El Estero Surf Break

Lat Long: 10.32° N 85.84° W

El Estero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 06 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's El Estero sea temperature is
30.1°C
1.9° 

El Estero surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


El Estero surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SW swell with 1,074 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 14s 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at El Estero in the next 16 days are 1.3m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 7s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 3AM.

Wave TypeTime (CST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Sun 6th Sep)4.5ft (1.3m) 14s
Best Surf 9AM (Thu 10th Sep)4.5ft (1.3m) 17s
Most Powerful 9AM (Thu 10th Sep)4.5ft (1.3m) 17s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Estero over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for El Estero over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, this is a river mouth set-up that’s exposed to the west-northwest, and it’s consistent, which is good news. The water’s running a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at 86°, nice for a long session without a wetsuit.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start right now, but the first real standout hits us on Sunday morning, September 6th. We’re looking at head-high swell at 5 ft from the southwest with a long 14-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is sitting at 855 (moderate), and the kicker is the glassy conditions with an ESE breeze at just 3 mph. This is going to be clean and lined up, especially for a river mouth. Keep in mind it’s a river break, so that long period should wrap in nicely. Expect it to be a touch busy though – crowds are often around.

Monday morning the 7th holds onto similar energy with a clean 4 ft SW swell and a light cross-offshore breeze. It’s not quite as powerful, but still very good fun.

Now, if you’re an experienced surfer, circle Thursday morning, September 10th. The swell holds at 4 ft from the southwest but the period stretches to 17 seconds. The combined energy jumps to a strong 1144 (strong). That’s a lot of push. This is excellent, but with that size and power – over 5 ft – it’s moving out of beginner territory and into the realm of the seasoned crew. The moderate offshore wind from the ENE at 12 mph is going to hold the faces open nicely. This is the pick of the run for a bigger, more powerful wave.

From Friday the 11th, we start to see the swell back off a bit. Mornings are clean with offshore or cross-off breezes, but the swell drops below 4 ft. Saturday morning the 12th is still a good option with a clean 3 ft, but we’re winding down.

The second week, from the 14th onward, gets pretty small. The swell dips to around 2 ft to 2 ft in the mornings, and the energy drops significantly (down to 175-248, weak). Even though there are some glassy starts on Monday the 14th and Sunday the 20th, the waves will be tiny. It’s surfable but nothing to get excited about. The mornings are the only time to look – the afternoons get chopped up by cross-onshore winds.

Overall, this is a two-wave window. The Sunday morning glass-off and the Thursday morning bigger swell are your best shots. After that, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 32°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 33°C on Wed morning, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
1
3
3
2
3
3
2
3
3
3
3
4
1
3
3
1
2
2
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
SW
14
1.4
SW
14
1.3
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
1
SW
13
0.7
SW
18
0.8
SW
13
0.8
SW
16
0.8
SW
16
0.9
SW
16
1.2
SW
18
1.3
SW
17
1.3
SW
16
1.3
SW
16
1.2
SW
16
1.1
SW
15
1.1
SW
14
0.9
SW
14
0.9
SW
14
0.8
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
833
833
658
507
410
342
312
224
302
299
437
871
1074
823
897
701
550
459
346
341
215
Wind (km/h)
5
ESE
10
SW
5
ESE
10
SE
10
WSW
5
ENE
20
ENE
10
S
5
E
20
ENE
10
ENE
20
ENE
20
ENE
15
SSW
10
ENE
15
ENE
15
SSW
10
E
10
NE
10
SSW
10
E
Wind State
glassy
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
on
glassy
off
cross
off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross
off
cross-off
cross
off
High Tide
9:31AM2.16m
10:19PM1.93m
10:48AM2.16m
11:35PM2.03m
12:00PM2.22m
00:40AM2.19m
1:02PM2.31m
1:35AM2.37m
1:55PM2.40m
2:23AM2.51m
2:43PM2.46m
3:07AM2.61m
3:27PM2.48m
Low Tide
4:06PM0.53m
4:26AM0.63m
5:19PM0.48m
5:43AM0.56m
6:24PM0.38m
6:49AM0.44m
7:19PM0.27m
7:46AM0.30m
8:08PM0.18m
8:36AM0.19m
8:53PM0.12m
9:21AM0.12m
9:34PM0.11m
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:33
5:33
5:33
5:33
5:33
5:33
5:33
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:49
5:49
5:47
5:46
5:46
5:45
5:45
 mm
1
5
4
1
6
1
3
2
1
Temp °C
29
29
27
29
29
26
32
31
28
33
32
27
32
29
27
32
29
27
30
28
27
Feels °C
33
32
31
31
33
30
34
34
32
33
35
26
35
31
29
35
33
29
32
31
30
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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