
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, let’s get this looked over. I’m looking at the whole 16-day stretch for Playa Negra. This is a consistent spot, and it’s got a bit of everything across the whole period.
Right off the bat, for the 22nd and 23rd of July, it’s pretty quiet. We’ve got small, knee-to-waist high swell, around 2ft to 2ft from the SW. The mornings have clean conditions with a nice offshore wind, but the wave energy is low (128 to 184), so it’s not going to get the heart racing. It’s very ordinary, onshore junk in the afternoons. You’d be better off waiting.
Then things start to wake up on the morning of the 24th. That’s where the first real standout shows. The swell jumps to 3ft, but the period goes out to a massive 24 seconds – that’s proper, very long-period groundswell. The combined energy is up at 1052, so there’s plenty of push. For a point break like this, those long lines will wrap in beautifully. Conditions are clean with a light cross-off wind. This is an excellent session for experienced surfers, no question. The water temp is 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.
The 25th is a little smaller but offers glassy conditions both morning and afternoon. With the swell still holding at 3ft and a 21-second period, the energy is still strong (912). That’s a fantastic window for clean, smooth walls.
Saturday the 27th morning is another one to lock in. Swell a bit bigger at 4ft, 19-second period, strong energy at 1337, and a clean offshore wind. This is top-tier for a point break. The surf will be solid and well-shaped for strong intermediates and advanced surfers.
Towards the 28th and 29th, the swell size kicks up. The morning of the 28th has 6ft from the SW, with a 18-second period and an offshore wind. That’s powerful, and with an energy reading of 1766, it’s got a lot of weight. At 6ft, this is getting too big for beginners, and will be a proper challenge for anyone. Excellent conditions for experts only.
The 29th is a repeat of that, with 5ft, clean conditions, and solid energy.
After the 30th, the swell drops back, hovering around 2ft to 3ft for the first week of August. The mornings remain mostly clean, but the energy is moderate to weak. There’s still fun waves on offer, especially the morning of the 3rd of August, which is the best of the tail end, with 3ft and clean conditions. But nothing compares to that 24th to 29th July window.
Crowds at Playa Negra can be an issue sometimes, so for the bigger, cleaner days mentioned, expect company.
Imperial Summary
The real gold is from the morning of the 24th of July through the morning of the 29th of July. My top pick is the morning of the 24th. 3ft of 24-second groundswell, glassy conditions, and that point break will be delivering some of the longest, cleanest rides you’ll see in this window. Don’t sleep on the 27th either, where the push is stronger and the wind is still offshore.
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 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 |
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 |
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 | — |
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 | — | — | — | — | — |
4 | 7 | 10 | 7 | — | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 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.










