Los Sueños & Costa Rica Offshore Fishing ReportHerradura Bay · Ventiseis · Furuno Bank — updated every morning
The daily read on Costa Rica's Central Pacific grounds — wind, seas and swell period at Herradura Bay, the shelf edge at Ventiseis and Furuno Bank, each rated GO, CAUTION or NO-GO.
Today's Offshore Conditions Report
The Central Pacific fleet leaves from sheltered water and runs out to an open, swell-exposed Pacific, so a calm morning in the bay and a lumpy one at the bank happen on the same day more often than not. Here are the three zones side by side.
Isla Herradura
9.628, -84.680
The island at the mouth of Herradura Bay, a couple of miles from the Los Sueños marina. The bay is a sheltered cove, so this is the calm end of the run, and the place to read the start and finish of the day.
Mixed outlook: Wednesday evening is the one window
Wednesday 3:00 PM through Thursday midnight is the only settled stretch for the 12-hour trip, with light 4-knot east-southeast winds and 4.7-foot seas at 12-second periods from the southwest, though forecast confidence is low at 43%.
Isla Herradura — Tuesday, Oct 13 · NO-GO
NO-GO. Seas of 4.9-5.2 feet at 12-second periods from the southwest keep wave conditions in caution range all day, with no settled stretch long enough for a 12-hour trip. Winds are light at 1-9 knots from the south-southeast, gusting 15, but the swell and low 59% confidence rule out the day. There is a 78% chance of rain around 6:00 PM.
Isla Herradura — Wednesday, Oct 14 · CAUTION
CAUTION, timing matters. Winds stay light at 1-13 knots from the east-southeast, but seas of 4.5-4.9 feet at 12 seconds from the southwest are borderline until the afternoon. The settled all-GO stretch begins 3:00 PM and runs through midnight into Thursday. Confidence is low at 43%. There is a 90% chance of rain around 6:00 PM, so bring rain gear.
Isla Herradura — Thursday, Oct 15 · GO
GO. Winds are 3-12 knots from the southeast, gusting 16, with 4.1-4.5 foot seas at 12-second periods from the south-southwest, rated good all day. Any time works for the 12-hour trip. There is an 86% chance of rain around 6:00 PM, so bring rain gear and watch the evening sky.
Ventiseis
9.359, -84.507
"The 26", a rise near the outer edge of the shelf about 20 nautical miles southeast of Los Sueños, between Herradura and Quepos. The bottom falls away to deep water beyond it, so it is the first fully exposed water on the run.
Best on Thursday; Tue/Wed hinge on timing and swell
Starting 8:00 PM Wednesday, an all-GO stretch runs into Thursday morning with 5 knots southeast winds and 4.7 feet southwest seas at 12-second periods, enough room to fit the 12 hour trip.
Ventiseis — Tuesday, Oct 13 · CAUTION
Winds stay light at 1-10 knots northwest, gusting to 14 knots, but 5.2-5.3 feet southwest seas at 12-second periods hold all day, so timing matters and caution is needed. There is a 65% chance of rain around 3:00 AM, so bring rain gear.
Ventiseis — Wednesday, Oct 14 · CAUTION
Winds are light at 0-10 knots east-southeast, gusting to 16 knots, with 4.7-5.1 feet southwest seas at 12-second periods easing by 8:00 PM. The best stretch for the 12 hour trip starts at 8:00 PM and runs into Thursday. Rain chance is 69% around 6:00 PM, so bring rain gear.
Ventiseis — Thursday, Oct 15 · GO
A good day to go any time: 3-7 knots southeast winds, gusts to 12 knots, and 4.2-4.6 feet southwest seas at 12-second, organized periods. There is an 84% chance of rain around 3:00 AM, so pack rain gear.
Furuno Bank
8.877, -84.165
The offshore high spot about 33 nautical miles due south of Quepos and 55 from Los Sueños, a bank rising out of deep water that holds marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado and wahoo. Open Pacific with no shelter at all.
Light winds but long SW swell: timing matters
Thursday 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM is the pick, with 2-8 knot southeast winds and 4.4-5 foot seas at 12-second periods from the southwest once the earlier chop eases, leaving room to run the 12-hour trip.
Furuno Bank — Tuesday, Oct 13 · CAUTION
Tuesday is a CAUTION day. Winds are light at 1-7 knots from the west-northwest, gusting to 10, but 5.5 foot southwest swell at 12-second periods keeps seas borderline all day. Timing and careful judgment matter. There is a 65% chance of rain around 6:00 PM, so bring rain gear.
Furuno Bank — Wednesday, Oct 14 · CAUTION
Wednesday is a CAUTION day. Southeast winds run 1-11 knots, gusting to 15, with 5-5.5 foot southwest swell at 12-second periods keeping seas borderline throughout. Plan carefully and stay flexible. There is a 77% chance of rain around 8:00 AM, so pack rain gear.
