Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

6:02 AM

PANGA DROPS

December 18th, 2025

PANGA DROPS

Hey everyone! Welcome to Thursday afternoon’s surf report from Panga Drops. The ESE devil wind flared up this afternoon. I had to coax John into paddling out and playing stuntman at French Fries.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 6:02 AM

6:02 AM

Josh S

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:06 pm

John didn't let the subpar conditions affect his style and solid mechanics. Anchoring his trailing hand and pivoting around that point.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:06 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:07 pm

Good vision from John here. Eyeing up the whitewater section to bank off of.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:07 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:08 pm

Rights strictly dominated the lineup at French Fries. This was definitely the peak to be at today.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:08 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:09 pm

There were plenty of "ribs", lumps of water from the sideshore wind, pushing across the rights. John trying for a little chop-hop ollie.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:09 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:10 pm

At first the rights would look like triangle wedges, but they would usually lineup after the drop and takeoff.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:10 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:11 pm

Toe-side pressure, good vision back toward the whitewater, and drawing his trailing elbow back. Good mechanics.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:11 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:12 pm

Another slash further down the line on the inside. You definitely needed good wave selection and an appropriate board, but some of the waves were long enough for two or three turns.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:12 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:13 pm

Here's a "slopier" wave. John's got some speed from the drop, so let's see what he pulls out for us.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:13 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:14 pm

He found a crumbling end-section to target. Ascending with some pressure on his back-foot.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:14 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:15 pm

A sick tag / floater from John. These are really enjoyable moves on foamies. The feeling of weightlessness when you connect with the lip and descend is unique.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:15 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:16 pm

Compression and composure through the descent. An easy make for John.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:16 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:17 pm

There were a few guys trying to ride performance shortboards, but they were way under-gunned today. John was up and riding before those guys even started their approach. If the wind was more favorable, then shortboarding would've made sense.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:17 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:18 pm

Flying with the pelicans.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:18 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:19 pm

Mid switch-jump.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:19 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:20 pm

A little time riding switch through the final seconds of this right. I hate riding switch, but John likes the novelty of it.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:20 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:21 pm

The sets that lined up were more protected from the wind and chop at the middle-peak in the deep water. The waves that didn't have long walls were exposed to all the chop cutting across the lineup from middle-peak.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:21 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:22 pm

Smooth and steady won the race for John today. Steeper pockets and shorter boards let you get more radical, but that wasn't in the cards today.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:22 pm

Nicaragua Surf Report for Thursday, December 18, 2025

11:23 pm

You'll likely start to notice a pattern in off-season. The swell size doesn't change much, so it is a constant rather than a variable. But the wind, and tides, become the primary variables that determine wave quality during this time of the year. The sideshore breeze made for a night-and-day difference from yesterday's ideal conditions. Tomorrow should be similar to today, but hopefully cleaner. Hasta manana.

Nicaragua Surf Report - Report Photo 12/18/2025 11:23 pm

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