Playa Santa Catalina Surf Guide

PlayaSanta Catalina in Golfo de Chiriqui is an exposed point break that has very consistent surf Works best in offshore winds from the north. Clean groundswells prevail and the best swell direction is from the south southwest. Sometimes crowded. Hazards include urchins and rocks.

Playa Santa Catalina Spot Info

Type:Rating:Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
Point4very consistent
28.8°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Playa Santa Catalina:

The best conditions reported for surf at Playa Santa Catalina occur when a South-southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the North.

What's the best time of year to surf Playa Santa Catalina (for consistent clean waves)?

januaryBest Season: winter
The best time of year for surfing Playa Santa Catalina with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter  and most often the month of January. Clean surfable waves are typically found 78% of the time in January while 17% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 5% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
78%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
17%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
5%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Playa Santa Catalina Location Map

Interactive Playa Santa Catalina surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The nearest passenger airport to Playa Santa Catalina is Enrique Malek International (David) Airport (DAV) in Panama, which is 158 km (98 miles) away (directly). The second closest airport to Playa Santa Catalina is Coto 47 Airport (OTR) in Costa Rica, 220 km (137 miles) away.

  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Playa Santa Catalina Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Friday, 8 May 2026, 09:25 Local Time
Friday 08
10AM1PM4PM7PM
Wave (m)
1
SSW
0.9
SSW
0.9
SSW
0.9
SSW
Period (s) 13 13 13 12
Wind (km/h)
15
5
20
10
Wind State cross-
off
cross-
off
on cross-
on

Swell History at Playa Santa Catalina

Surf stats for Playa Santa Catalina, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Wind History at Playa Santa Catalina

Wind stats for Playa Santa Catalina, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.


Nearest locationNearest
Nearest locationNearest
Nearest locationNearest