Surf Forecasts:
Playa Negra surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 15s period, SW swell with 415 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period with SSW 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s. 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 1.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 3AM. 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 13s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Thu 16th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Thu 16th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Negra over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey, Rusty here again, putting it in feet and miles for you. All eyes on Playa Negra for the best action in this 16-day run. First part of the window is quiet, but the back half has a couple of absolute gems.
Right now, Thursday morning the 16th, we’ve got a 2 foot swell from the SW, 13-second period. Breeze is moderate from the ENE, cross-offshore, clean but weak (energy at 263). Not worth it. Thursday afternoon picks up a bit—3 feet from SSW, still 13 seconds, lighter offshore wind, and better energy (374). Good surf conditions for those small clean waves.
From Friday the 17th through to about Thursday the 23rd, it’s mostly tiny, knee-high at best, with moderate cross-offshore wind. A few clean moments but nothing to get out of bed for.
On Thursday the 23rd afternoon, we see a sign of what's coming: a small 1 foot swell but with a huge 26-second period, true groundswell. Energy is 296, and with light offshore wind, it’s clean—just a taste.
The real standout starts Friday the 24th morning. Clean 3 foot swell from the SW, 24-second period, moderate to strong energy (768), and a gentle offshore breeze. Water temp is a bit warmer than average for the time of year. The swell direction from the SW is just what Playa Negra wants.
But the best of the best? Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th. On Saturday the 26th morning, we get 4 feet of SW groundswell (19-second period) with cross-offshore wind and very strong energy (1220). That afternoon turns glassy—completely glassy—with a light breeze from NNW, same 4 feet, 18-second period (1115 energy). This is the top pick. The swell size is 4 feet, so it’s manageable for strong intermediates but gets into good territory for experts.
Sunday the 27th morning is also excellent: 4 feet, 18-second SW groundswell, clean with a light ENE breeze. The afternoon turns sloppier with cross-onshore wind, so go early.
Then Wednesday the 29th morning: 5 feet of SW groundswell (16-second period) with zero wind, dead glassy conditions. Energy is strong (1042). This is another prime window for a clean session.
There’s a lot of small, marginal surf in the first week, so be patient. The standout windows are Friday the 24th morning through Sunday the 27th morning, and then Wednesday the 29th morning. Playa Negra can get crowded sometimes, so for these clean, punchy days, plan to share the peak. This spot is for the advanced set, especially when the swell pushes past 5 feet.
Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Thu morning, min 25°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Sun afternoon, min 25°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 206 | 172 | 326 | 103 | 75 | 178 | 140 | 192 | 164 | 96 | 170 | 248 | 192 | 366 | 361 | 313 | 301 | 206 | 250 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:50AM2.52m | 4:05PM2.62m | 4:40AM2.59m | 4:55PM2.56m | 5:28AM2.59m | 5:43PM2.45m | 6:15AM2.54m | 6:31PM2.31m | 7:02AM2.45m | 7:20PM2.15m | 7:48AM2.33m | 8:10PM2.00m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:34PM-0.03m | 9:55AM0.16m | 10:23PM-0.05m | 10:47AM0.16m | 11:10PM0.00m | 11:38AM0.21m | 11:56PM0.10m | 12:28PM0.30m | 00:41AM0.24m | 1:19PM0.40m | 1:27AM0.40m | 2:10PM0.51m | 2:15AM0.55m | ||||||
 |  |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — |
 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 31 | 31 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 32 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 26 |
Feels °C | 30 | 33 | 35 | 26 | 32 | 33 | 27 | 33 | 33 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 29 | 27 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | S 14 | S 14 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 206 | 172 | 326 | 203 | 195 | 178 | 222 | 192 | 164 | 350 | 276 | 248 | 243 | 366 | 361 | 313 | 301 | 206 | 250 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | S 12 | N 5 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 13 | S 14 | S 14 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | S 6 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | N 5 | SSW 7 |
| kJ | 80 | 77 | 8 | 68 | 67 | 76 | 140 | 150 | 146 | 96 | 170 | 194 | 20 | 212 | 190 | 144 | 137 | 25 | 51 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 12 | S 16 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 13 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 18 | S 7 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | S 12 |
| kJ | 72 | 91 | 40 | 103 | 75 | 52 | 81 | 113 | 129 | 28 | 23 | 21 | 192 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 36 | 37 | 101 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 5 | N 5 | — | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | N 5 | NNE 4 | NNE 5 | N 5 | NNE 4 | NNE 5 | N 5 | NNE 4 | NNE 5 | N 5 | NNE 4 | NNE 5 | — | NNE 4 |
| kJ | 14 | 13 | — | 13 | 21 | 19 | 24 | 33 | 12 | 10 | 19 | 7 | 19 | 17 | 11 | 23 | 46 | — | 10 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 13 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Guanacaste | |||||||||||||||||||
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 Playa Negra 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 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.
Nearest