Surf-Forecast | Playa Santa Catalina Surf Guide

Playa Santa Catalina Surf Guide

PlayaSanta Catalina in Golfo de Chiriqui is an exposed point break that has very consistent surf Works best in offshore winds from the north. Clean groundswells prevail and the best swell direction is from the south southwest. Sometimes crowded. Hazards include urchins and rocks.

Playa Santa Catalina Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Point	4	very consistent	29.9°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Playa Santa Catalina:

The best conditions reported for surf at Playa Santa Catalina occur when a South-southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the North.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Playa Santa Catalina (for consistent clean waves)?

januaryBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Playa Santa Catalina with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of January. Clean surfable waves are typically found 78% of the time in January while 17% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 5% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

78%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

17%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Playa Santa Catalina Location Map

Interactive Playa Santa Catalina surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The nearest passenger airport to Playa Santa Catalina is Enrique Malek International (David) Airport (DAV) in Panama, which is 158 km (98 miles) away (directly). The second closest airport to Playa Santa Catalina is Coto 47 Airport (OTR) in Costa Rica, 220 km (137 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Playa Santa Catalina Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 9 June 2026, 00:45 Local Time

m, °C	Mon	Tuesday 09
ft, °F	10PM	1AM	4AM	7AM
Wave (m)	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW
Period (s)	18	17	17	17
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross	cross	cross	cross

What does Playa Santa Catalina look like?

Latest photos from Playa Santa Catalina. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: john dugarte Credit: john dugarte Credit: –Credit: Bruno Sanchez Laws Credit: Nelson HEnriquez

Tides at Playa Santa Catalina

Current tide and informaton

For Playa Santa Catalina, 0 km from Playa Santa Catalina.

Next High Water: 09:58am | 2.91m

Next Low Water: 03:34am | 0.94m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Playa Santa Catalina Sea Temperature

Very warm air temperatures and very warm water(29.9 °C) too at Playa Santa Catalina, warm enough for wearing board shorts and a rash vest in the surf. Cloudy, but feeling very pleasant in and out of the water.

Today, many surfers would wear a rashvest wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 29.9°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite