Surf Forecasts:
El Estero surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,552 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 12s 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 (Sep 01) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 12s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at El Estero in the next 16 days are 1.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Estero over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, this is Rusty, and we’ve got a solid run of surf coming up here at El Estero. This is a river mouth setup, so it can really focus the swell, and it’s consistent, which is a big tick. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing to worry about there.
The overall pattern is a long, reliable pulse of south-west swell. It kicks off on the morning of Tuesday the 1st with a clean 3ft SW swell, and the wind is light offshore from the east, making for some good, clean lines. The energy is moderate at 385. The afternoon gets a bit choppy as the wind swings, so make the most of the morning.
Now, the real standout is the morning of Friday the 4th. That’s where we see a clean 5ft SW swell with a 17-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the northeast. The energy is strong at 1455. That’s the kind of groundswell that will wrap in nicely at this river mouth, giving you powerful, well-shaped waves. It’s a bit much for beginners, but for experienced surfers, this is the pick of the window. The Saturday morning, the 5th, is also very good with a 6ft SW swell, though the period drops a bit to 16 seconds, but still clean and punchy.
The following week remains active. The mornings of Sunday the 6th, Monday the 7th, and Tuesday the 8th all offer clean, shoulder-high sets in the 3ft to 5ft range, with light offshore or cross-offshore winds. The energy stays moderate. The morning of Wednesday the 9th is another excellent one, with a clean 3ft SW swell and a solid 16-second period, and a moderate offshore breeze from the east keeping it clean.
The second week stays fun, but the swell eases off. The mornings of the 10th, 11th, and 12th of September still offer clean, waist-to-chest high waves, around 4ft to 4ft, with good wind. Things get smaller from the 13th onwards, with the swell dropping to 2ft to 3ft, but the mornings remain clean. The afternoon winds are a consistent problem, turning onshore and chopping things up, so stick to the early sessions.
The best bet is clear: Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of September. The swell is solid, the wind is perfect, and the river mouth will be firing. Crowds are often around here, so get there early for the peak.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 32°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 301 | 297 | 220 | 300 | 326 | 371 | 296 | 577 | 1099 | 1297 | 1519 | 1314 | 1552 | 1179 | 868 | 833 | 833 | 658 | 507 | 363 | 342 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 5:25PM2.27m | 5:45AM2.50m | 6:08PM2.19m | 6:29AM2.43m | 6:56PM2.09m | 7:20AM2.33m | 7:53PM1.99m | 8:20AM2.23m | 9:01PM1.92m | 9:31AM2.16m | 10:19PM1.93m | 10:48AM2.16m | 11:35PM2.03m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:21AM0.24m | 11:28PM0.28m | 12:04PM0.28m | 00:10AM0.34m | 12:52PM0.35m | 00:59AM0.43m | 1:47PM0.44m | 1:56AM0.53m | 2:52PM0.51m | 3:07AM0.61m | 4:06PM0.53m | 4:26AM0.63m | 5:19PM0.48m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — |
 | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 5 | 2 | — | 5 | 3 | — | 17 | 19 |
Temp °C | 30 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 26 |
Feels °C | 32 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 35 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 34 | 31 | 31 | 35 | 33 | 30 | 33 | 30 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 301 | 297 | 220 | 238 | 238 | 371 | 291 | 577 | 1099 | 1297 | 1519 | 1314 | 1552 | 1179 | 868 | 833 | 833 | 658 | 507 | 363 | 342 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | WNW 9 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | WNW 11 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 |
| kJ | 34 | 41 | 51 | 300 | 326 | 180 | 144 | 140 | 133 | 133 | 133 | 119 | 27 | 40 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 91 | 106 | 93 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 19 | SW 15 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | S 11 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | 84 | 112 | 155 | 36 | 27 | 20 | 296 | 171 | 28 | 25 | 24 | 41 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 53 | 82 | 93 | 25 | 27 | 18 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 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.
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