal period: 14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: NE (45°)
Offshore range: 0° - 90°

Tide Requirements

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

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

5/10

Access: Near San Juan del Sur. Easy beach access.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Oct

Secondary: Nov, Mar

SW swell season April-October. Consistent beach break.

Getting There

Airport

MGA

Drive time

130 min

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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