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.

3-Day Forecast
Today
16
66
Good
1.3m
@16s
20km/h
Tue
17
77
Good
1.2m
@16s
15km/h
Wed
18
79
Good
1.0m
@15s
16km/h
+7
Unlock

Today's Conditions

Groomed
Clean faces from offshore winds
Swell
1.3m
S(185°)
Score: 17/25
Period
16s
Long period groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
20km/h
E(86°)
Score: 7/25
Weather
31°C
0.0mm15%
Windswell Component
0.3mE@2s
Secondary Swell
0.8mSW
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
afternoon

Location & Conditions

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

Tide Times

6:20 am
Low tide - -0.49m
12:43 pm
High tide - 0.92m
6:46 pm
Low tide - -0.39m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

66
Good
Components
Swell Direction11/25
Swell Size17/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind7/25
Raw Score60/100
Adjustments
Wind History+6
Adjusted Score66/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score66
✨ Groomed

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°
Best window
morning

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