El Estero Surf Break

Lat Long: 10.32° N 85.84° W

El Estero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 25 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's El Estero sea temperature is
29.8° C
1.8° 

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 25 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 19s 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★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 21s 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 (Jul 25) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 21s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s. 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 1.7m 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 0.7m 11s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (CST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12PM (Sat 25th Jul)2.5ft (0.8m) 21s
Best Surf 6PM (Sat 25th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 19s
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, Rusty here again. Let’s break down what’s coming for El Estero over the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a decent run of surf coming, but it’s a bit of a slow build. The water is sitting at a warm 85.6°, and that’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the wetsuit at home.

The first real action kicks off Saturday morning, July 25th. It’s a small start with a 3ft swell from the SW, but the period is a very long 21 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is moderate at 905. With a light ENE cross-off breeze, it’s going to be clean. This is a river mouth, so that long period stuff might not be as punchy as it would be on a reef, but it’ll be fun. The real standout is Sunday morning, July 26th. The swell bumps up to 3.6ft, still from the SW, with a 19-second period and moderate energy (978). The wind is a clean offshore from the ENE at 12 mph. That’s the pick of the first week – clean, lined-up waves for the intermediate crew.

Monday, July 27th, holds steady with 3.6ft SW swell and clean conditions, but the wind is a bit lighter. Tuesday, July 28th, the swell jumps to 5.6ft with a 17-18 second period, and the combined energy is pumping at 1766 (strong). Tuesday morning looks excellent with offshore ENE wind, but that’s getting into the territory where beginners might find it a bit much. Wednesday, July 29th, holds similar size at 5.2ft with a shorter 16-second period, but the morning offshore from the E at 3 mph keeps it clean.

After that, there’s a steady drop-off. Thursday, July 30th, has 4.3ft, and by Friday, July 31st, we’re back to 3.3ft. The winds get a bit mixed after Wednesday. The second week, from August 1st onwards, is pretty slim pickings. The swell drops to 2ft to 3ft, and the energy falls into the weak to low-moderate range (50 to 284). The standout in that second week is a tiny window on Saturday, August 8th, afternoon. The swell is only 2ft from the SSW, but the period is a solid 16 seconds, and the wind goes glassy from the NW. That’s a rare moment of flat, clean conditions for a longboard or a foiler. The rest of that week is mostly small, choppy, or blown out, with a few pockets of clean offshore wind but barely any swell.

Overall, the best bet is Sunday morning, July 26th, for the best combination of size, clean offshore wind, and that long-period quality. The second week is a big gap of mostly poor or marginal conditions, with only that brief glassy moment on August 8th worth a mention.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Mon afternoon, min 24°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Warm (max 31°C on Thu morning, min 25°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
2
4
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
2
4
4
2
3
3
2
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)
0.9
SW
21
0.9
SW
20
1.3
SW
19
1.1
SW
19
1.4
SW
18
1.4
SW
17
1.1
SW
19
1.1
SW
19
1.6
SW
18
1.7
SW
18
1.7
SW
17
1.7
SW
16
1.6
SW
16
1.6
SW
16
1.4
SW
15
1.3
SW
14
1.2
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
1
SW
14
1
SW
13
1
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
756
653
1210
920
1227
1199
791
800
1591
1741
1682
1456
1194
1149
856
667
589
485
357
342
326
Wind (km/h)
10
ENE
10
W
15
ENE
20
ENE
10
S
10
E
10
ENE
5
SE
10
E
10
ENE
10
SW
5
ESE
5
E
15
W
5
NE
15
NE
10
SSW
15
E
10
ENE
20
SW
10
ESE
Wind State
cross-off
on
off
off
cross
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-on
off
off
on
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
off
off
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
11:25AM2.00m
00:09AM1.75m
12:21PM2.03m
1:04AM1.82m
1:12PM2.09m
1:52AM1.91m
1:58PM2.17m
2:35AM2.02m
2:40PM2.23m
3:14AM2.13m
3:20PM2.28m
3:51AM2.22m
3:57PM2.30m
Low Tide
6:02PM0.65m
6:04AM0.78m
6:55PM0.59m
6:58AM0.73m
7:42PM0.51m
7:47AM0.66m
8:24PM0.42m
8:31AM0.59m
9:02PM0.35m
9:12AM0.52m
9:37PM0.31m
9:52AM0.47m
10:11PM0.28m
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
clear
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:31
5:31
5:31
5:31
5:31
5:31
5:31
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:07
6:07
6:07
6:07
6:07
6:07
6:07
 mm
1
2
1
1
2
7
Temp °C
30
30
27
31
30
27
31
32
27
29
29
27
29
29
27
31
30
27
30
29
28
Feels °C
33
33
29
34
33
30
34
35
30
32
32
30
32
32
31
33
33
29
33
31
32
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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