Puerto Viejo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Puerto Viejo over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, don’t get your hopes up for anything firing. We’ve got a pretty drawn-out run of small, so-so surf ahead. The energy in the water is mostly weak, with combined swell readings hanging around the low hundreds for the first week, which is pretty pedestrian. It’s not a total washout, but you’ll need to pick your moments.

Sunday the 13th kicks things off with clean conditions in the morning thanks to a light breeze, but the swell is only 4 ft from the south at 8 seconds – that’s a short-period windswell, so it’ll be a bit lumpy and weak. The afternoon actually cleans up nicely with an offshore breeze, and the combined energy climbs to 318, which is the best of this early patch. It’s still just 4 ft S, but the offshore wind will make it rideable. Not a standout, but a solid enough Sunday session.

Monday the 14th drops off to 2 ft, but the period jumps to 18 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell. That means long waits between sets, but the waves that come through will have real shape and push. Light cross-offshore winds all day keep it clean. At that size, it’s a longboarder’s paradise, but don’t expect much power. This pattern of tiny swell but long period carries through Tuesday and Wednesday, with the swell barely hitting 3 ft. The wind stays light and cross-off to offshore, so it’s clean but small. Honestly, these days are for the dedicated or the learner.

From Thursday the 17th through to the following Sunday the 20th, we’re stuck in a rut. Swell stays between 1 ft and 2 ft, period drops back into the 11-13 second range, and the combined energy sinks below 250. Conditions are clean enough, but the surf is ordinary – more of a paddle-and-chat session than anything with a wave face. The afternoon of the 20th has a gentle offshore, but with only 1 ft of swell, you’re barely getting wet.

The middle of the second week, Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd, is the low point. The combined energy drops to 126 on Tuesday morning, and the wind swings to a cross-shore, creating some slight chop. That’s the only day where conditions turn poor for paddle surfing – if you’ve got a kite, that’s your window, but for a surfboard, it’s a skip day.

Things start to tick up very gently from Friday the 25th, with the swell bumping back to 2-2 ft and the combined energy climbing back over 200. Saturday the 26th is the pick of the whole run. The morning shows 3 ft from the southwest at 12 seconds, with a light cross-offshore breeze, and the combined energy hits 287. That’s the most energy we’ve seen in over a week, and the break at Puerto Viejo is a beach and point setup that likes a southwest swell. It’s not big, but it’s the cleanest, most consistent day on offer. If you’ve got one day to paddle out, make it Saturday the 26th morning.

Sunday the 27th keeps the theme going – 2-2 ft, light winds, and a 14-second period in the afternoon, which should give some nicely shaped, peeling waves on the point. Good way to close out the weekend.

Overall, it’s a pretty flat and ordinary stretch. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. Crowds at Puerto Viejo are often around, and on the small days it might actually be a good thing – fewer people fighting for the same 1 ft wave.

Rusty.

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