Reef
both
Level 4/10

Playgrounds

Rivas, Nicaragua
🪨Rocks

Playgrounds is Nicaragua's version of Trestles—a cobblestone-bottom break that delivers rippable, open-face waves perfect for high-performance surfing and skill progression. The wave favors mostly lefts with barrel sections inside, but the real appeal is the workable walls that let you practice turns without the heavy consequences of the nearby reef breaks. For surfers wanting to progress their shortboard game in warm water with consistent conditions, Playgrounds provides the ideal training ground. This is where you come to work on your surfing, not just survive it.

10-Day Forecast
Today
21
86
Firing
1.3m
@13s
19km/h
Mon
22
77
Good
1.3m
@12s
19km/h
Tue
23
80
Firing
1.3m
@15s
26km/h
Wed
24
74
Good
1.3m
@14s
26km/h
Thu
25
79
Good
1.1m
@14s
24km/h
Fri
26
77
Good
1.1m
@14s
21km/h
Sat
27
80
Firing
1.2m
@14s
20km/h
Sun
28
79
Good
1.1m
@14s
24km/h
Mon
29
68
Good
0.9m
@13s
20km/h
Tue
30
79
Good
0.7m
@13s
20km/h

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Groomed
Clean faces from offshore winds
Swell
1.3m
SW(221°)
Score: 16/25
Period
13s
Medium period swell
Score: 23/25
Wind
19km/h
ENE(70°)
Score: 22/25
Weather
29°C
0.4mm62%
Windswell Component
0.4mENE@2s
Secondary Swell
0.2mSE
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning
AM: 14 km/h NE|PM: 20 km/h ENE
14 km/h vs 20 km/h afternoon
Tide at 7am (1.5m)

Location & Conditions

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

Tide Times

12:45 am
Low tide - -0.57m
7:09 am
High tide - 1.54m
1:19 pm
Low tide - -0.31m
7:24 pm
High tide - 1.36m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

86
Firing
Components
Swell Direction17/25
Swell Size16/25
Swell Period23/25
Wind22/25
Raw Score78/100
Adjustments
Wind History+6
🌊 Tide+5
Adjusted Score86.06666666666666/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score86
✨ Groomed🌊 Optimal tide window
For real surf travel

Get the full Playgrounds 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.

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

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SSW (210°)
Direction range
185° - 255°
Size range
0.6m - 2m
Ideal size
1.6m
Height multiplier
0.90×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
NE (50°)
Offshore range
10° - 90°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.4m - 1.6m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

4/10

Crowd level

3/10

Access: Veracruz de Acayo. Boat access only.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Oct

Secondary: Mar, Nov

Cobblestone bottom. Fun rippable wave.

Getting There

Airport
MGA
Drive time
115 min
Boat required
$30
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.

Strike Log

Community Discussion