Surf Forecast Surf Report

Rio Chico Surf Guide

Rio Chico in Manabi is an exposed point break that has very reliable surf. Autumn and winter are the favoured times of year for waves. Works best in offshore winds from the east northeast. Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the ideal swell direction is from the southwest.The waves is a point break that peels left. When the surf is up, it can get quite busy in the water. Surfing here means negotiating dangerous rips.

Rio Chico Spot Info

Type:Rating:
Point3
Reliability:Todays Sea Temp*:
very consistent
27.0°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Rio Chico:

The best conditions reported for surf at Rio Chico occur when a Southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the East-northeast.

Surf Forecasts:

What's the best time of year to surf Rio Chico (for consistent clean waves)?

marchBest Season: autumn
The best time of year for surfing Rio Chico with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Autumn and most often the month of March. Clean surfable waves are typically found 50% of the time in March while 42% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 8% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.
clean
50%
Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.
blown out
42%
Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).
too small
8%
Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Rio Chico Location Map

Interactive Rio Chico surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Rio Chico is General Ulpiano Paez (Salinas) Airport (SNC) in Ecuador, 63 km (39 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Rio Chico is Reales Tamarindos (Portoviejo) Airport (PVO), also in Ecuador, 79 km (49 miles) away.

  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.
Rio Chico Surf Forecasts:
Todays Surf Summary
Monday, 28 April 2025, 15:53 Local Time
Monday 28Tue
4PM7PM10PM1AM
Wave (m)
1.1
SW
1.1
SW
1.1
SW
1
SW
Period (s) 15 15 15 15
Wind (km/h)
10
5
5
5
Wind State on glass cross-
off
glass

Swell History at Rio Chico

Surf stats for Rio Chico, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Wind History at Rio Chico

Wind stats for Rio Chico, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

Other Nearby Breaks Closest To:

Discover surf breaks near Rio Chico. Click below to view there surf guides.

    • Beach
    Reliability: very consistent
    2km away
    • Beach
    • 3.0
    Reliability: consistent
    3km away
    • Beach and reef
    Reliability: fairly consistent
    6km away
    • Reef and point
    • 3.0
    Reliability: fairly consistent
    6km away
    • Point
    • 3.0
    Reliability: consistent
    12km away

Wave Buoys Nearest To Rio Chico:

Nearest
Nearest