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
Today
30
72
Good
1.5m
@15s
21km/h
Tue
31
78
Good
1.5m
@15s
15km/h
Wed
1
67
Good
1.2m
@14s
15km/h
+7
Unlock

Today's Conditions

Swell
1.5m
S(187°)
Score: 14/25
Period
15s
Long period groundswell
Score: 25/25
Wind
21km/h
ENE(70°)
Score: 25/25
Weather
32°C
0.0mm56%
Windswell Component
0.1mSSE@1s
Secondary Swell
0.5mWNW
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
morning
AM: 20 km/h NE|PM: 25 km/h ENE
20 km/h vs 25 km/h afternoon
Tide at 6am (-0.6m)

Location & Conditions

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

Tide Times

6:10 am
Low tide - -0.57m
12:30 pm
High tide - 1.20m
6:44 pm
Low tide - -0.55m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

72
Good
Components
Swell Direction8/25
Swell Size14/25
Swell Period25/25
Wind25/25
Raw Score72/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score72

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°

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