Furuno Bank — Thursday, Oct 15 · CAUTION
Thursday is the best of the three but still a CAUTION day. Southeast winds are light at 2-8 knots, gusting to 10. Seas of 4.4-5 foot southwest swell at 12-second periods are borderline through 9:00 AM, then settle into good territory from 10:00 AM onward. There is an 85% chance of rain around 4:00 AM, so bring rain gear.
The AI fishing report for Costa Rica's Central Pacific
Weather tells you whether you can go. DeepCast reads the SST breaks, chlorophyll edges, and bottom structure for the exact waters the fleet fishes — inshore, midshore, and offshore — and turns them into a plain-English fishing report, the same AI reports built into the SeaLegs AI app.
Get the AI-powered fishing reportAbout these grounds
- The groundsHerradura Bay off Los Sueños, the shelf edge at Ventiseis, and Furuno Bank, the offshore high spot south of Quepos
- The runAbout 2 NM to Isla Herradura, 20 NM to Ventiseis, and 55 NM from Los Sueños (33 NM from Quepos) to Furuno Bank
- Target speciesSailfish and marlin, released; yellowfin tuna, dorado and wahoo offshore
- DataRebuilt every morning from the latest marine model run; cards refresh live in your browser
This is the daily Los Sueños and Costa Rica offshore fishing report from SeaLegs AI. It is a conditions-first read on the water the Central Pacific fleet fishes out of Los Sueños at Playa Herradura and Quepos, from the bay out to the offshore banks.
Three zones cover the run: Isla Herradura at the mouth of the bay, Ventiseis at the shelf edge about 20 nautical miles out, and Furuno Bank, the offshore high spot south of Quepos. Each gets a plain GO, CAUTION or NO-GO call and a three-day outlook, rebuilt every morning from the latest marine model data. It is the same AI rating used in the SeaLegs AI app.
Reading the Central Pacific run
Start with the swell. Costa Rica's Pacific coast gets most of its wave energy from the southwest, from storms thousands of miles away, and the larger south swells arrive from about April to October. Herradura Bay is sheltered by its islands, so it is a poor guide to what is happening at the shelf edge or the bank. Weight the swell period as heavily as the height: a long, slow southern swell is usually fishable, while a short wind-sea on top of it is what makes the ride steep.
Then the season. The Central Pacific dry season runs from December to April, which is also the peak of the sailfish run and the time of year most visiting anglers come. The rainy season runs from May to November, and October is usually the wettest month. On this coast the rain falls mostly in the afternoon and early evening, so the morning is generally the better window in any season.
Then the distance. The shelf is narrow here: the bottom passes 1,000 metres only about 20 nautical miles southwest of Herradura Bay, so blue water is close and the shelf edge is a short run. Furuno Bank is a different commitment at 55 nautical miles from Los Sueños. This report is a planning aid, not a substitute for official forecasts and warnings from Costa Rica's Instituto Meteorológico Nacional.
Los Sueños & Costa Rica Offshore Fishing Report FAQ
What are the marine conditions at Costa Rica's Central Pacific today?
As of Oct 13, 2026: Isla Herradura — NO-GO; Ventiseis — CAUTION; Furuno Bank — CAUTION. Every rating is rebuilt each morning from the latest marine model data.
How often is this Costa Rica fishing report updated?
The whole report is rebuilt every morning from the latest marine model run, and each card refreshes live in your browser. The date stamp above the zone cards shows exactly when it was last generated.
Is this a catch report or a conditions report?
A conditions report. It tells you whether and when the grounds off Los Sueños and Quepos are fishable, rebuilt daily from marine model data. For the catches themselves, the charter fleets out of Los Sueños and Quepos post their own reports.
What is the best month to fish in Costa Rica?
On the Central Pacific, sailfish peak from about January to April, during the dry season, and that is when most visiting anglers come. Marlin peak in two spells, roughly November to December and July to September. The fishing is good enough year-round that the weather is often the bigger question, which is what this report covers.
Which grounds does this report cover?
Three zones on the Central Pacific coast. Isla Herradura is at the mouth of Herradura Bay outside the Los Sueños marina. Ventiseis is at the shelf edge about 20 nautical miles out. Furuno Bank is the offshore high spot about 33 nautical miles south of Quepos.
Can you keep sailfish and marlin in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica's fishing law designates sailfish and marlin as species of sport-fishing interest, and sport-fishing boats fish them catch-and-release. Anglers also need a Costa Rican sport-fishing licence. Check INCOPESCA, the national fisheries institute, for the current rules.
What do GO, CAUTION, and NO-GO mean?
GO means conditions are favorable for most recreational offshore boats. CAUTION means marginal — manageable for experienced crews in capable vessels, but check the wind, swell height and swell period closely. NO-GO means conditions are hazardous for small craft and the trip is best postponed.
Can I get this report for my own spot?
Yes. Drop a pin on any spot in the free SeaLegs AI app and get the same AI-rated forecast, plus DeepCast AI fishing reports for the waters SeaLegs AI covers.
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