On a surf trip in Central America, the tide can be the difference between overhead waves and dead flat nothingness. Our tide charts will equip you with the ins and outs of our go-to spots at camps in Nicaragua and both locations in El Salvador, saving you valuable trip time so you can make the most of every salty second.
NICARAGUA
CHICKEN BOWLS
It’s going to be quite evident that you can’t really surf this guy on a super low tide because, well, exposed reef and lack of wave. On a medium or high however, Chicken Bowls is a pitch perfect hollow left, curling over you like a delightfully round wave donut. Just heed our low tide warnings for happy, non-bloody feet.
LA BARRA
One of the best kept secrets (maybe the best) in Nicaragua is La Barra. Catch this 200+ makeable yards of a water slide on a low tide and you may very well have the best surf of your life. High will bog things out a bit.
MIRAMAR
Miramar reels left down the beach in front of a bunch of cool tidal pools, and is shaped best on a low to medium tide – but it’ll break on high if there’s enough swell in the water. If there’s not much in the way of size, it’ll take a quick snooze.
EL SALVADOR
PUNTA ROCA
Quite possibly the best wave in El Salvador isn’t too affected by tidal nonsense. If it gets too low though, you might have to be on the lookout for those slabby, hard things that give Punta Roca its name. Best bet is a medium to high for unscathed wave – riding.
LAS FLORES
High tide lays this watery wonderland to waste. Super high tide and you wouldn’t even know a wave breaks here. Catch Las Flores on a low to medium tide though, and you’ll be sailing down 150 yards of smooth-as-butter pointbreak.
PUNTA MANGO
Anything. Everything. Pretty much any tide for this behemoth of a wave. Mango adjusts to the rise and fall well, favoring a medium tide just a tad more (depending very much on the swell.) If it’s too small and high tide, getting close to the shore and kissing a rock could pose a problem.
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