Tivives
Surf spot · Costa Rica
Is it worth the trip?
59Fair out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 249kJ
- Wind
- N 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Wed 4 · 45 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 179kJ
- Wind
- ESE 5 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 47 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft13 scrumbling
- Energy
- 176kJ
- Wind
- E 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Fri 6 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 scrumbling
- Energy
- 218kJ
- Wind
- SE 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 172kJ
- Wind
- ENE 1 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 scrumbling
- Energy
- 98kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Mon 9 · 60 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 197kJ
- Wind
- WNW 1 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 277, good
- Tue 366, good
- Wed 445, fair
- Thu 547, fair
- Fri 666, good
- Sat 759, fair
- Sun 838, too small
- Mon 960, good
- Tue 1060, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 1–5 ftof swell
- Water 28 °Cno wetsuit
- Best in Jun6 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 77, good | 3 ft13 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 356kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 66, good | 3 ft12 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 249kJ | offshorewind from the north, 3 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 45, fair | 3 ft12 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 179kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 5 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 47, fair | 2 ft13 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 176kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 66, good | 3 ft12 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 218kJ | wind from the south-east, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 59, fair | 3 ft11 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 172kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 1 knot, offshore | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 38, too small | 3 ft9 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 98kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 28°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 60, good | 3 ft11 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 197kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 1 knot | 29°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 60, good | 3 ft10 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 158kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 3 knots | 29°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 01:45 −0.9 mHigh 07:57 +1.0 mLow 14:15 −1.0 mHigh 20:40 +1.0 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:58 −0.9 mHigh 09:10 +0.9 mLow 15:26 −0.9 mHigh 21:52 +1.0 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:13 −0.9 mHigh 10:26 +0.9 mLow 16:36 −0.9 mHigh 23:00 +1.1 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.
Best time to go
best in Jun
Good days in a typical week, each month, for beginners, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug5of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Tivives on Google Maps · Directions
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.
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Photos of Tivives
More surf near here
5 places
- Bajamar 3.3 km away
- Corralillo 3.4 km away
- El ollo 4.1 km away
- Puerto Caldera 4.3 km away
- El Hoyo 4.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Tivives
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (228°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (48°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–5 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 41). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 28°C in October, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in March, its warmest (no wetsuit). For beginners the best month is usually June, with about 6 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Caldera, 5.4 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots.
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$878–US$1,630 each
about US$878–US$1,630 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, 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
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to SJO, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$295–US$610 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$94–US$161 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$188–US$315 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$208–US$389 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$94–US$154 |
| Total | about US$878–US$1,630 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 10 min by car · 9 places to stay
about US$74/nightcountry average
About Caldera its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Bajamar on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 4 places to stay
- Beds in El Roble on Booking.com
about 25 min by car · 22 places to stay
About US$74 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 11h 05m
About 11h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SJO, direct, then 2h by road
Flights ORD → SJO on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.