
Surf Forecasts:
El Estero surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s period, SW swell with 509 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 14s 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 12AM. 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 1.1m 15s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) 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 0.9m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Estero over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for this spot.
We’ve got a solid run of surf ahead, with the first proper waves showing up Sunday afternoon. The water is sitting at a warm 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick wetsuit.
Sunday afternoon, the 2nd of August, kicks things off at El Estero. It’s a river mouth setup, exposed to the WNW, and we’ve got a nice 2ft swell from the SW with a very long 15-second period. The wind is glassy, dead calm. That’s a beautiful combo for a late afternoon session. The combined wave energy is moderate (256), but the conditions are about as clean as it gets. This is a standout for the near future.
Monday morning the 3rd looks good too. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the SW, 14-second period, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNE keeping things clean. The energy is still moderate (300). It’s a proper little runner.
Tuesday morning the 4th drops off a bit to 2ft, but with NE cross-offshore winds and clean conditions, it’s still worth a paddle if you’re jonesing. The energy is weaker (147).
The real highlight, the one that’s got me a little excited, is Saturday morning the 8th. We’ve got a 3ft SW swell with a 16-second period, and the wind is offshore from the ENE at 15 mph. The combined energy is strong (580), and the forecast says it’ll be very good. That’s your pick of the first week. Keep in mind the longer period means this river mouth will handle it well, with better shaped waves and longer waits between sets.
Saturday afternoon the 8th gets a little bumpy with cross-onshore wind, but the morning is the time to be out.
Sunday morning the 9th is another solid option. 3ft SW swell, 14-second period, offshore ENE wind at 15 mph. Energy is strong (407). Clean, lined up, and ready to go.
The second week gets a bit more mixed. The wind picks up, but there are still windows. Monday morning the 10th is clean with offshore wind on 3ft SW swell. Wednesday morning the 12th has moderate offshore wind and a glassy afternoon with 2ft SW swell and a 16-second period.
But the big one, the one that’s a bit further out and worth keeping an eye on, is Friday afternoon the 14th and Saturday morning the 15th. Friday afternoon we’ve got a 4ft SW swell, 18-second period, with a moderate offshore ENE breeze at 20 mph. The combined energy is very strong (904). That’s a lot of water moving. It’s a bit more of a challenging size, but for experienced surfers, this is the standout of the whole forecast. Saturday morning the 15th is similar, 4ft SW swell, 16-second period, with ENE cross-offshore wind, but the wind is a stiff 30 mph, which makes it a bit more of a handful.
Monday morning the 17th wraps it up with a good morning session: 3ft SW swell, 14-second period, with a moderate offshore ENE wind. The afternoon turns glassy again with a chance of storms, but the waves will be clean and fun.
There’s a bit of a gap early on, but once it starts, it keeps coming. Keep an eye on that Saturday the 8th and Friday the 14th.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 32°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 31mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SW 7 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
171 | 167 | 231 | 208 | 111 | 83 | 120 | 109 | 85 | 85 | 16 | 125 | 113 | 212 | 209 | 305 | 376 | 441 | 509 | 309 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 5:11PM2.25m | 5:36AM2.38m | 5:49PM2.19m | 6:13AM2.38m | 6:30PM2.12m | 6:55AM2.36m | 7:16PM2.04m | 7:43AM2.32m | 8:10PM1.96m | 8:39AM2.27m | 9:15PM1.90m | 9:45AM2.25m | 10:28PM1.90m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:19PM0.31m | 11:47AM0.42m | 11:54PM0.35m | 12:29PM0.43m | 00:34AM0.40m | 1:15PM0.46m | 1:19AM0.46m | 2:09PM0.49m | 2:13AM0.52m | 3:11PM0.52m | 3:17AM0.57m | 4:21PM0.51m | ||||||||
— | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | |
6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:04 | — | |
mm | — | 6 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 7 | 6 | 4 | 8 | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | 6 | 4 |
Temp °C | 30 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 34 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 35 | 33 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 33 | 30 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | S 7 | SW 14 | SW 13 | S 7 | S 9 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | S 8 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 10 | SW 13 | S 9 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
171 | 36 | 231 | 208 | 62 | 125 | 120 | 109 | 85 | 85 | 78 | 86 | 86 | 131 | 168 | 106 | 376 | 441 | 509 | 309 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SW 14 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 7 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 10 | SW 17 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 8 | SW 11 |
85 | 167 | 52 | 49 | 111 | 83 | 73 | 93 | 50 | 49 | 16 | 125 | 113 | 212 | 92 | 305 | 175 | 139 | 51 | 101 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | SW 12 | WSW 13 | SW 16 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | N 5 | S 13 | S 12 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 12 | S 9 | S 8 | W 6 | S 9 |
22 | 116 | 69 | 66 | 84 | 64 | 61 | 22 | 54 | 55 | 8 | 31 | 25 | 159 | 209 | 151 | 55 | 50 | 12 | 56 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | NE 3 | WSW 2 | — | — | — | NE 4 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 6 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 7 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 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.











