Beach
both
Level 6/10

Dominical

Puntarenas, Costa Rica
🌀Strong rips😮‍💨Hold-downs

Dominical is Costa Rica's wild southern showcase—a powerful beach break backed by primary jungle where humpback whales pass offshore during their annual migration. The wave doesn't mess around: heavy lips, strong rips, and a reputation for humbling those who underestimate its power. This is not a beginner beach, despite what some tourists discover the hard way. The jungle setting creates a mystical atmosphere, with toucans and monkeys providing the soundtrack and the kind of dramatic tropical scenery that defines postcard Costa Rica. Come prepared for a workout.

3-Day Forecast
Today
16
75
Good
1.7m
@16s
6km/h
Tue
17
71
Good
1.4m
@15s
5km/h
Wed
18
69
Good
1.1m
@15s
5km/h
+7
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Today's Conditions

Swell
1.7m
SSW(195°)
Score: 16/25
Period
16s
Long period groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
6km/h
WSW(237°)
Score: 16/25
Weather
29°C
0.0mm37%
Secondary Swell
0.8mWSW
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning

Location & Conditions

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

Tide Times

6:26 am
Low tide - -0.52m
12:45 pm
High tide - 1.08m
6:51 pm
Low tide - -0.41m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

75
Good
Components
Swell Direction18/25
Swell Size16/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind16/25
Raw Score75/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score75

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SSW (205°)
Direction range
175° - 245°
Size range
0.8m - 3m
Ideal size
2.3m
Height multiplier
0.92×
Ideal period
16s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
ENE (60°)
Offshore range
20° - 100°
Best window
morning

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.4m - 1.6m

Water temp

28°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

5/10

Access: 3hr drive from San Jose. Southern zone.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Oct

Secondary: Nov, Mar

SW swell season. Heavy beach break.

Getting There

Airport
SJO
Drive time
180 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion