Surfing Southern Nicaragua

The south western coast of Nicaragua has been getting a lot of exposure recently due to the over crowding of Costa Rica and the increase in real estate development in the area. The hype is here for a reason. The surf community in Nicaragua is growing, therefore to get empty waves one needs the knowledge and foresight to maximize their wave count during the best tides for each swell. Southern Nicaragua has a wave selection within such a close proximity to us that our good home base and experienced boat captains allow traveling surfers to get into a variety of great waves with few distractions. G.F.S.'s location and experienced surf team allows us to pull that off better than anyone else.

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The Waves

Southern Nicaragua is still perhaps the only place in the world where virtually year-round off-shore winds and a wide swell window combine to produce consistently good waves - Spring, Summer, and Fall.

We've got, a world class beach break minutes from our lodge, a great left point break around the corner and a big left outer reef to test your courage (picture to the left). There are a handful of other spots within the area that we have a specialized knowledge of allowing for minimal crowds and maximum fun. We have spots for most skill levels and do our best to get you the kind of waves you want.

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The Location

Gigante is centrally located between San Juan Del Sur to the south and Poyopo to the north with a number of good spots right in our backyard and in between. We don't worry about crowds during the early morning or late afternoon sessions. That's pretty much why we are in Gigante.

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The Season

The Giant's Foot Surf tour season officially runs from March 17th through September 15th . Off season surf tour bookings are occasionally accepted.

Nicaragua is exposed to pretty much all southern swells. This wide angle of swell window guarantees a lot of waves throughout much of the year. South swells are liable to show up at any time of year, but there is a considerable increase in the power and frequency of swells starting in April. This roughly corresponds to the wet season and the slackening of the offshore winds, which can at times make dropping into the wave face a bit tough. Southern swells particularly belt the coast with waves from May through October.

The months of December through March are dry and windy. Beginning in May or June through October we get tropical squalls several times a week. In September or October the rains pick up a bit for a few weeks which is the warning that the wet season is nearly finished. The times that onshore winds are a real possibility are in early june, late september - october, and when there is significant storm activity (i.e. hurricanes) in the Caribbean.

BOOKING INFORMATION

The "Lake Effect"

Lake Nicaragua provides a geographically smooth passage for the north easterly trade winds to pass through the Central American Isthmus. This results in consistent offshore wind along the pacific coast of the lake region. Like the trades, the offshores intensify going into winter and moderate going into summer.