Surf Forecasts:
El Estero surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,225 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 14s period with SSW 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 14s period. 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 1.6m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 11s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Estero over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s lined up for El Estero over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The opening weekend is small, and while Saturday morning has clean conditions with a 2ft west-southwest swell and a cross-off breeze, the energy is weak (163). It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about. Sunday morning picks up a little with the same size but a longer period of 19 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 300. That’s more like it, and with clean conditions, you’ll find some fun ones.
The real standout? That’s got to be Friday, August 28th, through the following weekend. Friday morning serves up a 3ft southwest swell with a 19-second period, and the energy is strong (744). The wind is a gentle cross-off breeze, so the waves will be clean and well-shaped. This is quality groundswell, and for a river break like El Estero, that long period will really line up. Then Saturday, August 29th, brings a punch: 5ft swell from the southwest, even bigger energy (1261), and excellent conditions for experienced surfers. That’s the pick of the first week.
The water temperature is sitting at 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. You’ll hardly notice the difference, but it’s a nice little bonus.
After that, the swell backs off a bit into the start of September, but don’t write it off. Wednesday, September 3rd, looks promising with a 3ft southwest swell and a 19-second period, combined with a light offshore breeze. The energy is solid (920) and the waves will be clean. Then Friday, September 4th, is the big one for the second week: 6ft from the southwest, 18 seconds, and a gentle offshore wind. The energy is massive (2312), and it’s rated excellent for experienced surfers. This is a proper groundswell, and the river mouth will be handling it nicely. Saturday morning, September 5th, is glassy with 6ft waves – a real treat for the early birds.
Keep in mind, the afternoon windows can get a bit of cross-on wind and the occasional risk of thunderstorms, so mornings are your best bet. Crowds are listed as *often* here, so expect company, especially on those standout days.
All in all, we’ve got a solid run of surf. The first couple of days are small, but from the 28th of August through to the 6th of September, there are plenty of good to excellent sessions. Don’t sleep on that Friday the 4th.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 32°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Wed afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 14 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 95 | 155 | 97 | 184 | 260 | 327 | 255 | 305 | 322 | 211 | 206 | 191 | 110 | 107 | 74 | 154 | 155 | 248 | 531 | 358 | 1215 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 9:42AM1.92m | 10:27PM1.68m | 10:48AM1.90m | 11:37PM1.71m | 11:52AM1.94m | 00:37AM1.80m | 12:47PM2.02m | 1:25AM1.94m | 1:34PM2.12m | 2:06AM2.09m | 2:16PM2.21m | 2:43AM2.23m | 2:54PM2.28m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:20PM0.75m | 4:26AM0.86m | 5:27PM0.73m | 5:34AM0.84m | 6:25PM0.66m | 6:34AM0.77m | 7:13PM0.57m | 7:24AM0.67m | 7:54PM0.47m | 8:08AM0.56m | 8:30PM0.38m | 8:48AM0.45m | 9:05PM0.31m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | |  | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — |
 | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — |
mm | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | — | 1 | 4 | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 32 | 31 | 27 | 32 | 32 | 27 | 32 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 30 | 31 | 27 |
Feels °C | 34 | 36 | 28 | 35 | 34 | 28 | 35 | 33 | 29 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 35 | 32 | 27 | 33 | 34 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 16 | S 9 | S 8 | SW 15 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 223 | 158 | 153 | 109 | 106 | 106 | 104 | 102 | 322 | 55 | 51 | 191 | 47 | 44 | 59 | 54 | 56 | 56 | 531 | 358 | 1215 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | S 9 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 8 | SW 15 | SW 15 | N 5 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SSW 6 | SW 6 | S 6 |
| kJ | 95 | 155 | 84 | 116 | 260 | 327 | 255 | 305 | 76 | 211 | 206 | 46 | 110 | 107 | 15 | 106 | 106 | 248 | 55 | 26 | 65 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 21 | N 5 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | N 4 | N 5 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 20 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 18 | N 5 | SW 14 | SW 16 | S 11 |
| kJ | 68 | 7 | 97 | 184 | 84 | 75 | 72 | 9 | 17 | 34 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 37 | 74 | 154 | 155 | 16 | 158 | 125 | 38 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 3 | WSW 6 | N 5 | NNE 3 | N 4 | NNE 4 | N 4 | — | — | NNE 4 | — | N 5 | NNE 4 | NNW 4 | — | NNE 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 10 | — | — | 4 | — | 16 | 4 | 4 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 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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