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Pavones surf forecast
Pavones is a left-hand point inside Golfo Dulce, and on the right swell its walls can link up for hundreds of metres. It sits in a sheltered gulf, so it needs a big south to south-west swell to wake up.
Pavones surf report, hour by hour
This table is our hourly surf forecast for the Pavones point, which is the left. We rate each hour by swell size, swell direction, wind and tide for a break that faces south-west.
Updated 01:58next run 06:40Open-Meteo wave and wind models
08:00–09:00 · glassy
Today 3 Nov
Marginal 05-07: average, overhead, cross-offshore ESE.
Best window: 05:00–07:00
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 02:42
- High
- 08:51
- Low
- 15:10
- High
- 21:35
- Sunrise
- 05:21
- Sunset
- 17:10
Every hour, 05–21
Tomorrow 4 Nov
Worth it 08-09, clean overhead, glassy.
Kiwi's best shot: 08:00–09:00
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 03:58
- High
- 10:07
- Low
- 16:19
- High
- 22:43
- Sunrise
- 05:21
- Sunset
- 17:10
Every hour, 05–21
Thursday 5 Nov
Skip: average, overhead, cross-shore NW.
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 05:02
- High
- 11:14
- Low
- 17:20
- High
- 23:36
- Sunrise
- 05:22
- Sunset
- 17:10
Every 3 hours
Friday 6 Nov
Skip: average, overhead, cross-shore WNW.
Tide and daylight
- Low
- 05:58
- High
- 12:08
- Low
- 18:12
- Sunrise
- 05:22
- Sunset
- 17:10
Every 3 hours
Forecast point: Pavones (8.393, -83.141). 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 swell direction and size first. The gulf shelters the point, so only swells from the south to south-west reach it, and it needs about 1.5 m or more to really run.
Surf spots in and around Pavones
The main wave is the Pavones left point, often called one of the longest lefts in the world. When the point is flat or packed, other breaks lie along this stretch of coast. Most of them suit experienced surfers.
Pavones point
Left pointIntermediate+The wave runs over rock, sand and cobblestones quite close to shore. At low tide it breaks higher up the point, and at high tide it breaks better further down.
Its sections can join into rides of up to 600 metres, and on some tides and swells up to 1 km. Expect tired legs on a good day. Sources: yeeew.com
Punta Banco
PeakExperiencedPunta Banco is a peak about 3.6 km from Pavones. It is listed as a wave for experienced surfers. Sources: yeeew.com
La Esquina del Mar River
RiverInconsistentThis break sits about 1 km from Pavones. It is rated as inconsistent. Sources: surf-forecast.com
Cabo Blanco
Beach breakFairly consistentCabo Blanco is a beach break about 8 km away. It is rated as fairly consistent. Sources: surf-forecast.com
Zancudo
Point / peakExperiencedZancudo lies roughly 10 to 13 km from Pavones. It is rated as fairly consistent, and the spot guides list it for experienced surfers. Sources: surf-forecast.com · yeeew.com
What Pavones 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 south-west swell only
The point faces south-west and takes swell from about 180° to 230°. Swell from outside that window mostly misses this sheltered spot.
Wind
North-east wind is offshore
A wind from the north-east blows offshore here and keeps the long walls clean. Onshore wind from the south-west will put bumps on the faces.
Tide
Mid tide is the sweet spot
Our model likes mid tide best. The tide moves the take-off along the point, so check it before you paddle out.
Size
Best at 1.5–3 m
Waves from about 1.5 to 3 m suit the point best. Below 1 m it is usually too small, and above 4.5 m it gets too big.
Shortcut: a 1.5–3 m south-west swell with a north-east breeze at mid tide is Pavones at its best.
The best months to surf Pavones
We replayed Kiwi's rating on every day of the last year and counted how often Pavones's best window reached 4 or 5 stars.
Mar–JulPrime time on the point
This is the strongest stretch, with 74–83% of days rated fair or better and 53–63% rated good. April and May are the peak months in our data, and another guide picks July as the cleanest month.
Aug–SepA mid-year dip
Good days drop to about 29–30% and fair-or-better days to 40–45%.
Oct–NovComing back to life
Around 40–45% of days rate good and over half rate fair or better.
Dec–FebLeanest months
December is the quietest month, with only 13% good days and 23% fair-or-better days. January and February are better, with good days around 36–39% of the time.
Before you go
Hazards
The bottom is rocky, so watch for rocks in the lineup.
On big swells the paddle back out can be long. A very long ride also wears out your legs. Sources: surf-forecast.com · yeeew.com
Help in the water
Una Ola Surf Camp has run in Pavones since 2003. Its instructors hold ISA level 2, first aid and ocean lifeguard certificates. Sources: unaola.com
Getting there
The nearest passenger airport is Coto 47 (OTR), about 25 km away in a straight line. Golfito Airport (GLF) is about 27 km away. Sources: surf-forecast.com
Crowds and etiquette
When the point is working, expect a crowd.
Locals often beat the fast outside section and take off deeper than everyone else, so give them room. Sources: surf-forecast.com · yeeew.com
Water temperature and wetsuit
The sea stays between about 27.9°C and 30.4°C all year. It is coolest in November and warmest in July and August.
Board shorts or a bikini are enough all year. Sources: yeeew.com
Best time of day
One local report describes a calm, glassy morning, with onshore wind in the afternoon that glassed off again before sunset. Sources: unaola.com
What to ride
Bring a longboard for the smaller days and a shortboard for good swells. Add a step-up board as the size builds. Sources: yeeew.com
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 Pavones. 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 Costa Rica, so 4 stars at Pavones 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.
Pavones surf questions
Is Pavones good for beginners?
The point suits intermediate and advanced surfers best. Its bottom is rocky and it gets crowded when it is working.
When is the best time to surf Pavones?
March to July has the most good days, with April and May the peak in our data. Another guide names July as the cleanest month.
How cold is the water in Pavones in December?
It is about 28.7°C in December. Board shorts or a bikini are enough all year.
How long is the wave at Pavones?
Sections can link up for rides of up to 600 metres. On certain tides and swells they can reach up to 1 km.
What tide is best at Pavones?
Our model favours mid tide. At low tide the wave breaks higher up the point, and at high tide it works better further down.
Why is Pavones often flat?
The point sits in sheltered Golfo Dulce. It needs a large south to south-west swell to reach it.
Catch the next Pavones swell
Check our hourly Pavones surf forecast before you go. Look for a south-west swell, a north-east breeze and mid tide.