Surf Forecasts:
Playa Negra surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 21s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 18s period, SW swell with 1,741 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 12s 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 Wednesday (Jul 22) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 12s 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 1.7m 18s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 8s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Negra over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming down the line at this spot.
Playa Negra is your focus, and it’s a consistent piece of coast that needs a little patience. Wednesday the 22nd? Don’t bother – poor conditions with that cross-off breeze on a 2ft SW swell. Thursday the 23rd is still weak, with a tiny 2ft wave in the morning that’s clean but not worth suiting up for. Thursday arvo gets messy with a cross-on wind.
Now, here’s the good stuff. Friday the 24th through to Monday the 27th is looking proper. Water temp’s about 86° – a touch warmer than usual, so ditch the rubber. Friday morning serves up a 3ft SW groundswell with a long 24-second period, and the combined energy is a very strong 957. That’s long-period energy, so the sets will be clean, powerful, and well-spaced – perfect for the point and reef sections. Not for beginners, but for the experienced crew, it’s a dream.
Saturday the 25th keeps the quality with a 3ft SW swell, still around 21 seconds apart, and light offshores in the morning – glassy and gorgeous. Sunday the 26th is another standout, especially the afternoon: 4ft of SW swell, 18-second period, and dead glass. That combined energy sits at 1129 – strong, meaty. That’s excellent for experienced surfers. Monday morning the 27th is also top notch with a 4ft swell and 19-second period, but the afternoon gets cross-on, so hit it early.
Tuesday the 28th sees the swell jump to 6ft, but cross-on winds in the afternoon mean mornings are your only clean shot. That’s getting into bigger territory – not for beginners, but if you’ve got the skills, it’ll be cranking. The pattern holds through the 29th, then it starts easing off from the 30th onward into August.
If you’re into kiting, some afternoons with cross-on wind and decent size could be fun for that, but for paddle surfing, lock in those mornings from Friday the 24th through Monday the 27th. After the 30th, the swell drops under 3ft and the energy fades, so it gets pretty small and average. Still, Playa Negra is a consistent break – it doesn’t stay flat for long around here.
Best session on offer? Sunday the 26th afternoon. Glassy, 4ft of long-period SW swell, and the crowd’s only sometimes there. That’s the one to circle.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 31°C on Fri morning, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Mon morning, min 25°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 8 | SW 8 | SW 24 | SW 24 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 173 | 158 | 92 | 93 | 95 | 273 | 661 | 347 | 1015 | 756 | 653 | 1210 | 920 | 1099 | 1199 | 791 | 800 | 1591 | 1741 | 1682 | 1456 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:04PM1.86m | 9:29AM2.09m | 10:03PM1.77m | 10:25AM2.02m | 11:07PM1.72m | 11:24AM2.00m | 00:08AM1.74m | 12:21PM2.03m | 1:04AM1.81m | 1:12PM2.09m | 1:52AM1.90m | 1:59PM2.16m | 2:35AM2.01m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:04PM0.60m | 3:06AM0.68m | 4:02PM0.67m | 4:03AM0.76m | 5:03PM0.69m | 5:03AM0.80m | 6:02PM0.66m | 6:03AM0.78m | 6:56PM0.59m | 6:58AM0.73m | 7:43PM0.51m | 7:47AM0.66m | 8:25PM0.43m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | |  | | |  |  | | | | | |  | | | |
 | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — |
 | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — |
mm | — | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | 1 | 9 | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 7 |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 26 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 31 | 31 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 32 | 32 | 27 | 32 | 29 | 29 | 33 | 33 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | SW 13 | SW 12 | S 6 | SSW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 9 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 154 | 158 | 92 | 21 | 95 | 273 | 239 | 201 | 202 | 756 | 653 | 1210 | 920 | 1099 | 1199 | 546 | 539 | 1591 | 1741 | 1682 | 1456 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | S 11 | S 7 | SW 12 | SW 13 | S 8 | SW 24 | SW 24 | SW 21 | WSW 8 | SW 8 | WSW 11 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 19 | SW 19 | S 9 | S 11 | S 9 | S 11 |
| kJ | 173 | 88 | 24 | 93 | 59 | 127 | 661 | 347 | 1015 | 86 | 62 | 191 | 42 | 98 | 94 | 791 | 800 | 57 | 87 | 40 | 116 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | N 5 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | N 5 | S 8 | S 11 | W 8 | W 8 | N 5 | S 10 | S 10 | WSW 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | — |
| kJ | 7 | 7 | 39 | 36 | 7 | 109 | 57 | 57 | 52 | 18 | 41 | 114 | 28 | 30 | 11 | 90 | 67 | 20 | 25 | 25 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 5 | N 5 | NNE 4 | NNE 5 | — | — | — | N 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 4 | 7 | 10 | 7 | — | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 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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