Surf Forecasts:
El Estero surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,428 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s 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 (Aug 25) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 16s 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 1.7m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 7s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Estero over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright crew, Rusty here for the imperial take. We’ve got a solid 16-day window at El Estero, kicking off with a whisper and building to a proper roar.
The first few days are a slow burner. Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th only give us about 2ft of SW swell, with 15 to 16 second intervals. The water’s a little warmer than usual at 86°, about 3° above average, but the waves are just too small to get stoked on. The combined energy is weak, 140 to 245 (moderate to weak energy), so it’s more of a board-paddling session.
Thursday the 27th stays small, but the long-period SW groundswell (18 seconds) on the morning is a nice sign for shape. The real switch flips on Saturday the 29th morning. Swell jumps to 5ft from the SW, 16 seconds, and the combined energy hits 1230 (strong energy). The wind is offshore from the ENE at 15 km/h, and it’s clean. That’s a solid, powerful morning for experienced surfers. Sunday the 30th is another cracker, with 5ft swell, 14 seconds, and the afternoon goes glassy with a light WSW breeze.
Now, the absolute king of this run is the 4th and 5th of September. Friday the 4th morning: 5ft SW swell, 17 seconds, combined energy at 1246 (strong energy), with a light offshore east breeze. Clean, powerful, and challenging. But Saturday the 5th is the one: 6ft SW swell, 16 seconds, and the afternoon turns glassy with a light NE breeze. Combined energy is 1408 (strong energy). This is expert territory – the size and period are serious. The river mouth break will handle that long-period groundswell well, but it can be a bit fast. Crowds are often here, so expect a lineup.
The second week is steady. Monday the 6th holds 5ft to 4ft SW swell with clean offshore winds. Tuesday the 7th morning is dead glassy with 4ft, 14 second swell – a sneaky good session. The 8th and 9th keep the flow, with 3ft to 4ft SW swell, long periods, and morning offshore breezes. The combined energy through the second week stays in the 500 to 860 range (moderate to strong energy), so it’s never a flat spell.
The only real gap is the first few days where the swell is under 2ft. But after that, it’s a consistent run, with Saturday the 5th of September being the undeniable standout. That 6ft, 16-second groundswell with glassy conditions is the chase of the season.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 33°C on Tue morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 34°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Fri morning, calm by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 211 | 206 | 191 | 110 | 107 | 74 | 154 | 106 | 248 | 531 | 354 | 1215 | 1230 | 1428 | 1001 | 911 | 821 | 630 | 451 | 386 | 336 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 12:47PM2.02m | 1:25AM1.94m | 1:34PM2.12m | 2:06AM2.09m | 2:16PM2.21m | 2:43AM2.23m | 2:54PM2.28m | 3:19AM2.35m | 3:32PM2.32m | 3:53AM2.45m | 4:09PM2.34m | 4:29AM2.51m | 4:46PM2.32m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:13PM0.57m | 7:24AM0.67m | 7:54PM0.47m | 8:08AM0.56m | 8:30PM0.38m | 8:48AM0.45m | 9:05PM0.31m | 9:26AM0.35m | 9:39PM0.26m | 10:04AM0.28m | 10:14PM0.24m | 10:42AM0.24m | 10:50PM0.24m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — |
 | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:52 | — |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 3 |
Temp °C | 33 | 31 | 27 | 33 | 31 | 27 | 31 | 31 | 27 | 34 | 33 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 33 | 30 | 28 |
Feels °C | 35 | 33 | 27 | 34 | 34 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 27 | 34 | 35 | 27 | 34 | 31 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 31 | 35 | 33 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 211 | 206 | 191 | 110 | 53 | 60 | 116 | 75 | 248 | 531 | 354 | 1215 | 1230 | 1428 | 1001 | 911 | 821 | 630 | 451 | 386 | 336 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSE 7 | S 7 | S 7 | WSW 14 | S 7 | S 11 | SSE 8 | S 11 | S 7 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 |
| kJ | 55 | 52 | 33 | 31 | 107 | 74 | 86 | 66 | 36 | 131 | 39 | 154 | 39 | 114 | 43 | 29 | 28 | 49 | 84 | 84 | 77 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | N 4 | SW 11 | SW 11 | NNE 4 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 15 | SW 6 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 13 | S 11 | N 5 | S 10 | S 10 | NW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNW 4 | NNE 4 |
| kJ | 34 | 10 | 30 | 30 | 4 | 56 | 154 | 106 | 25 | 125 | 125 | 14 | 38 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 3 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 4 | — | NE 4 | NNE 3 | — | NNE 5 | — | — | NNE 5 | SSE 7 | NNE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 6 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 12 | — | 9 | 2 | — | 7 | — | — | 20 | 77 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 16 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.
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