Surf Forecasts:
Playa Negra surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 21s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 21s period, SW swell with 1,167 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 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 Saturday (Jul 18) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m 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 1.1m 21s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 7s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 21s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Negra over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, listen up, surfers. Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Playa Negra.
It’s a bit of a slow start. The first week is mostly a write-off, with very small, weak swell and wonky cross-off winds. The Sunday afternoon on the 19th of July has a bit of energy, with a 3-foot (0.9m) SSW swell and a 12-second period, but the wind is still cross-off and the overall energy is moderate (442). The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing too wild.
The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is the window from the 24th of July onwards. The early morning of Friday the 24th of July is a proper pulse. We’re looking at a 3-foot (0.8m) SW swell with a very long period of 24 seconds. That’s proper groundswell rolling in and the combined energy is strong (901). The wind is offshore from the ENE, so it’ll be clean. This is a quality wave for experienced surfers, but that long period means it’ll be a bit more powerful and better shaped at the point.
The real magic happens on the 26th of July, Sunday morning. A 4-foot (1.1m) SW swell, 19-second period, combined energy is strong (873), and the wind goes glassy from the SSE by the afternoon. That afternoon session on the 26th is where it’s at: 4-foot (1.3m) SW swell, 18-second period, and the wind is glassy. The energy is very strong (1095). This is the best call of the whole run. The 27th of July, Monday morning, is also excellent with 4-foot (1.3m) SW swell and 17-second period, with a light offshore wind. The 28th of July, Tuesday morning, is a big one for experts, with a 6-foot (1.7m) SW swell, 18-second period, and glassy winds, but that’s getting into the big stuff. If you’re advanced, that’s the one.
The break is a beach and point, so it works well for this quality SW groundswell. It’s a consistent break, but it does get crowded sometimes, so get there early for the best of it. The second week is promising, but less certain. The 30th of July, Thursday morning, has a 5-foot (1.5m) SW swell with 14-second period and a clean offshore wind, a solid option. The 1st of August has moderate offshore winds and 3-3-foot (0.8-0.9m) SSW swell, a good way to finish the outlook.
Stay safe, and get on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 32°C on Sun afternoon, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SSW 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 140 | 150 | 164 | 286 | 170 | 244 | 192 | 366 | 361 | 313 | 301 | 293 | 250 | 173 | 134 | 92 | 93 | 56 | 186 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 5:28AM2.59m | 5:43PM2.45m | 6:15AM2.54m | 6:31PM2.31m | 7:02AM2.45m | 7:20PM2.15m | 7:48AM2.33m | 8:10PM2.00m | 8:37AM2.20m | 9:04PM1.86m | 9:29AM2.09m | 10:03PM1.77m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:04PM0.60m | 3:06AM0.68m | 4:02PM0.67m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | |  |  |  | | | |
 | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — |
 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 32 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 28 | 26 | 25 |
Feels °C | 26 | 33 | 31 | 27 | 32 | 35 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | S 11 | SW 13 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 8 |
| kJ | 222 | 150 | 164 | 286 | 276 | 244 | 243 | 366 | 361 | 313 | 301 | 293 | 250 | 119 | 134 | 37 | 45 | 48 | 186 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | S 14 | S 14 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | S 6 | S 13 | SSW 7 | S 12 | S 12 | N 5 | S 12 | SW 13 | S 7 | SW 12 | SW 12 | N 5 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 140 | 150 | 146 | 32 | 44 | 31 | 31 | 212 | 54 | 144 | 137 | 25 | 99 | 173 | 36 | 92 | 93 | 11 | 109 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | SW 13 | S 6 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 7 | S 12 | S 7 | S 7 | S 12 | S 7 | W 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 81 | 85 | 12 | 96 | 170 | 194 | 192 | 48 | 146 | 32 | 32 | 101 | 33 | 7 | 40 | 39 | 21 | 56 | 21 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 4 | NNE 3 | N 5 | NNE 4 | NNE 5 | N 5 | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | N 5 | NE 4 | NNE 5 | — | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | N 5 | NE 4 | NNE 5 | — | — |
| kJ | 13 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 4 | 23 | 29 | 16 | 16 | 42 | — | 8 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 28 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 13 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 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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