Can You Swim in Jaco Beach?

Jaco Beach is very safe for swimming. If you are wondering about ocean safety and lifeguards in Costa Rica, you can rest assured that your beach vacation will be safe. During the summertime, the ocean is calm and the waves are small. Families flock to the beach to enjoy the sun, sand, and warm water. You can bring your kids along and not worry about their safety as long as you take the proper precautions. With a little bit of ocean awareness, you’ll have the time of your life here at Jaco Beach. Read below to learn more about the most important things you should pay attention to when you are swimming in Jaco Beach.

Changing Tides

Jaco Beach has quite a dramatic tide change. During low tide, the water recedes greatly, leaving a large area of open, flat sand that’s great for long beach walks and seashell hunting. If you go into the ocean during low tide, you’ll see lots of sand in the water. Because there is less water during low tide, the sand gets churned up in the waves and clouds the water. During high tide, the waves roll in covering much of the beach that was visible during low tide. But the water will be clearer and more gentle. It’s important to pay attention to the tides if you plan on surfing, as the availability of surfable waves is dictated by the tide. The best time to surf is around mid to high tide. The tides change every day, so the best hour for surfing will vary.

Surfing Beach

Jaco is a surfing beach and there are always people surfing in the ocean. While most surfers will be out in the lineup (where the green waves break out in the ocean), there are also many beginners who practice in the white waves that break closer to the shore. If you are hoping to just go for a swim you will want to avoid areas where there are lots of surfers, particularly the ones that are practicing close to shore. If you do go for a swim and there are surfers around, just make sure you’re aware so you can move out of the way if someone surfs a bit too close to you!

Rip Currents

Rip currents are a danger on almost any beach and that’s no different here in Jaco. Swimmers should be aware of rip currents—look for warning signs or flags posted by lifeguards. Before you go into the ocean, observe it. Rip currents are often noticeable from the shoreline: areas of calm with waves crashing on either side or churning or patches of darker-colored water surrounded by breaking waves. Though the calmer water may look more inviting, this is where rip currents lurk. If you are caught in a rip current, never try to swim against the current back to shore, as you will tire yourself out. Instead, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current and then you can swim back into shore.

Lifeguards

If you are worried about surfers or rip currents, you can swim in front of the lifeguard tower. The man tower on Jaco Beach is located in the center of the beach near Caller Bohio. While the lifeguards have cars and ATVs to monitor the entire beach from here, their main point of access is in front of the tower. Here you can set up your beach day with your family so you are worry-free when anyone decides they want to go for a swim.