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← Nicoya and Central Pacific report

Nicoya and Central Pacific · Saturday, Oct 17

Mal Pais (Mar Azul)

Hourly forecast →Plan a time →

Time to check

8:00 AM–10:00 AM

Looks good · Low confidence

4.9–4.9 ft · Offshore waves · not face height

Wind: 4.5 kt · direction unavailable

Forecast details
  • Light wind should keep the water smoother.
Compare the wind evidence

Plan around the wind

The best available upcoming daylight wind sample to compare with the wave evidence. This compares wind only; wave size, tide suitability, and hazards can change your choice.

  • 8:00 AM–10:00 AM · America/Costa_Rica

    Light wind · up to 4.5 kt · reported gusts up to 11.9 kt

    Offshore waves: 4.9–4.9 ft across the period. Surf height unavailable. Tide data available; check the local tide response.

    Wind source time: Oct 16, 10:00 AM CST. This is not the model run issue time.
How these periods are chosen

The planner prefers three consecutive hourly samples covering two daylight hours, but retains shorter one- or two-sample evidence when that is all the forecast provides. Light wind means at most 6 kt. Moderate offshore means at most 12 kt from land toward the sea when shore orientation is verified. Strong wind or known gusts of 20 kt or more remain visible as cautions instead of making the entire comparison disappear. These are comparison labels, not locally tested surf-quality or safety ratings. Missing gusts remain unknown. Terrain shelter, currents, closures, and your ability are not assessed.

Forecast confidence
  • Returned marine grid point is 3.5 km from the mapped spot. Provider grid resolution is not established for this response.
  • Reference model hour: 21 hours from now; historical residuals do not measure forecast lead-time error.
  • No accepted local model for these inputs: missing history, unsupported direction/period/height, or failed historical validation.
  • A mapped coordinate does not establish nearshore grid resolution or terrain/shelter accuracy.

Wind ENE 1.9 kt

Tide 6.5 ft falling

Wave, wind and tide details
Offshore model swellSW 4.9 ft @ 12sValid 2026-10-17 08:00 · America/Costa_RicaMarine grid 9.6250, -85.1250 · offshore model, not a local measurement
Offshore model sea4.9 ft @ 14.4sSignificant wave height including wind waves and swell; not breaking surfValid 2026-10-17 08:00 · America/Costa_Rica
Model windENE 1.9 ktunavailableValid 2026-10-17 08:00 · America/Costa_Rica
Tide6.5 ftfallingMIO-CIMAR Bahía Herradura station 40 · 54.4 km from Mal Pais (Mar Azul) · regional tide reference; local timing and height may differ · predicted height relative to MIO mean-low-tide referenceRetrieved Oct 16, 10:56 AM CST · provider issue time unavailable79% of adjacent local low–high range · descriptive, not a safety rating

Surf height unavailable. Coastal and offshore waves are not breaking-wave heights.

Surf and wind

Recommended window: No recommended window

Historical 80% prediction interval for the visual face-height midpoint and wind direction by hour for Mal Pais (Mar Azul). Recommended window No recommended window.

Breaking surf is not reliably resolved. Offshore swell is listed below.

Hourly wind

Swipe or scroll →
  1. From NNE3.8 kt
  2. From NNE1.4 kt
  3. From E1.6 kt
  4. From ENE2.6 kt
  5. From NE3.1 kt
  6. From NE3.9 kt
  7. From NE5.4 kt
  8. From NE5.2 kt
  9. From ENE1.9 kt
  10. From ESE4.5 kt
  11. From SE3.9 kt
  12. From SSE4.9 kt
  13. From SSE5.8 kt
  14. From SSE4.9 kt
  15. From S5.1 kt
  16. From SSE5.7 kt
  17. From SSE6.4 kt
  18. From ESE5.5 kt
  19. From ESE3.2 kt
  20. From ENE3.4 kt
  21. From ESE3.2 kt
  22. From NE2.8 kt
  23. From NE1.4 kt
  24. From NE2 kt

Wind arrows show where the wind comes from.

How to read this forecast

The shaded band is the historical 80% prediction interval for the visual face-height midpoint. Highlighted windows and the top-hour marker show recommended timing when available. Individual values and source details are in the hourly forecast below.

Hourly forecast

Offshore swell, not breaking surf height.

