Chicama
Peru · South America
Right now
OvercastWind and swell direction
Swell: 1.7m S
Wind: 15 km/h SSE (cross-onshore)
Beach faces: SW
Cross-onshore wind. Wave faces are getting chopped up, conditions are average.
Swell is arriving at a great angle for this beach.
Today hour by hour
Updated 08:42Expected crowds
Prediction model v16amDawn patrol territory
7amMidweek quiet
Next 7 days
Forecast via Open-MeteoWhat to pack
- 3/2mm wetsuit or spring suit for 20°C water.
- Standard shortboard conditions.
- Rain jacket for between sessions.
Forecast accuracy at Chicama
Not enough data yet. Log a session to help build the accuracy score.
Best time to go
quiet before the morning rush, conditions building through the session
quiet before the morning rush, conditions building through the session
uncrowded conditions
Crowd report
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Session journal
Record your session, conditions and gear.
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Create free accountTide
Approximate modelBest on mid-high tide
Swell forecast
7-day forecastDaily score breakdown
This week is looking above average for late April.
Comparing the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Chicama.
What's driving it
Recent form
Last 4 days of logged conditions.
Best time to visit Chicama
Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
Key insights
- The best week for surf at Chicama is the week of 4 May (score 3/5) with low crowds.
- Avoid the week of 27 July if you can due to Vacaciones de medio ano and Summer break.
Best time to visit
Crowd calendar
How busy each week is based on school holiday overlap from feeder markets.
School holidays affecting this destination
How are these scores calculated?
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
About Chicama
Home to the longest left-hand wave in the world, peeling for up to two kilometres along a desert point in northern Peru. A longboarder's dream on its best days, in a small, simple town that suits surfers prioritising waves over nightlife.
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Create Profile →Frequently asked questions
How often is this page updated?
Current conditions refresh every 6 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
What is the luck factor?
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Chicama. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical late April.
How is 'best session' picked?
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Where does the data come from?
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Does the score capture local knowledge?
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
When is the best time to surf Chicama?
The best week for surf at Chicama is the week of 4 May (score 3/5) with low crowds.