Surf Forecasts:
Playa Negra surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore 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★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 13s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 13s 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 glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 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, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks at Playa Negra.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid run of surf building through the first week. The water is sitting at 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the booties at home.
The real standout here is the morning of Friday, September 4th. We’re looking at a clean 5ft SW groundswell with a period of 17 seconds, and the wind is dead glassy from the NE. That’s about as good as it gets for advanced surfers – the long period will be drawing lines right into the point, and the energy is strong, sitting at 1455. This is a top-tier session.
The next best is Saturday morning, September 5th. Another glassy morning with an ENE breeze, a slightly bigger 6ft from the SW, and a 16-second period. The energy is pumping at 1580, but remember, when it gets over 5ft, it’s for experienced heads only. The long period will groom those waves perfectly for the point, though you might get some longer lulls between sets.
Before that, there are some decent fun-size mornings. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd have some clean, smaller SW swell (3ft to 2ft), but the real magic happens with the glass-off winds on the 4th and 5th. The afternoons through this whole first week are a write-off with onshore wind and chop, so surf early.
Heading into the second week, things drop off in size but stay rideable. Monday morning the 7th and Wednesday morning the 9th offer clean, 4ft to 3ft SW groundswell with offshore winds. The energy is moderate (603 and 709). You’ll get fun, clean waves, but nothing that will blow your mind.
Late in the forecast, around Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th, there’s a tiny bump of very long-period SW swell (18 seconds) but the height is only 2ft to 2ft. The energy is weak (305 and 339). It’s glassy or clean in the mornings, so maybe a longboard will get you into something, but it’s a quiet end to the run.
You might see some crowds around here, especially on the glassy weekends. Overall, Playa Negra has a lot of good mornings on offer for the first week, but the Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th are the ones to circle on the calendar.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Sun morning, min 26°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 444 | 331 | 301 | 297 | 220 | 300 | 326 | 371 | 296 | 577 | 1099 | 1297 | 1519 | 1314 | 1552 | 1164 | 949 | 833 | 763 | 658 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | off | off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 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 | 9:32AM2.17m | 10:19PM1.93m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:06AM0.60m | 4:05PM0.53m | ||||||||
 |  | |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — |
 | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:49 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | 5 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | — | 3 | 2 |
Temp °C | 31 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 34 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 34 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 35 | 31 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | 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 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 444 | 331 | 301 | 297 | 220 | 238 | 238 | 371 | 291 | 577 | 1099 | 1297 | 1519 | 1314 | 1552 | 1164 | 949 | 833 | 763 | 658 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 7 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | WNW 9 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 |
| kJ | 14 | 20 | 34 | 41 | 49 | 48 | 326 | 180 | 144 | 110 | 133 | 133 | 103 | 89 | 28 | 32 | 33 | 41 | 29 | 39 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | W 9 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 19 | SW 15 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | S 11 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NW 11 | WNW 11 |
| kJ | 9 | 15 | 84 | 112 | 155 | 300 | 38 | 29 | 296 | 171 | 20 | 25 | 24 | 36 | 22 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 59 | 39 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 16 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 0 | 2 | 71 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 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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