Hourly surf forecast for Mal Pais (Mar Azul)
TimeWindTideOffshore swell
NNE 3.8 ktunavailable2.5 ftnear lowSW 4.1 ft @ 13s
NNE 1.4 ktunavailable2.5 ftrisingSW 4.1 ft @ 13s
E 1.6 ktunavailable3.5 ftrisingSW 4.2 ft @ 13s
ENE 2.6 ktunavailable4.5 ftrisingSW 4.2 ft @ 13s
NE 3.1 ktunavailable5 ftrisingSW 4.3 ft @ 13s
NE 3.9 ktunavailable6 ftrisingSW 4.5 ft @ 13s
NE 5.4 ktunavailable7 ftrisingSW 4.7 ft @ 12s
NE 5.2 ktunavailable7.5 ftfallingSW 4.7 ft @ 12s
ENE 1.9 ktunavailable6.5 ftfallingSW 4.9 ft @ 12s
ESE 4.5 ktunavailable5.5 ftfallingSW 4.9 ft @ 12s
SE 3.9 ktunavailable4.5 ftfallingSW 4.9 ft @ 12s
SSE 4.9 ktunavailable3.5 ftfallingSW 4.9 ft @ 12s
SSE 5.8 ktunavailable2.5 ftfallingSW 4.9 ft @ 12s
SSE 4.9 ktunavailable1.5 ftnear lowSW 5.0 ft @ 12s
S 5.1 ktunavailable2.5 ftrisingSW 5.0 ft @ 12s
SSE 5.7 ktunavailable3.5 ftrisingSW 5.1 ft @ 12s
SSE 6.4 ktunavailable4 ftrisingSW 5.1 ft @ 12s
ESE 5.5 ktunavailable5 ftrisingSW 5.1 ft @ 12s
ESE 3.2 ktunavailable6 ftrisingSW 5.1 ft @ 12s
ENE 3.4 ktunavailable6.5 ftnear highSW 5.1 ft @ 12s
ESE 3.2 ktunavailable6.5 ftfallingSW 5.2 ft @ 12s
NE 2.8 ktunavailable5.5 ftfallingSW 5.2 ft @ 12s
NE 1.4 ktunavailable5 ftfallingSW 5.2 ft @ 12s
NE 2 ktunavailable4 ftfallingSW 5.2 ft @ 12s
4.1 ftOffshore swell
WindNNE 3.8 ktunavailableTide2.5 ftnear low
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 4.1 ft · 13s period
4.1 ftOffshore swell
WindNNE 1.4 ktunavailableTide2.5 ftrising
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 4.1 ft · 13s period
4.2 ftOffshore swell
WindE 1.6 ktunavailableTide3.5 ftrising
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 4.2 ft · 13s period
4.2 ftOffshore swell
WindENE 2.6 ktunavailableTide4.5 ftrising
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 4.2 ft · 13s period
4.3 ftOffshore swell
WindNE 3.1 ktunavailableTide5 ftrising
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 4.3 ft · 13s period
4.5 ftOffshore swell
WindNE 3.9 ktunavailableTide6 ftrising
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 4.5 ft · 13s period
4.7 ftOffshore swell
WindNE 5.4 ktunavailableTide7 ftrising
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 4.7 ft · 12s period
4.7 ftOffshore swell
WindNE 5.2 ktunavailableTide7.5 ftfalling
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 4.7 ft · 12s period
4.9 ftOffshore swell
WindENE 1.9 ktunavailableTide6.5 ftfalling
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 4.9 ft · 12s period
4.9 ftOffshore swell
WindESE 4.5 ktunavailableTide5.5 ftfalling
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 4.9 ft · 12s period
4.9 ftOffshore swell
WindSE 3.9 ktunavailableTide4.5 ftfalling
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 4.9 ft · 12s period
4.9 ftOffshore swell
WindSSE 4.9 ktunavailableTide3.5 ftfalling
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 4.9 ft · 12s period
4.9 ftOffshore swell
WindSSE 5.8 ktunavailableTide2.5 ftfalling
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 4.9 ft · 12s period
5.0 ftOffshore swell
WindSSE 4.9 ktunavailableTide1.5 ftnear low
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 5.0 ft · 12s period
5.0 ftOffshore swell
WindS 5.1 ktunavailableTide2.5 ftrising
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 5.0 ft · 12s period
5.1 ftOffshore swell
WindSSE 5.7 ktunavailableTide3.5 ftrising
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 5.1 ft · 12s period
5.1 ftOffshore swell
WindSSE 6.4 ktunavailableTide4 ftrising
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 5.1 ft · 12s period
5.1 ftOffshore swell
WindESE 5.5 ktunavailableTide5 ftrising
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 5.1 ft · 12s period
5.1 ftOffshore swell
WindESE 3.2 ktunavailableTide6 ftrising
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 5.1 ft · 12s period
5.1 ftOffshore swell
WindENE 3.4 ktunavailableTide6.5 ftnear high
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 5.1 ft · 12s period
5.2 ftOffshore swell
WindESE 3.2 ktunavailableTide6.5 ftfalling
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 5.2 ft · 12s period
5.2 ftOffshore swell
WindNE 2.8 ktunavailableTide5.5 ftfalling
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 5.2 ft · 12s period
5.2 ftOffshore swell
WindNE 1.4 ktunavailableTide5 ftfalling
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 5.2 ft · 12s period
5.2 ftOffshore swell
WindNE 2 ktunavailableTide4 ftfalling
Wave details
Offshore swell
SW 5.2 ft · 12s period

