Nicaragua surf forecast
Our Nicaragua surf report is built around Popoyo, a reef break that faces south-west and takes swell from the south round to the west. Winds blowing in from Lake Nicaragua groom the waves here, and the area mixes points, beaches and reefs.
Popoyo hour by hour
The table shows swell, wind and tide for the Popoyo reef, hour by hour. The break works best on south-west swell when the wind comes from the north-east.
Updated 01:58next run 06:40Open-Meteo wave and wind models
07:00–08:00 · offshore
Today 3 Nov
Go 06-07, clean overhead, offshore ENE.
Best window: 06:00–07:00
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 02:33
- High
- 08:44
- Low
- 15:03
- High
- 21:26
- Sunrise
- 05:37
- Sunset
- 17:18
Every hour, 05–21
Tomorrow 4 Nov
Go 07-08, clean overhead, offshore NE.
Kiwi's best shot: 07:00–08:00
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 03:48
- High
- 09:58
- Low
- 16:11
- High
- 22:33
- Sunrise
- 05:37
- Sunset
- 17:18
Every hour, 05–21
Thursday 5 Nov
Marginal 07-11: average, overhead, cross-onshore S.
Best window: 07:00–11:00
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 04:57
- High
- 11:06
- Low
- 17:10
- High
- 23:30
- Sunrise
- 05:37
- Sunset
- 17:18
Every 3 hours
Friday 6 Nov
Go 14-17, clean overhead, cross-offshore ESE.
Best window: 14:00–17:00
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 05:54
- High
- 12:04
- Low
- 18:02
- Sunrise
- 05:37
- Sunset
- 17:18
Every 3 hours
Forecast point: Nicaragua (11.461, -86.113). Waves = estimated breaking height at the beach. Data: Open-Meteo wave and weather models (CC BY 4.0). Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information. Surf at your own risk.
Watch the wind arrow first. A north-east wind blows offshore here and keeps the faces clean. Then look for mid tide, which is when this reef works best.
Surf spots around Popoyo
The Popoyo area packs points, beach breaks and reefs into one stretch of coast. Popoyo itself offers a mellow inside reef and a heavier outer reef. Along the wider Nicaraguan coast you can find anything from hollow sandbar barrels to forgiving beginner waves.
Popoyo (inside reef)
Reef breakIntermediateThe inside reef at Popoyo is the gentler side of the break. Our forecast for this spot points to intermediate surfers and up.
The reef is shallow, so take care, and it often gets crowded. Sources: giantsfootsurf.com
Popoyo Outer Reef
Reef breakExperts onlyThe Outer Reef is the toughest wave in the area and is only for experts. It is a strong reef that breaks both left and right, with long walls and at times a thick barrel. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Playa Santana
Beach breakConsistentPlaya Santana is a consistent beach break about 20 minutes from Popoyo town. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Playa Colorado
Sand bottomAdvancedPlaya Colorado is known for quick, hollow barrels over sand, and it suits advanced surfers. Like Popoyo, it performs best at specific tide levels.
Recent reports from Colorado talk about clean faces and good rights, even on a high tide. Sources: giantsfootsurf.com · surfnsr.com
The Boom
ShorebreakExpertThe Boom throws heavy barrels close to the sand and tests even very good surfers. Sources: giantsfootsurf.com
Playa Maderas
Beach breakAll levelsMaderas is a good option for all levels. It has forgiving sections for beginners and open shoulders that intermediates can carve. Sources: giantsfootsurf.com
What Nicaragua needs to fire
These are the exact rules behind Kiwi's rating for this spot. Every hour of the forecast is scored on all four, then turned into a rating of 1 to 5 stars.
Swell
South to west swell
The reef faces south-west and picks up swell from about 170° to 280°, so south through west.
Wind
North-east is offshore
Wind from the north-east blows straight offshore at Popoyo.
Tide
Mid tide works best
The reef is at its best around mid tide. The reef is shallow.
Size
1.2 to 2.5 metres ideal
Under about 0.6 m it is too small to be worth it, and 1.2–2.5 m is the sweet spot. From about 4 m it gets too big, and strong currents build.
