
Surf Forecasts:
El Estero surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,164 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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 Saturday (Sep 05) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 16s 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 (Sep 05) 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 0.6m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Sat 5th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Sat 5th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sat 5th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Estero over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. This is a look at the next 16 days for El Estero.
Right off the bat, we’ve got some proper energy lining up. The real standout is going to be the opening salvo this Saturday, the 5th of September. We’re looking at a solid 6ft SW groundswell with a very long 16-second period, and the combined energy is pumping at 1459 – that’s some serious grunt in the water. Water temp is sitting at a balmy 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the steamer at home. The ENE wind is blowing 9 mph, which is a cross-offshore, keeping things clean. This is excellent, but at 6ft with that power, it’s more for the experienced crew. Beginners might find it a bit much.
As Saturday afternoon rolls in, the wind shifts to a SW cross-on and the quality drops off a cliff. That session is a write-off.
Sunday morning, the 6th, is the next real window. Swell drops a touch to 5ft from the SW, but the period is still a healthy 14 seconds. The magic is the wind: 6 mph from the ENE, which is offshore. That’ll make for some clean, fun waves. The energy is still moderate at 847. This is a good one for the intermediate surfer. Sunday afternoon, again, the seabreeze ruins it.
Monday morning, the 7th, you’re looking at 4ft SW with a cross-off SE wind at 12 mph. It’s clean, but a little wind-affected. The real gem on Monday is the afternoon. The swell drops to 3ft, but the wind goes glassy – 3 mph from the SW. That’s a rare treat for a session. Don’t expect big power, but the shape will be there.
Tuesday morning, the 8th, still has some clean 2ft swell with a long 18-second period. The energy is weak at 625, but the wind is offshore. It’s a small-wave board day.
We then hit a bit of a lull in the middle of the week. Wednesday and Thursday see the swell hovering around 3ft to 4ft. The wind is good in the mornings – offshore Thursday morning is a solid 16 mph moderate breeze, cleaning up a 4ft SW swell with a 17-second period, giving us a combined energy of 1094. That Thursday morning, the 10th, is another excellent call for the experienced surfer. The afternoon seabreeze ruins it again.
The second week is a bit of a slow fade. We’ve got a gap of a few days with nothing really firing. The mornings from the 11th to the 16th are mostly clean with waist-to-chest high waves, but the energy is dropping. The 14th of September Monday morning is interesting: a tiny 2ft swell with a very long 19-second period and glassy wind. It’s a loggers’ dream, but the combined energy is only 249, so it’s weak.
The last big highlight in the distance is the morning of the 18th of September, five days out. Again, a tiny 2ft swell, but a 21-second period and glassy conditions. That’s a weird, super clean, long-period pulse. It’s a promising one for the longboard or a fun fish, but it’s a long way out so keep an eye on it.
Overall, the best bet is Saturday morning, the 5th, for the power, and if you want clean but smaller, Sunday morning, the 6th and Thursday morning, the 10th are your calls. El Estero is a river-mouth so it handles that SW groundswell well, but with the long period, it might be a bit straight at times – still the best option on offer.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Mon morning. Warm (max 31°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 33°C on Wed morning, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | 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 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1420 | 1164 | 949 | 833 | 746 | 581 | 507 | 410 | 342 | 312 | 224 | 302 | 299 | 437 | 985 | 1074 | 823 | 897 | 701 | 623 | 459 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | off | off | cross | off | off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | off |
High Tide | 9:01PM1.92m | 9:31AM2.16m | 10:19PM1.93m | 10:48AM2.16m | 11:35PM2.03m | 12:00PM2.22m | 00:40AM2.19m | 1:02PM2.31m | 1:35AM2.37m | 1:55PM2.40m | 2:23AM2.51m | 2:43PM2.46m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 2:52PM0.51m | 3:07AM0.61m | 4:06PM0.53m | 4:26AM0.63m | 5:19PM0.48m | 5:43AM0.56m | 6:24PM0.38m | 6:49AM0.44m | 7:19PM0.27m | 7:46AM0.30m | 8:08PM0.18m | 8:36AM0.19m | 8:53PM0.12m | ||||||||
5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | |
— | 5:50 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | — | 5 | — | — | 2 | 3 | 7 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 31 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 33 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 34 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 35 | 33 | 28 | 34 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 31 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 7 | 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 |
1420 | 1164 | 949 | 833 | 746 | 581 | 507 | 100 | 342 | 245 | 199 | 302 | 299 | 437 | 985 | 1074 | 823 | 897 | 701 | 623 | 459 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | WNW 10 | SW 14 | WSW 6 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | S 11 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
39 | 34 | 22 | 33 | 52 | 139 | 31 | 410 | 25 | 312 | 224 | 154 | 161 | 120 | 37 | 63 | 49 | 50 | 69 | 71 | 66 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | NW 9 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SW 19 | SW 19 | W 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | W 11 | SW 19 | W 10 | WNW 10 | NW 10 | WNW 10 | NW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NNE 4 |
39 | 27 | 18 | 14 | 20 | 19 | 96 | 130 | 63 | 93 | 66 | 57 | 231 | 54 | 34 | 36 | 20 | 26 | 20 | 20 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 6 | NNE 5 | — | — | — | NNE 5 | N 4 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 147 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 8 | — | — | — | 8 | 9 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 192 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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.










