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, 9AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 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 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 21s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m 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+) 9AM (Sat 25th Jul)3ft (0.9m) 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 folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what we’ve got cooking for the next couple of weeks.

The whole window is centered on one spot – El Estero. There’s a bit of a wait for the good stuff to line up, but once it does, we’re in for a proper run. The pattern starts to build from Saturday the 25th with a solid, long-period groundswell that has some real grunt, and it hangs around in a big way through the middle of next week. The energy is strong, and the wind is playing ball on most mornings.

The standout window is undoubtedly Sunday afternoon the 26th through to Tuesday morning the 28th. Sunday afternoon is the real gem: we’re looking at a clean 4ft swell from the SW with a period of 18 seconds, and the wind goes glassy. That’s a recipe for perfection at this river mouth – the long period will wrap in nicely, and the lack of wind will make it silky smooth. The combined energy is sitting at a solid 1099, so there’s plenty of push.

Monday the 27th keeps the fun going in the morning with a 4ft SW swell and a clean cross-off breeze. It’s a step down from the glassy session, but still a ripper. Tuesday morning the 28th is the biggest of the lot, with the swell hitting 6ft from the SW, and a clean, light offshore breeze. That’s a solid, powerful wave – definitely one for the experienced crew, as it’s getting up there in size. The energy is a beastly 1766. After that, the swell slowly winds down through the rest of the week.

By the end of the first week and into the second, the energy drops off. We get a few clean mornings with smaller, long-period swell (around 2ft to 3ft), but nothing that’ll get the pulse racing. A highlight in the second week is Friday morning the 7th of August: a clean 3ft SSW groundswell with a very long 18-second period, and barely a breath of wind. The energy is a respectable 755. That’s a promising one, but being that far out, keep an eye on the forecast.

The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The crowds at El Estero? They’re a factor. The file says it’s “often” busy, so expect company, especially on those peak days.

So, to sum it up: the magic is this weekend through early next week. If you can only pick one slot, make it Sunday afternoon the 26th for that glassy, long-period gold. Tuesday morning for the bigger, more powerful stuff. After that, it’s picky mornings for the more patient surfer.

Rusty.

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)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for El Estero:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our El Estero surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest