Staying Home Sucks, home

Scardog reef

Surf spot · Costa Rica

Is it worth the trip?

25Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Tue 3: too small (4 ft swell at 12 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 41 out of 100

Swell
4 ft12 shollow
Energy
450kJ
Wind
NNE 3 kn
Temp
28°C

Wed 4 · 29 out of 100

Swell
4 ft11 shollow
Energy
380kJ
Wind
ESE 5 kn
Temp
27°C

Thu 5 · 19 out of 100

Swell
3 ft11 shollow
Energy
236kJ
Wind
SE 8 kn
Temp
25°C

Fri 6 · 24 out of 100

Swell
3 ft11 shollow
Energy
227kJ
Wind
E 5 kn
Temp
28°C

Sat 7 · 19 out of 100

Swell
2 ft12 shollow
Energy
121kJ
Wind
NNE 5 kn
Temp
27°C

Sun 8 · 12 out of 100

Swell
2 ft10 shollow
Energy
45kJ
Wind
NNE 5 kn
Temp
29°C

Mon 9 · 13 out of 100

Swell
2 ft12 shollow
Energy
64kJ
Wind
NNE 7 kn
Temp
30°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 9 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 249, fair
  2. Tue 341, too small
  3. Wed 429, too small
  4. Thu 519, too small
  5. Fri 624, too small
  6. Sat 719, too small
  7. Sun 812, too small
  8. Mon 913, too small
  9. Tue 1015, too small

The spot in five facts

  • Faces Stakes swell from the S
  • Offshore: Nwind from the land
  • Intermediate +who it suits
  • Works 5–20 ftof swell
  • Water 28 °Cno wetsuit

Full forecast

every day, every number

Scardog reef does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

Forecast and score for expert surfers at Scardog reef, each day
DayScorefor ExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Mon 2Nov49, fair5 ft12 shollow7 ft at break (est.)567kJwind from the north-east, 13 knots, offshore31°C
Tue 3Nov41, too small4 ft12 shollow6 ft at break (est.)450kJwind from the north-north-east, 3 knots, offshore28°C
Wed 4Nov29, too small4 ft11 shollow6 ft at break (est.)380kJwind from the east-south-east, 5 knots27°C
Thu 5Nov19, too small3 ft11 shollow5 ft at break (est.)236kJwind from the south-east, 8 knots25°C
Fri 6Nov24, too small3 ft11 shollow4 ft at break (est.)227kJwind from the east, 5 knots28°C
Sat 7Nov19, too small2 ft12 shollow4 ft at break (est.)121kJwind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore27°C
Sun 8Nov12, too small2 ft10 shollow3 ft at break (est.)45kJwind from the north-north-east, 5 knots, offshore29°C
Mon 9Nov13, too small2 ft12 shollow3 ft at break (est.)64kJwind from the north-north-east, 7 knots, offshore30°C
Tue 10Nov15, too small2 ft11 shollow3 ft at break (est.)79kJwind from the north-east, 13 knots, offshore30°C

Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More

Tide

  • Mon 2 NovLow 01:41 −0.8 mHigh 07:52 +0.9 mLow 14:14 −0.9 mHigh 20:37 +0.9 m
  • Tue 3 NovLow 02:53 −0.8 mHigh 09:02 +0.8 mLow 15:21 −0.9 mHigh 21:46 +0.9 m
  • Wed 4 NovLow 04:08 −0.8 mHigh 10:15 +0.8 mLow 16:29 −0.8 mHigh 22:53 +1.0 m

Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.

Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.

Map

the spot and its town

Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.

Surf spot

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About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Scardog reef

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces S (190°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (10°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up, because of a steep sea floor. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very steeply: 10 m deep about 100 m out (1 in 10). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 26°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 29°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). No town nearby. Nearest place to stay we found: Cabinas Eddy, Monteverde, 16 km. Nearest beds: La Cruz, 35 km (about 1h 05m by car). Nearest airport: Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR), 44 km.

Water about 28°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).

Rough cost (estimate): about US$683–US$1,300 each

about US$683–US$1,300 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, food, board and wetsuit.

Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.

How we worked it out 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to LIR, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bagabout US$288–US$596
Hire car6 days, sharedabout US$94–US$161
Food7 days eating outabout US$208–US$389
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$94–US$154
Totalabout US$683–US$1,300

No town nearby, so no stay is in it. For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: nearest beds 35 km away

No town nearby

Nearest place to stay we found: Cabinas Eddy, Monteverde, 16 km. Nearest beds: La Cruz, 35 km (about 1h 05m by car). Nearest airport: Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR), 44 km.

See places to stay near La Cruz, 35 km away · Booking.com

Getting there: about 10h 35m

About 10h 35m door to door from Chicago

Fly ORD → LIR, direct, then 1h 40m by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.