Surf Forecasts:
Little Shoal surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 11s period, ENE swell with 1,082 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 10s period with ENE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Little Shoal this week:
The surf forecast for Little Shoal over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Little Shoal in the next 16 days are 2.2m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (EST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Little Shoal over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the coming swell window for Little Shoal. Let’s break it down.
The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag for this exposed reef break. The water temp is sitting at 84°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year – nothing unusual there. We’ve got a persistent run of cross-onshore winds and a bit of a stormy vibe through the first week, so the surf quality is going to be a challenge. The first few days from the 17th to the 20th are looking pretty average, with 7ft to 7ft of swell coming from the ENE, but the wind is messing it up. It’s nothing to get excited about.
Right now, the standout window is the morning of Tuesday, the 21st of July. Little Shoal will see a 7ft swell from the NE, with a period of 10 seconds. The energy is moderate at 891, and the wind is dead flat – glassy as. That’s going to be clean, crisp, and the best you’ll see for a while. The conditions are literally perfect for a reef setup. But heads up, the crowds are possible here, so get there early.
The morning of Wednesday, the 22nd, is also worth a mention. Another 7ft from the ENE, period of 10 seconds, and a light cross-offshore wind. It’s going to be clean and have some push. The combined energy is 908, so there’s a decent bit of power in the water. That’s a solid session.
After that, things get a bit messy again. The wind turns back onshore, and the swell drops down. From the 24th through the 27th, we’re looking at smaller, choppier waves with poor conditions. The combined energy also drops way down, with values in the low hundreds. Not much to write home about.
Then, on the morning of Thursday, the 30th of July, we get a bit of a reprieve. A 5ft swell from the ENE, period of 9 seconds, and a light cross-offshore wind. The energy is 431, and the conditions are clean. It’s a nice little window, but it’s not the same quality as the 21st.
Finally, on the afternoon of Saturday, the 1st of August, we get another nice one. A 6ft swell from the NE, period of 10 seconds, with a cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is 612, and the forecast says it’s going to be clean. That’s a promising little session to end the run.
If you’re looking for the absolute best, point your board at the 21st of July. That Tuesday morning glass-off is the one to circle.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 37mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 28°C on Fri morning, min 24°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 382mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 27°C on Wed morning, min 23°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | NE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 990 | 899 | 945 | 873 | 772 | 1042 | 848 | 733 | 711 | 855 | 804 | 766 | 891 | 711 | 516 | 908 | 802 | 651 | 639 | 607 | 418 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:40PM0.33m | 3:47AM0.41m | 5:20PM0.38m | 4:47AM0.36m | 5:59PM0.41m | 5:49AM0.30m | 6:37PM0.43m | 6:56AM0.25m | 7:13PM0.44m | 8:12AM0.20m | 7:49PM0.43m | 9:40AM0.17m | 8:26PM0.43m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:24AM0.06m | 10:07PM0.23m | 11:00AM0.09m | 11:36PM0.20m | 11:30AM0.12m | 00:48AM0.17m | 11:55AM0.14m | 1:52AM0.14m | 12:11PM0.15m | 2:51AM0.11m | 12:20PM0.16m | 3:49AM0.09m | 12:26PM0.15m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | |  | |  |  | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | |
 | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — |
mm | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | — | 4 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 17 | 60 | 48 | 207 | 1 | 7 | 21 | 8 | 19 | 14 |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 24 |
Feels °C | 32 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | NE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 |
| kJ | 990 | 899 | 945 | 873 | 772 | 1042 | 848 | 733 | 711 | 855 | 804 | 766 | 891 | 711 | 516 | 908 | 802 | 651 | 639 | 607 | 418 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 32 | 32 | 0 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 32 | 32 | 7 | 21 | 32 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 32 | 32 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Limon | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Little Shoal surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Little Shoal Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Little Shoal provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Little Shoal can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Little Shoal surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Little Shoal) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Little Shoal may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Little Shoal is 33 km (20 miles) from the city of Changuinola. If you plan a holiday in Limon, look for hotels and other accommodation in Changuinola. Changuinola has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
Nearest