Tide through the day

2026-10-17 · America/Costa_Rica

Station tide prediction for Mal Pais (Mar Azul). Approximate linear interpolation between named station high and low events. Gaps remain blank. The event times and heights follow the chart.

12:00 AM6:00 AM12:00 PM6:00 PM12:00 AM

Interpolated station prediction · 1.5 ft to 7.6 ft

  • Low tide1.9 ft
  • High tide7.6 ft
  • Low tide1.5 ft
  • High tide7.0 ft
Station, reference level & prediction method

MIO-CIMAR Bahía Herradura station 40 · 54.4 km from Mal Pais (Mar Azul) · regional tide reference; local timing and height may differ · 40

Reference level: MIO mean-low-tide reference.

The chart and matching times use linear interpolation between predicted extrema. Heights between events are approximate. Gaps and unbracketed times have no estimate.

Source time: Oct 16, 10:56 AM CST.

The assigned station describes regional water levels. Local beach waterlines, currents, crossings, and access require separate information.

About this spot

Model-grid forecast requested at the mapped coordinate; reef, headland, and nearshore transformations are unresolved. Reef break. Mar Azul reef in Mal Pais, south of Playa Carmen; this route covers the named Mar Azul break only. Published map coordinate is approximate; coastline orientation and breaking-surf response are uncalibrated.

Mapped spot coordinate: 9.6133, -85.1549.

Mainland Costa Rica · Pacific · Coastline orientation unresolved · Location provenance

Model request point: Mal Pais (Mar Azul) (9.6133, -85.1549). Model output times describe valid conditions; the provider does not expose the model run issue time in this response.

Forecast sources

Data coverage 3/7 sources

Source availability is not forecast accuracy. Where an empirical model passes historical testing, its error and interval coverage are shown above. Source count cannot increase that confidence.

Coverage tier D · MODEL_FIRST_AMERICAS · spot-level model point

  • National or regional meteorological marine bulletin
    Warnings and official marine narrative where no structured surf feed exists; market adapter or station mapping not connected    UnavailableNo source time
  • The Buoy API
    No verified public live instrument feed covers these breaks. UCR/IMARES publishes research measurements and request-based data access, without a verified current local observation stream.    UnavailableNo source time
  • WorldTides API
    Official MIO-CIMAR station predictions are used; heights are referenced to the provider-described mean of low tides from at least a 20-year record.    UnavailableNo source time
  • MIO-CIMAR Costa Rica tide predictions
    MIO-CIMAR Bahía Herradura station 40 · 54.4 km from Mal Pais (Mar Azul) · regional tide reference; local timing and height may differ; predicted high/low events above MIO mean-low-tide reference, converted to feet. Timestamp is retrieval time; provider issue time is not supplied.    Current
  • Open-Meteo Marine API
    1 of 1 configured model points available    Current
  • Open-Meteo Weather API
    1 of 1 configured model points available    Current
  • Copernicus Marine Global Ocean Waves
    No independently authenticated Copernicus product, run, grid, and current response is connected; MIO-CIMAR and Open-Meteo remain separately labeled model evidence.    UnavailableNo source time
  • Surf-Forecast public pages
    Spot discovery and break-specific HTML fallback    Not applicableNo source time
  • Surfline public spot pages
    Break-specific comparison, cams, and metadata    Not applicableNo source time
How best guesses are made

Best guesses combine usable wave and wind evidence, with qualitative confidence and specific limitations. A missing tide or local surf-height model does not prevent useful guidance. Tide levels use the named station datum; their effect at this break remains uncertain. Wind direction is relative to the mapped beach orientation, without calibrated terrain or shelter effects. The comparison is a heuristic, not a measured quality rating.