
Surf Forecasts:
El Estero surf forecast from 7 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 7 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 7 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period, SW swell with 1,263 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 7 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for El Estero this week:
The surf forecast for El Estero over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 07) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 18s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at El Estero in the next 16 days are 1.4m 18s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 07) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 10s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 09) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Tue 7th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Tue 7th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Tue 7th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Estero over the next 16 days.
Right, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for El Estero.
The opening of the outlook kicks off on Tuesday, the 7th of July, with a solid pulse of long-period swell. We’re talking a 4ft to 5ft groundswell coming from the SW, with a period of 18 seconds – that’s a very long period, so expect lots of energy and longer waits between sets. This is a river break, so that kind of long-period energy can line up nicely, but it’s something to be aware of. The water temp is sitting at 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.
Tuesday morning is the pick of the whole run. Clean, offshore winds from the ENE at 12 mph, and the afternoon turns glassy with a slight breeze – flat calm. The combined energy is strong, hitting 1126 and 1263 (moderate to strong). For experienced surfers, this is excellent. Crowds are often an issue here, so expect company.
Wednesday morning drops off a notch with cross-offshore winds and a 4ft SSE swell. It’s still clean. The afternoon glass-off gives you a 4ft SW swell and very good conditions. The energy is still moderate (864 and 756).
Thursday through Saturday keeps the swell around 3ft to 4ft, with mostly clean or glassy conditions. The wind is light offshore or glassy, making for some fun, smaller waves. The energy drops into the 400s and 300s, so it’s getting weaker. Still, there are plenty of rideable waves for the intermediate surfer.
Sunday the 12th shows a real drop-off. The swell fades to 3ft, and the afternoon sees onshore wind from the WNW, making it marginal. The combined energy dips to 287 (weak). From here, the surf gets smaller and less consistent.
The middle of the outlook, from Monday the 13th through to the end of the first week, has a lot of small, weak waves. The swell height drops to 2ft to 2ft, and the energy is mostly in the low 100s to 200s. There are a few clean windows, like Tuesday the 14th morning with a 16 mph offshore wind, but the swell is only 2ft. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.
The second week, from about the 16th of July onwards, is pretty grim. The swell drops to 1ft to 2ft, and the energy is mostly under 200, with some periods of glassy conditions but no real power. The 19th of July brings a 2ft swell with a period of 18 seconds, and the energy bounces to 208, but it’s still small. The best you can say is that there are occasional clean, rideable waves, but nothing to get excited about.
Overall, the standout is Tuesday the 7th of July, with that strong, long-period SW swell and glassy wind. It’s the best on offer. After that, it’s a slow fade into small, weak waves, with a long gap of several days of very ordinary conditions. If you’re a beginner, the swell is within your range for most of the first few days, but it gets too small for anyone later on.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 32°C on Tue morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 25°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
915 | 1263 | 1048 | 864 | 748 | 657 | 544 | 419 | 314 | 382 | 217 | 403 | 372 | 362 | 323 | 297 | 264 | 132 | 200 | 186 | 88 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-off | glassy | off | off | glassy | off | off | on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:43PM1.97m | 8:14AM2.25m | 8:38PM1.92m | 9:08AM2.27m | 9:40PM1.90m | 10:09AM2.30m | 10:48PM1.92m | 11:14AM2.35m | 11:56PM2.00m | 12:19PM2.43m | 1:00AM2.13m | 1:20PM2.52m | 2:00AM2.27m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:44PM0.59m | 1:48AM0.53m | 2:39PM0.58m | 2:40AM0.56m | 3:39PM0.54m | 3:41AM0.56m | 4:44PM0.48m | 4:47AM0.53m | 5:49PM0.38m | 5:55AM0.46m | 6:51PM0.26m | 7:01AM0.37m | 7:48PM0.13m | ||||||||
5:26 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | |
— | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 3 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 6 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 |
Temp °C | 32 | 32 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 26 |
Feels °C | 34 | 37 | 30 | 33 | 35 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | S 15 |
915 | 1263 | 1048 | 864 | 748 | 657 | 544 | 419 | 314 | 382 | 217 | 403 | 372 | 362 | 323 | 297 | 264 | 132 | 200 | 186 | 159 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | S 8 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 13 |
211 | 52 | 136 | 132 | 110 | 110 | 115 | 83 | 83 | 78 | 86 | 82 | 69 | 62 | 43 | 51 | 44 | 44 | 36 | 24 | 88 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 12 | — | — | N 6 | W 15 | N 14 | N 4 | SSW 15 | SSW 20 | N 5 | SSW 18 | S 16 | SSW 16 | N 6 | SSW 14 | SW 6 | SW 6 | S 16 | S 16 | S 6 |
53 | 73 | — | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 47 | 37 | 12 | 62 | 134 | 86 | 15 | 120 | 23 | 21 | 134 | 132 | 20 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNE 3 | NNE 5 | NNW 5 | N 5 | NNE 5 | — | NNE 4 | NNE 3 | — | NNE 4 | N 4 | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | — | N 6 |
— | — | 5 | 17 | 7 | 11 | 4 | — | 6 | 3 | — | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | 30 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 29 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 9 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Guanacaste | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the El Estero Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for El Estero provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at El Estero can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our El Estero surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (El Estero) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for El Estero may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
El Estero is 47 km (29 miles) from Nicoya. If you plan a holiday in Guanacaste, look for hotels and other accommodation in Nicoya. Nicoya has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










