Padangs
Surf spot · Nicaragua
Is it worth the trip?
76Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: 4 ft swell at 12 s, 3 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 64 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 610kJ
- Wind
- ENE 6 kn
- Temp
- 32°C
Wed 4 · 75 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 510kJ
- Wind
- E 5 kn
- Temp
- 31°C
Thu 5 · 82 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 499kJ
- Wind
- ESE 6 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Fri 6 · 93 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 410kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 31°C
Sat 7 · 73 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 227kJ
- Wind
- ENE 5 kn
- Temp
- 29°C
Sun 8 · 50 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 138kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 30°C
Mon 9 · 60 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 194kJ
- Wind
- S 3 kn
- Temp
- 31°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 273, good
- Tue 364, good
- Wed 475, good
- Thu 582, good
- Fri 693, good
- Sat 773, good
- Sun 850, fair
- Mon 960, good
- Tue 1055, fair
- Wed 1127, too small
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 29 °Cno wetsuit
- Best in Apr7 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 | 73, good | 5 ft13 ssoft9 ft at break (est.) | 830kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 36°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 64, good | 5 ft12 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 610kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 32°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 75, good | 5 ft11 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 510kJ | offshorewind from the east, 5 knots, offshore | 31°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 82, good | 4 ft12 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 499kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 6 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 93, good | 4 ft12 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 410kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 31°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 73, good | 3 ft11 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 227kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 29°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 50, fair | 2 ft12 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 138kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 60, good | 3 ft12 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 194kJ | wind from the south, 3 knots | 31°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 55, fair | 3 ft11 ssoft4 ft at break (est.) | 174kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 33°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 27, too small | 1 ft16 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 86kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 8 knots, offshore | 33°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 01:40 −0.8 mHigh 07:53 +0.9 mLow 14:15 −0.9 mHigh 20:36 +0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 02:52 −0.8 mHigh 09:03 +0.8 mLow 15:22 −0.8 mHigh 21:45 +0.9 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 04:07 −0.8 mHigh 10:17 +0.8 mLow 16:30 −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.
Best time to go
best in Apr
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug6of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov6of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 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 and its town
Padangs 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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More surf near here
5 places
- No Names 0.7 km away
- Miramar 0.8 km away
- Pipes 1.4 km away
- Suicides 2.7 km away
- Freight Trains 3.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Padangs
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (244°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (64°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.7 km out (1 in 167). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 27°C in February, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 30°C in May, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually April, with about 7 good days in 7; in December, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Miramar, 0.8 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 6 surf spots.
Water about 29°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$631–US$1,190 each
about US$631–US$1,190 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to MGA, estimated from distance and season, changing at MIA, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$275–US$577 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$60–US$94 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$114–US$188 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$127–US$235 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$54–US$94 |
| Total | about US$631–US$1,190 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 2 towns
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 min by car · 5 places to stay
about US$40/nightcountry average
About Miramar its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Puerto Sandino on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 1 place to stay
About US$40 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 14h 05m
About 14h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → MGA, changing at Miami International Airport (MIA), then 2h 05m by road
Flights MDW → MGA on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.