Surf Forecasts:
Playa Negra surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,552 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 14s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Playa Negra this week:
The surf forecast for Playa Negra over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 14s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Playa Negra in the next 16 days are 1.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Negra over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your board and listen up. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at our next couple of weeks here at Playa Negra.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first action worth mentioning is on Sunday afternoon, August 30th, but it’s a bit of a tease. We’re looking at a 5ft swell from the southwest, but the wind is a messy cross-shore, and the water is a touch warmer than normal at 86°, with an anomaly of 3°F. The energy is moderate (912), but the conditions are just marginal. Not the one to get excited about.
Monday morning, August 31st, is where it starts to get interesting. The swell drops to 4ft from the southwest, but the wind goes clean, cross-off from the northeast. That’s the kind of morning you set an alarm for. The energy is still in the moderate range (454), but the quality is there.
The real standout, and I mean the one to circle on your calendar, is the morning of Friday, September 4th. We get a solid 5ft groundswell from the southwest, with a long period of 17 seconds. The wind is glassy from the north, and the energy jumps up to a strong 1533. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The longer period means better shaped waves, but it might be a bit straight for the beach section, so keep an eye on the point. The morning of Saturday, September 5th is also a beauty, with a 6ft swell from the southwest, but it’s a bit bigger, and with a clean offshore wind, it’s going to be a ripper for the advanced crew. The energy is pumping at 1593.
The second week is a bit more of a mixed bag. The morning windows on September 7th, 8th, and 9th all offer glassy or clean conditions with waist-to-chest high swell, but the afternoons get ruined by onshore winds and storms. The morning of September 10th is another solid one to look at, with a 4ft southwest swell, clean cross-off wind, and strong energy (1054). The quality holds through the 11th and 12th mornings, but the swell slowly fades. By the 14th, we’re down to small, clean waves, but the energy is weak (313). The crowds here can be a problem sometimes, so for the best sessions, you’ll want to be first in the water on those glassy mornings.
Overall, the best bet is the morning of Friday, September 4th. It’s got the size, the period, the power, and the glassy wind. The morning of the 5th is a close second if you can handle a bit more size. Don’t sleep on those early windows.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 32°C on Mon morning, min 25°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 41mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 899 | 621 | 451 | 444 | 331 | 301 | 297 | 220 | 246 | 326 | 371 | 291 | 577 | 1099 | 1297 | 1519 | 1314 | 1552 | 1164 | 868 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:09PM2.34m | 4:30AM2.51m | 4:47PM2.32m | 5:07AM2.53m | 5:26PM2.27m | 5:46AM2.50m | 6:09PM2.19m | 6:30AM2.44m | 6:57PM2.09m | 7:21AM2.34m | 7:53PM1.99m | 8:21AM2.24m | 9:01PM1.92m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:14PM0.23m | 10:42AM0.25m | 10:50PM0.24m | 11:22AM0.24m | 11:28PM0.27m | 12:04PM0.28m | 00:10AM0.33m | 12:52PM0.35m | 00:59AM0.42m | 1:47PM0.43m | 1:56AM0.52m | 2:52PM0.51m | ||||||||
 |  | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — |
 | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 4 | — | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 8 | 11 |
Temp °C | 29 | 28 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 25 |
Feels °C | 31 | 32 | 36 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
| kJ | 899 | 621 | 451 | 444 | 331 | 301 | 297 | 220 | 238 | 238 | 371 | 291 | 577 | 1099 | 1297 | 1519 | 1314 | 1552 | 1164 | 868 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 8 | S 6 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 7 | SW 18 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | W 9 | S 7 | S 7 |
| kJ | 46 | 31 | 12 | 12 | 19 | 34 | 112 | 51 | 40 | 326 | 205 | 144 | 140 | 183 | 193 | 133 | 89 | 41 | 70 | 81 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 4 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | NNW 4 | W 9 | SW 18 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SW 15 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | S 11 | W 9 | WNW 9 |
| kJ | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 84 | 14 | 155 | 246 | 29 | 32 | 35 | 171 | 31 | 43 | 48 | 46 | 22 | 41 | 26 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | — | — | — | NNE 4 | — | S 6 | — | — | SW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 9 | — | — | — | 3 | — | 52 | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 25 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 193 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Guanacaste | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Playa Negra Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Playa Negra provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Playa Negra can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Playa Negra 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 (Playa Negra) 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 Playa Negra 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.
Playa Negra is 41 km (25 miles) from Nicoya. If you plan a holiday in Guanacaste, look for hotels and other accommodation in Nicoya. Nicoya has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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