Reef
left
Level 6/10

Playa Negra

Guanacaste, Costa Rica
🪸Sharp reef🦔Urchins

Playa Negra is Guanacaste's reef break crown jewel—a long, peeling left that offers some of the most consistent quality surf on Costa Rica's Pacific coast. The wave breaks over a flat rock shelf, producing predictable, workable walls with occasional barreling sections that have drawn surfers to this dusty coastal outpost for decades. The take-off is defined and the wave peels with reliable rhythm, rewarding patient positioning and smooth rail work. Urchins patrol the reef and booties are advisable, but the tradeoff is waves that maintain their form even when nearby beach breaks blow out.

3-Day Forecast
Mon
16
56
Fair
1.5m
@16s
12km/h
Today
17
49
Fair
1.4m
@15s
13km/h
Wed
18
48
Fair
1.1m
@15s
12km/h
+7
Unlock

Today's Conditions

Swell
1.5m
SSW(197°)
Score: 14/25
Period
16s
Long period groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
12km/h
W(267°)
Score: 5/25
Weather
29°C
0.0mm15%
Secondary Swell
1.0mSW
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning

Location & Conditions

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

Tide Times

6:22 am
Low tide - -0.49m
12:40 pm
High tide - 0.94m
6:43 pm
Low tide - -0.43m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

56
Fair
Components
Swell Direction12/25
Swell Size14/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind5/25
Raw Score56/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score56

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SW (220°)
Direction range
200° - 250°
Size range
0.8m - 2.5m
Ideal size
2.1m
Height multiplier
0.97×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
E (90°)
Offshore range
45° - 135°
Best window
morning

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.4m - 1.4m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

5/10

Access: Beach access from road.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Oct

Secondary: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Year-round. Rainy season (May-Nov) often glassier mornings.

Getting There

Airport
LIR
Drive time
90 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion