Mal Pais Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Golfo de Nicoya, Costa Rica)

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Mal Pais Surf Guide

Mal Pais in Golfo de Nicoya is an exposed reef break that has very consistent surf Offshore winds blow from the northeast. Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the best swell direction is from the southwest. Even when there are waves, it's not likley to be crowded. Surfing here means negotiating dangerous rips.

Mal Pais Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	3	very consistent	30.0°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Mal Pais:

The best conditions reported for surf at Mal Pais occur when a Southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Northeast.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Mal Pais (for consistent clean waves)?

decemberBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Mal Pais with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of December. Clean surfable waves are typically found 63% of the time in December while 36% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 1% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

63%

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

blown out

36%

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 Mal Pais Location Map

Interactive Mal Pais 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 closest passenger airport to Mal Pais is Nosara Airport (NOB) in Costa Rica, 65 km (40 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Mal Pais is Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), also in Costa Rica, 112 km (70 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.

Mal Pais Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Friday, 8 May 2026, 10:46 Local Time

m, °C	Friday 08
ft, °F	9AM	12PM	3PM	6PM
Wave (m)	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW
Period (s)	13	13	13	18
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- off	cross- on	cross- on	cross- on

Tides at Mal Pais

Current tide and informaton

For El Carmen, 3 km from Mal Pais.

Next High Water: 07:08pm | 2.06m

Next Low Water: 01:00pm | 0.82m

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

Mal Pais Sea Temperature

A hot and sunny day, feeling like 30.0 °C even after we account for wind, and very warm water temperature (30.0 °C) too at Mal Pais. Surfers may need a thin summer wetsuit or at least a rash vest to block the UV.

Today, many surfers would wear a summer wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 30.0°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite