
Surf Forecasts:
El Estero surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 15 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 18s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, SW swell with 644 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. 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 1.1m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 8s period and expected on Monday (Sep 14) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Estero over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Okay folks, Rusty here, with the long-range look for El Estero. We’ve got a solid window of surf on the way, but it’s not all going to be perfect. Let’s break it down day by day.
The water at El Estero is sitting at a balmy 86°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year.
We kick things off Friday afternoon, the 11th of September. It’s not huge, with a 4ft SW groundswell rolling in, but the wind is a light offshore from the east. That means clean, lined-up waves with a fair bit of energy behind them (632). This is a good start.
Saturday the 12th drops off a little. The swell eases to 3ft with a cross-offshore wind in the morning, making it look clean, but the energy is moderate (355). The afternoon turns choppy with a cross-onshore breeze, so that session is a write-off. Sunday the 13th is similar, with clean but weak 2ft surf in the morning, and that poor trend continues into the afternoon. You’ll be scratching for scraps.
Monday the 14th is a bit of a tease. The early session is clean and cross-off, with a 2ft swell, but the period is a very long 19 seconds. The wave energy is moderate (292). That long period stuff can make a beach-and-reef setup like this a bit straight and hard to predict. The afternoon is blown out anyway.
Now, here’s one of the standouts. Tuesday morning, the 15th of September. We’ve got a solid 3ft SW groundswell with a nice 15-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is surging (514). It’s clean, it’s fun, and the conditions will be very good. If you can get out early, this is the one.
Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th mornings both offer clean, cross-off conditions with 3ft to 4ft swell and strong energy readings (668 and 530 respectively). The afternoons get messy, but the early bird catches the wave. By Friday the 18th, the swell backs off to 3ft, but the morning is clean and glassy with an offshore breeze (447). A solid session for a steady, consistent wave.
Saturday the 19th starts with a flat, glassy 2ft swell (394). It’s not big, but dead glassy conditions mean you won’t have to fight the wind. The highlight of the second week, however, is Monday the 21st. The morning brings a 4ft SW groundswell at 18 seconds with a clean offshore wind, and the wave energy is pumping (802). The afternoon turns glassy with a 3ft swell. This day looks very, very good. Tuesday the 22nd starts glassy and clean with 3ft swell, but the energy is seriously building (831). Be warned: by Tuesday afternoon the swell jumps to 8ft from the SSW. That's a big, powerful wave (1559) with a short 8-second period, and it’s an onshore wind. That’s expert-only territory, and it’ll be a washing machine. Too big and messy for a paddle, better suited for the kite crew.
From Wednesday the 23rd through to the end of the outlook on Saturday the 26th, the trend is for clean mornings with 2ft to 3ft of swell, with moderate to strong energy levels. The afternoons again get a cross-onshore bump. The final standout in this stretch is Saturday morning, the 26th. A 2ft swell with a very long 19-second period and a glassy, clean wind (572). It may be small, but it will be beautiful.
So, overall, the best windows are the mornings of the 15th, the 21st, and the 22nd. Pencil those in.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 32°C on Fri afternoon, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 31°C on Wed morning, min 25°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
623 | 459 | 346 | 341 | 215 | 140 | 138 | 299 | 219 | 246 | 460 | 262 | 587 | 508 | 502 | 620 | 418 | 407 | 401 | 276 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:07AM2.61m | 3:27PM2.48m | 3:48AM2.64m | 4:09PM2.44m | 4:27AM2.60m | 4:49PM2.37m | 5:06AM2.52m | 5:29PM2.26m | 5:44AM2.39m | 6:09PM2.12m | 6:24AM2.24m | 6:51PM1.97m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:53PM0.12m | 9:21AM0.12m | 9:34PM0.11m | 10:03AM0.10m | 10:14PM0.15m | 10:44AM0.14m | 10:53PM0.23m | 11:23AM0.22m | 11:31PM0.34m | 12:03PM0.33m | 00:10AM0.47m | 12:45PM0.47m | 00:52AM0.61m | |||||||
— | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | |
5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:42 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 4 | — | 3 | 12 |
Temp °C | 32 | 28 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 27 | 31 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 26 |
Feels °C | 34 | 31 | 35 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 34 | 28 | 34 | 30 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 30 | 30 | 34 | 31 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
623 | 459 | 346 | 341 | 215 | 76 | 99 | 92 | 89 | 111 | 130 | 127 | 587 | 508 | 502 | 620 | 418 | 407 | 401 | 276 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 15 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 |
47 | 51 | 58 | 49 | 44 | 140 | 138 | 134 | 219 | 246 | 460 | 262 | 111 | 125 | 96 | 69 | 50 | 90 | 76 | 69 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 4 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SW 18 | NNE 4 | SW 18 | N 4 | SW 19 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | N 4 | SW 23 | SW 22 | SW 22 | SW 21 |
9 | 19 | 9 | 80 | 3 | 51 | 6 | 299 | 73 | 72 | 49 | 252 | 109 | 95 | 166 | 6 | 86 | 123 | 163 | 220 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | — | — | NNE 4 | — | NNE 5 | NE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 | — | NNW 12 | NNE 4 | — | — |
— | 3 | 4 | — | — | 6 | — | 13 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | 26 | 10 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 10 | 55 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 110 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Guanacaste | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.










