Popoyo Outer Reef surf guide
Surf: General: If The Box in Australia was flipped around, given a gnarly end-section, and held solid 20-foot surf, it would begin to resemble the Popoyo Outer Reef. Again, not a completely original name or anything, but descriptive enough: it's a heaving slab of water located a quarter-mile outside the regular, and much more user-friendly, Popoyo Main Reef. Outer Reef will only really be doable on mid to high tide -- low tide sees exposed reef -- and even at high it's super sketchy and reserved only for experts and/or those with a death wish. Keep an eye out for local chargers Manuel, J.J., and Lance, who rule the place when it gets big and put on one heck of a show.
Tides: Medium to high
Size: 2-4X overhead and larger
Wind: Calm or light to moderate offshore E to NE.
Swell: S to SW, best on SSW
Bottom: Rock reef
Paddling: Breaks way out there, but not bad once you're out there. Can be hard to paddle into the waves when the offshores are strong.
Spot Rating: One of the best and few big-wave spots in Central America.
Access: Park at the very south end of the one road that leads into Popoyo, then walk across the rivermouth to the south, you can't miss it. Or come by boat from wherever.
Crowds: Crowd Factor: Zero to minimal, only few takers sometimes when its on.
Local Vibe: None. Be careful out there and look after each other.
Environment: Usually always clean, but there is a rivermouth nearby, which can get dirty after heavy rains.
Hazards: The wave, shallow reef, dry reef popping up when dropping in. Currents.
Season: All summer. Prime season is April through September. Much of October typically sees onshore wind and heavy rain, while November is a sleeper month with late season pulses and good conditions.