Surfing and Sailing Nicaragua and Central America

Having come to Central America and Nicaragua to surf every year for the last decade, I’d like to share some information on this tropical surf paradise.  With its warm water waves, consistent south swell season and affordable prices, surfing in Nicaragua and Central America is a great summertime option for surfers. 

Its proximity to the United States means it’s an easy and affordable trip.  However it also means the well-known spots will be crowded.  Read on to learn more about the waves, the seasons and most importantly how to avoid the crowded lineups and maximize your chances of scoring with just you and your friends. 

The Waves

Waves in Central America are characterized by long-period groundswell, with swells having traversed most of the Pacific by the time they arrive.  Water temps are comfortably in the 80s and the sun is strong, which means board shorts and sunscreen at all times.  Wave heights range from waist high to double-overhead ninety percent of the time and depend on specific location and swell.  Wave types are usually beach-breaks, rock reefs or cobble stone points.  With a full range of crumblers through top-to-bottom thumpers, Central America accommodates the full spectrum of surfing abilities…if you know where to look.

The Seasons

The months of March through September see strong storms brew in the southern ocean, many of which aim long period swell right for Central America.  What starts out as a low-pressure system off New Zealand will send well groomed waves across the Pacific and right for Central America. 

The wave season evolves as the season progresses.  March, April and May are dryer months, with consistent offshore winds in the mornings.  Swells, however, tend to be smaller, usually in the chest-slightly overhead range as the season is still picking up steam.  The months of June through September are rainier and stormier, with macking swells marching up from the South West, providing head-high to double-overhead waves on a consistent basis. 

Getting There

The international airports in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama are all a short bus, taxi or shuttle ride away from the coast.  Flights are commonly direct from Southern California, Texas, Florida, and Georgia and range from 2.5 – 5 hours.  This means you can get from home to the lineup within the day.  Flights are affordable on most major carriers, with Spirit Airlines usually the Cheapest.  But as usual, watch out for board bag fees. 

The Countries and Culture

Though some countries in this region have turbulent pasts, they can be travelled safely today with the same basic precautions one would exercise at home – namely don’t be loud and drunk and alone on the street at night.  While you can get around with just English, especially in Costa Rica, some Spanish will go a long way for both basic communication and as a sign of respect.  Locals’ eyes light up with appreciation when they see an effort to speak their language, no matter how bad your accent may be. 

While food varies by country, typical dishes (often called tipicos or comida tipica) include fresh fish, grilled poultry, pork or beef, usually accompanied by rice, beans, fried plantains and a salad.  You will find delicious ceviche and of course fresh tropical fruit, either by itself or blended into a refreshing shake (called a batido or a licuado).  You will also be able to find stateside food such as pizza and burgers without too much effort. 

There are many colorful markets and festivals as well, which shouldn’t be missed.  Though you may have to look a few blocks off the beach – something not necessarily natural to a surfer on a focused wave hunt.

People in Central America are overwhelmingly friendly and non-confrontational.  Street vendors will usually heed a “no, gracias” the first time it is uttered and almost anyone in the street will be glad to stop, listen and give advice or directions.

Focusing the search: Southern Nicaragua…by Sailboat

Central America has a lot to offer a surfer.  Unfortunately this means lineups can be crowded and competitive.  Though while it may be easy to get to Central America to begin with, some breaks are more out of the way than others, and that is usually the key to getting waves to yourself. 

After a decade of exploring by land, and more often than not surfing in a frothing pack of wave-hungry travellers and locals, I mixed things up in 2011 and took to the sea.  After a couple thousand miles of sailing from Santa Cruz, CA, I arrived in Central America with my two friends on our 34’ sailboat Patience.  With three months to explore the coast from the Mexican border to Panama, we set out to find the cream of the crop – consistently good and consistently un-crowded waves.  After scouring the coast, twice, it became clear that southern Nicaragua had exactly what we were looking for – so we stopped and stayed a while.  The mythical all-day of-shores are a reality on nine days out of ten and can be counted on to groom the waves, blow clouds and storms offshore and push our sailboat up and down the coast with ease. 

A typical day onboard means waking up at anchor just outside a lineup.  Have some coffee and a surf, not necessarily in that order.  On a travel day we’ll raise sails and explore the coast for a few hours before settling on a new spot for the night.  Roads in Nicaragua are still cratered, windy and slow.  This means that usually all but the most well-known breaks stay relatively un-crowded.  Many are boat access only.  While the typical surf-hunting panga can zip around at a faster clip than our sailing vessel, they never stay more than a couple hours, during which we can relax in the shade onboard, read a good book or eat a meal and wait for the lineup to clear again. 

We’re convinced we’ve found the ideal Central American surf trip, but we want to know what you think.  It’s always said that the only thing better than surfing alone is surfing with a few good friends.  True to this, the most rewarding part of our sailing trip was having new friends and old friends hop onboard to join us for legs of the journey.  Now that we’ve arrived, we’re hooked on Nicaragua and will be at it all wave season long.  Check out our surf expeditions for more info on you can jump onboard in San Juan del Sur and cruise the coast for

Treks and Tracks offers all levels of climbing instruction in the park throughout the year.