
Surf Forecasts:
El Estero surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 21s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 18s period, SW swell with 1,741 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 9PM (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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 13s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at El Estero in the next 16 days are 1.7m 18s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 6AM. 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 12s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Estero over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s break it down. We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up at El Estero, a river mouth setup that’s exposed to the west-northwest. The water is sitting at about 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – nothing dramatic, but you’ll notice it when you’re sitting in the lineup.
The first few days are a waste of time. Don’t bother paddling out Tuesday the 21st or Wednesday the 22nd. The swell is tiny, weak, and the conditions are just messy. You’ll be dealing with cross-onshore junk and barely a ripple of energy. Not worth a wet suit rinse.
Things start to get interesting Thursday afternoon, the 23rd. That’s when a long-period groundswell rolls in – 26 seconds of pulse from the southwest. The energy is still moderate at 363, but the period is beautifully long. That means fat, lined-up waves with plenty of time between sets. The wind goes light and cross-off, so the surface cleans right up. If you’ve got a log or a step-up, this is a fun little window.
The real standout, though, happens from Friday the 24th through Monday the 27th. This is the best stretch on offer. Friday morning brings a 3ft southwest swell, but it’s packing some serious grunt with a combined energy of 858. The period is still 24 seconds, and you’ve got a gentle cross-off breeze. The waves will be well-shaped, consistent, and the crowd factor is something to consider – El Estero can get busy, especially on a Friday. Saturday the 25th keeps the good times rolling with 3ft and a clean offshore wind in the morning. Sunday the 26th sees the swell bump up to 4ft, and the energy climbs to 920. Still offshore, still clean. Then Monday the 27th is the peak of the run: 4ft of southwest swell, 19-second period, and a gentle offshore wind cranking out excellent conditions. The combined energy hits 1337, which is proper moderate to strong. The waves will have power, shape, and long, clean walls. This is for experienced surfers, though – at this size, with that energy, it’s not a beginner’s game.
Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th keep the swell going, but the afternoons get chopped up by a cross-onshore wind. The mornings are still excellent – 6ft and 5ft respectively, with offshore wind and clean faces. That’s solid, punchy surf, but the crowd factor is inevitable. If you’re an expert, you’ll be grinning.
After that, the energy drops off. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st still have glassy, clean conditions, but the swell fades to 4ft and the period shortens. Saturday the 1st of August is small and choppy in the afternoons. The first week of August sees the swell shrink below 3ft, and the energy drops back into the weak range. There are a few glassy windows – like Monday afternoon the 3rd – but the waves are small and ordinary. By Wednesday the 5th, the morning is clean and offshore with 2ft, but the afternoon brings a glassy 3ft with a short 7-second period. That’s windswell, not much push.
Overall, the best bet is clear: paddle out Friday the 24th through Monday the 27th, focusing on the mornings. That’s where the magic is. The rest is either too small, too messy, or too crowded for the payoff.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Tue morning, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 24°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 26 | SW 8 | SW 24 | SW 24 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
301 | 293 | 250 | 173 | 158 | 92 | 93 | 171 | 82 | 661 | 271 | 1015 | 756 | 569 | 1210 | 920 | 1099 | 1199 | 791 | 800 | 1591 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-on | off | off | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 8:11PM1.99m | 8:37AM2.19m | 9:05PM1.86m | 9:29AM2.08m | 10:05PM1.77m | 10:26AM2.02m | 11:08PM1.73m | 11:25AM2.00m | 00:09AM1.75m | 12:21PM2.03m | 1:04AM1.82m | 1:12PM2.09m | 1:52AM1.91m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:10PM0.51m | 2:15AM0.56m | 3:04PM0.60m | 3:07AM0.68m | 4:02PM0.66m | 4:04AM0.77m | 5:03PM0.68m | 5:05AM0.80m | 6:02PM0.65m | 6:04AM0.78m | 6:55PM0.59m | 6:58AM0.73m | 7:42PM0.51m | ||||||||
5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | |
— | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 8 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 7 | 1 | — | 3 | 4 |
Temp °C | 30 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 24 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 30 | 27 | 26 | 30 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 34 | 31 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 25 | 31 | 32 | 27 | 32 | 32 | 27 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 34 | 30 | 30 | 34 | 30 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 |
301 | 293 | 250 | 173 | 158 | 92 | 54 | 111 | 82 | 140 | 73 | 1015 | 756 | 569 | 1210 | 920 | 1099 | 1199 | 546 | 532 | 1591 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 7 | SW 12 | SW 13 | S 7 | SW 24 | S 7 | SSW 8 | WSW 8 | S 11 | S 11 | S 8 | S 8 | S 10 | SW 19 | SW 19 | S 9 |
134 | 137 | 174 | 119 | 119 | 24 | 93 | 80 | 34 | 661 | 35 | 101 | 43 | 119 | 149 | 43 | 60 | 96 | 791 | 800 | 79 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | S 6 | N 5 | W 10 | N 4 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 26 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 24 | SW 12 | S 7 | WSW 8 | SW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | NNW 4 |
31 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 39 | 21 | 171 | 58 | 57 | 271 | 52 | 25 | 35 | 45 | 33 | 32 | 18 | 66 | 65 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 3 | — | — | NE 3 | — | NE 4 | N 4 | N 3 | NNE 3 | NNE 3 | N 4 | — | N 4 | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | — | — |
2 | — | — | 2 | — | 6 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 10 | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 4 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 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.










