El Estero Surf Break

Lat Long: 10.32° N 85.84° W

El Estero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 06 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's El Estero sea temperature is
29.9° 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 7 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s period, SW swell with 509 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 13s period. 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 1.1m 15s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 12AM.

Wave TypeTime (CST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12AM (Fri 7th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 13s
Best Surf12AM (Sat 8th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 16s
Most Powerful 3PM (Sat 8th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 15s

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


The Lowdown

Alright gents, this is Rusty. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks.

We’re starting off a little slow, but the wait is worth it. The longer period swell is already showing up, and we’ve got a solid run of building energy. The real standout window is this weekend and into the middle of next week, with some proper groundswell hitting.

The water is sitting at a warm 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can ditch the rubber.

El Estero is the only spot in the game. It’s a consistent river mouth exposed to the west-northwest, and it’s an intermediate-level wave, so keep that in mind.

The first real action kicks off Friday morning, August 7th. We’ve got a clean 2ft swell from the SSW, but the wind is a solid 25 km/h cross-offshore, which is a bit of a blow. It’ll be a bit bumpy, but it’s rideable. The afternoon cleans up nicely though, with a slight air and a cleaner 2ft SSW swell. The wave energy is moderate at 456.

Saturday, August 8th, is looking like a solid pick. Morning is clean with a 3ft SSW swell, but the wind is still a moderate breeze. Then the afternoon? Absolute magic. Glassy conditions, a clean 4ft swell from the SW, and moderate wave energy (519). That’s the best session of the first week, no question.

Sunday morning, August 9th, gets a bit messy with a strong 25 km/h cross-off again, but that afternoon we get a clean 3ft SW swell with a gentle offshore wind. It’s a good, clean wave.

Monday, August 10th, is a bit of a mixed bag. The morning is a bit marginal, but the afternoon delivers again with glassy conditions and a 3ft SW swell. Good energy at 441.

Tuesday, August 11th, starts off clean with a light offshore and a 3ft SW swell, but the afternoon turns choppy as the wind swings cross-onshore. That’s a write-off.

We’ve got a few days of smaller, mixed conditions mid-week, but the energy is steadily building. The real big dog arrives on Saturday, August 15th. The morning is a bit rowdy with a 30 km/h cross-off and a 5ft SW swell, pushing strong wave energy at 1117. That’s expert territory, and it’s a bit of a battle. But the afternoon is where it’s at – a clean 4ft SW swell with a gentle offshore, and very good wave energy (908). That’s a proper standout.

Sunday, August 16th, keeps the trend going with a 4ft SW swell and a moderate offshore in the morning. Clean, good waves. The afternoon gets blown out again, though.

Monday, August 17th, offers a glassy morning with a 4ft SW swell, but the afternoon turns onshore. The rest of the second week is a series of good sessions mixed with onshore trash. The afternoon of Tuesday, August 19th, looks like a hidden gem: a light cross-off, a 3ft SW swell, and very good conditions.

Overall, the best bets are the glassy afternoon of Saturday, August 8th, and the clean, strong swell of Saturday, August 15th afternoon. Don’t sleep on the long period groundswell – it’s got plenty of energy, but it can make the river mouth a bit tricky.

Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 32°C on Sun morning, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 32°C on Sun afternoon, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Thu
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
2
1
2
3
2
3
1
0
2
2
1
2
3
2
0
2
2
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
SW
14
0.8
SW
13
0.6
SSW
18
0.7
SW
17
0.9
SW
16
0.9
SSW
16
1.1
SW
15
0.9
SW
15
1
SW
14
1
SW
14
0.9
SW
13
0.8
SW
13
0.9
SW
14
0.6
SSW
20
0.8
SW
14
0.8
SW
18
0.8
SW
13
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
64
212
209
305
376
441
509
309
401
384
241
199
331
253
218
375
212
211
206
181
Wind (km/h)
5
WNW
15
E
25
ENE
5
SE
10
ENE
20
ENE
5
ENE
25
ENE
25
ENE
10
E
15
ENE
20
ENE
5
SSE
15
ENE
10
E
15
SW
10
NE
15
ENE
15
SW
10
E
Wind State
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
off
High Tide
8:10PM1.96m
8:39AM2.27m
9:15PM1.90m
9:45AM2.25m
10:28PM1.90m
10:57AM2.26m
11:42PM1.98m
12:07PM2.32m
00:50AM2.13m
1:10PM2.41m
1:49AM2.30m
2:07PM2.50m
2:42AM2.47m
Low Tide
2:13AM0.52m
3:11PM0.52m
3:17AM0.57m
4:21PM0.51m
4:30AM0.58m
5:32PM0.44m
5:45AM0.52m
6:37PM0.33m
6:54AM0.42m
7:35PM0.20m
7:54AM0.30m
8:27PM0.09m
thunderstorm
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
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
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:05
6:04
6:04
6:04
6:02
6:02
6:02
 mm
4
1
1
2
Temp °C
29
26
31
31
27
31
31
27
32
32
28
31
30
27
30
29
28
30
29
27
Feels °C
33
28
32
34
30
31
34
27
32
33
29
33
34
28
32
31
33
34
32
31
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  • 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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