
Surf Forecasts:
El Estero surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 24s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 24s period, SW swell with 444 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 12s period with SSW 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 18) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at El Estero in the next 16 days are 0.6m 24s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) 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 1.1m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 24s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 24s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Estero over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
Alright, the first thing you’re gonna notice is that the early part of the week is a bit of a letdown. There’s some small waves, but the wind is just messing things up. The first real window of opportunity arrives on Saturday the 18th, and then it’s a slow build towards something special.
We’re looking at El Estero. This spot is a river mouth, so it can handle a bit of swell direction. Right now, we’ve got a weak start. Friday morning the 17th is tiny at 1ft from the SW with a long 15-second period, but with a cross-off breeze from the ENE at 19 mph, it’s just not doing it. The combined energy is only 142, so it’s weak. Don’t bother.
Saturday the 18th is where it starts to get interesting. The morning is still a bit messy with that cross-off wind, but the swell is up to 3ft and the period is 12 seconds. The real highlight is Saturday afternoon. The wind drops to glassy conditions from the east at only 3 mph. That’s a major positive. The swell holds at 3ft from the SSW and the energy jumps to 306. It’s small, but glassy and clean. A good little session for a log or a fish.
Sunday the 19th has a brief morning lull, but the afternoon is a solid call. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the SSW, with a 12-second period and a moderate energy of 442. The wind is a gentle cross-off from the ENE at 9 mph, keeping it clean. That’s a fun, surfable afternoon.
The middle of the week from Monday the 20th through to Thursday the 23rd is a bit of a grind. The swell hangs around 2ft to 3ft, but the wind is consistently cross-off or onshore, and the energy dips. The only standout is Wednesday afternoon the 22nd when the wind goes offshore from the ENE at 12 mph. The swell is 2ft and the energy is 147, so it’s small, but it’s clean. Just ordinary waves.
Now, let’s talk about the real standouts. Friday the 24th morning is the first big one. The swell jumps to 3ft, but the period is a massive 24 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell. The combined energy is 747, which is moderate to strong. The wind is a gentle cross-off from the ENE at 9 mph, so it’s clean. That long period will make the waves at El Estero really shape up, but remember, long period swells can sometimes break a bit too straight at a river mouth, so keep your eyes open. Still, this is a serious session.
Saturday the 25th is another cracker. The morning has offshore wind from the east at 3 mph, perfect conditions. The swell is 3ft from the SW with a 21-second period, and the energy is a very strong 805. That’s a big, clean, powerful swell. The afternoon is also good with a 20-second period and 711 energy, but the wind goes cross-off from the south. The morning is the pick.
Sunday the 26th morning is for the experienced crew only. The swell is 4ft from the SW with a 19-second period, and the energy is a huge 1082. That’s a strong, powerful swell, and it’s over the 5ft mark, so it’s not for beginners. The wind is glassy from the southeast at 3 mph. It’s clean, but it’s serious. This is a big, powerful groundswell that will be packing a punch.
Monday the 27th morning is the absolute standout of the whole forecast. The swell is 5ft from the SW, period is 19 seconds, and the energy is a massive 1442. That’s very strong. The wind is offshore from the east at 6 mph. It’s clean, powerful, and about as good as it gets. This is a big, heavy swell for experienced surfers, and it’s going to be one of those days you remember. The afternoon gets a bit cross-onshore, so the morning is the window.
The rest of the week into August holds some good waves. Tuesday the 28th morning has 5ft swell from the SW with a 17-second period and a massive 1941 energy. That’s a huge, powerful swell, but it’s a bit raw with a cross-off wind. Wednesday the 29th morning is glassy with 4ft, but the energy is still high at 1028. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are smaller but clean, and the first of August finishes it off with a gentle offshore wind and 3ft.
So, the two true standouts are Friday the 24th morning for that incredible long-period groundswell and clean conditions, and Monday the 27th morning for the big, powerful, offshore session. Mark your calendars.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Sun afternoon, min 26°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Thu night, calm by Sat afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Mon morning, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 15 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
103 | 75 | 178 | 140 | 192 | 164 | 286 | 170 | 248 | 192 | 366 | 361 | 313 | 305 | 297 | 250 | 173 | 134 | 92 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 4:39AM2.59m | 4:53PM2.56m | 5:27AM2.59m | 5:42PM2.45m | 6:14AM2.54m | 6:31PM2.31m | 7:01AM2.44m | 7:20PM2.15m | 7:48AM2.32m | 8:11PM1.99m | 8:37AM2.19m | 9:05PM1.86m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:22PM-0.04m | 10:47AM0.16m | 11:09PM0.01m | 11:38AM0.21m | 11:55PM0.11m | 12:28PM0.30m | 00:41AM0.25m | 1:18PM0.40m | 1:27AM0.41m | 2:10PM0.51m | 2:15AM0.56m | 3:04PM0.60m | |||||||
— | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | |
— | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 7 |
Temp °C | 28 | 31 | 32 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 27 | 32 | 33 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 |
Feels °C | 27 | 30 | 33 | 27 | 33 | 35 | 28 | 32 | 34 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 14 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 8 |
203 | 195 | 178 | 222 | 192 | 164 | 286 | 276 | 248 | 243 | 366 | 361 | 313 | 305 | 297 | 250 | 173 | 134 | 57 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 13 | S 14 | S 14 | S 6 | SW 19 | SW 18 | S 6 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | N 5 | SSW 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 12 |
68 | 67 | 76 | 140 | 150 | 146 | 12 | 170 | 194 | 20 | 212 | 146 | 144 | 137 | 25 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 92 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 12 | S 16 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 19 | S 7 | S 6 | SW 18 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 7 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | N 5 | SSW 11 |
103 | 75 | 52 | 81 | 61 | 129 | 96 | 21 | 31 | 192 | 23 | 35 | 22 | 37 | 103 | 99 | 62 | 13 | 39 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 5 | NNE 4 | N 5 | NNE 4 | NNE 5 | N 5 | NNE 4 | NNE 3 | — | NE 4 | NNE 5 | N 5 | NE 4 | NNE 5 | — | NNE 4 | NE 4 | — | NE 4 |
27 | 22 | 19 | 23 | 30 | 13 | 13 | 10 | — | 15 | 25 | 16 | 26 | 26 | — | 24 | 26 | — | 10 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 13 | 29 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 29 | 0 | 29 | 29 | 13 | 10 | 29 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Guanacaste | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.