Shortcut: look for a south-west swell of 1.2–2.5 m, a north-east wind and mid tide, and Popoyo should be on.
The best months to surf Nicaragua
We replayed Kiwi's rating on every day of the last year and counted how often Nicaragua's best window reached 4 or 5 stars.
Sep–NovPeak season
October is the best month in our data, with top-rated surf on 82% of days and decent surf on every day. September (53%) and November (57%) are strong too.
Mar–JunSouth swells arrive
This is part of Nicaragua's main surf season, when steady south swells reach the coast. Top days climb from 26% in March to 47% in June, and decent surf runs on 90–100% of days.
Jul–AugFewer top days, still reliable
Top-rated days drop to 13% in July and 16% in August. Even so, decent surf shows up on 87–100% of days.
Dec–FebSmaller and easier
Waves tend to be smaller and easier to handle in these months. February is the quietest month, with top surf on only 4% of days and decent surf on half of them.
Before you go
Hazards
The reef is shallow, and on big days strong currents run.
The Outer Reef is a powerful wave and is advised for experts only. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Crowds
Popoyo is often crowded.
Going out early, or trying less known spots, helps you find emptier waves. Sources: giantsfootsurf.com
Water temperature and wetsuit
The sea stays warm all year, from about 25.5°C in February up to about 30°C in October. A forecast for nearby The Boom recommends trunks or a bikini.
In December the water sits around 27°C. Sources: surfcaptain.com
Wind and time of day
Offshore winds from Lake Nicaragua often blow all day here. Surfing early can help you find uncrowded waves. Sources: en.wikipedia.org · giantsfootsurf.com
Where it is
Popoyo is a small beach town in the Tola municipality of the Rivas Department. Playa Santana is about 20 minutes from the town.
Guided boat trips can take you to off-the-beaten-path spots that most travellers never get to surf. Sources: en.wikipedia.org · giantsfootsurf.com
Climate
The dry season is short and runs from January to April, and the wet season lasts from May to October. Air temperatures stay fairly even through the year. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
A bit of history
Popoyo hosted the 2015 ISA Open Women's World Surfing Championship, won by Tia Blanco.
On September 2, 1992, a tsunami caused by an offshore earthquake devastated Popoyo and many other communities on the Pacific coast. Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
Where the numbers come from
The method
Kiwi takes Open-Meteo's wave and wind models (ECMWF WAM, Météo-France, NOAA GFS and Open-Meteo's best-match blend) at a point about 5 km off Nicaragua. There is no buoy correction here yet: these are the models as they come.
Each hour is scored on the four rules above (swell, wind, tide, size). The stars are calibrated on a full year of data for USA, so 4 stars at Nicaragua is a genuinely good day by that country's standard.
What we can say
The season chart and the stars use the same rules, replayed on the archive: a month marked good was good by these rules, not by a surf report.
Without a buoy nearby, the size at the beach is our model's estimate, not a measurement.
Nicaragua surf questions
Is Popoyo good for beginners?
Not really. The main reef suits intermediate surfers and up, and it is shallow and crowded. Beginners do better at gentler spots like Playa Maderas.
When is the best time to surf Nicaragua?
September to November is the peak at Popoyo, and October has top-rated surf on 82% of days. The wider prime season runs from March to November.
How cold is the water in Nicaragua in December?
It is not cold at all. The sea at Popoyo is around 27°C in December.
Do I need a wetsuit in Nicaragua?
No. The water stays between about 25.5°C and 30°C all year. A forecast for nearby The Boom recommends trunks or a bikini.
What wind and tide work best at Popoyo?
A north-east wind is offshore, and mid tide is best on the reef. Offshore winds from Lake Nicaragua are common here.
Is the Popoyo Outer Reef for everyone?
No. It is the most challenging wave in the area and is meant for experts only.
Check today's Nicaragua surf report
Look at the hourly table for Popoyo, find a south-west swell with a north-east wind at mid tide, and plan your paddle-out.