
Surf Forecasts:
El Estero surf forecast from 8 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★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s 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 (Sep 08) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 18s. The wind is predicted to be 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 1.1m 8s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| 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 get straight into it. We’ve got a solid run of surf lining up for El Estero, and it’s all about picking your moments. The mornings are where it’s at, with clean, offshore winds doing the heavy lifting. The afternoons, especially with those storm risks, are going to be a washout more often than not.
The first real standout for me is Thursday morning, the 10th of September. We’ve got a decent 4ft SW groundswell, and the energy jumps right up (1114), which tells you there’s some proper push behind it. With a clean, gentle offshore breeze, the river mouth is going to be an absolute grovel-box dream. That’s the pick of the first week without a doubt.
The weekend drops off a bit. Saturday morning on the 12th is still clean with a little 3ft, but the energy backs off (412). The afternoons look chopped out with those cross-onshore breezes, so don’t even bother. By Sunday, the swell really fades. It’s small and clean, but not much on offer.
There’s a bit of a lull through the middle of the next week. Monday and Tuesday, the 14th and 15th, are looking pretty average. Swell is small and there’s some cross-onshore wind messing with the surface. It’s not flat, but it’s far from firing. You’d be scratching for anything rideable.
The pattern picks up again later in the week. Thursday morning, the 17th, shapes up nicely with a clean 3ft and offshore winds (595). It’s not big, but it’ll be fun and user-friendly. Then there’s another little dip before things get interesting again.
Now, for the long-range call. There’s a real pulse of energy setting up for the following Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, the 22nd and 23rd of September. We’re looking at a solid 7ft from the WSW, and the energy readings are through the roof (1121 and 1239). This is a proper swell. The windows on those mornings are glassy, which is perfect. The period is down at 9 seconds, so it’s more of a windswell combo than a clean groundswell, which might keep it a bit more manageable at the river mouth. This is the big one to keep an eye on, but it’s a way off so don’t book the week off work just yet. It's promising, but we need to see it get closer before we pop the champagne. That’s definitely not one for the beginners, but for the experienced crew, that could be firing.
Alright, that’s the picture. Look for the clean windows and dodge those stormy afternoons. Keep it salty.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 33°C on Wed morning, min 25°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Fri morning, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 19 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
342 | 312 | 224 | 302 | 299 | 437 | 871 | 1074 | 823 | 813 | 701 | 623 | 459 | 398 | 341 | 215 | 140 | 138 | 299 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | glassy | off |
High Tide | 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 | 3:48AM2.64m | 4:09PM2.44m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 10:03AM0.10m | 10:14PM0.15m | |||||||
— | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | — | — | 6 | 1 |
Temp °C | 28 | 31 | 31 | 27 | 33 | 32 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 31 | 35 | 35 | 30 | 35 | 34 | 27 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 |
342 | 245 | 199 | 302 | 299 | 437 | 871 | 1074 | 823 | 813 | 701 | 623 | 459 | 398 | 341 | 215 | 74 | 73 | 86 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 11 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WNW 10 | S 10 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 19 |
70 | 312 | 224 | 154 | 144 | 120 | 34 | 56 | 37 | 35 | 44 | 68 | 67 | 65 | 57 | 55 | 140 | 138 | 299 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | WNW 11 | W 11 | W 11 | SW 19 | WNW 10 | S 11 | WNW 10 | NW 10 | SSE 10 | NW 10 | WNW 10 | NNE 4 | NW 10 | SW 18 | N 4 | NNW 9 | SW 16 | SW 13 |
155 | 68 | 59 | 57 | 231 | 35 | 37 | 40 | 36 | 33 | 34 | 19 | 6 | 14 | 80 | 3 | 8 | 69 | 134 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 6 | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | S 7 | NNE 4 | — | — | NNE 4 | NNW 10 | N 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 9 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 7 | — | — | 6 | 38 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 192 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Guanacaste | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.










