Surf Forecasts:
El Estero surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,314 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 18s 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 14s. 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 1.6m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) 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 1.0m 7s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Estero over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let’s break down what’s happening in feet.
It’s all about El Estero for this entire stretch. The swell is coming from the southwest, and for a river mouth setup, that’s the magic angle. The ocean’s got some moderate energy brewing up, and it’s going to be a solid run.
Thursday the 27th starts off tiny – just a couple feet – and it’s marginal this morning. But this afternoon, it’s glassy as a lake. Dead calm wind, clean water. It’s small, but for a longboard, it’s a treat.
Friday the 28th afternoon is the first real highlight. We get a 2-3ft southwest groundswell with a 19-second period – those are long, heavy lines. The offshore wind out of the east will clean it right up. Energy is moderate (517). It’s gonna be very good.
Saturday the 29th morning is the absolute standout for the first week. We’re looking at 5ft of swell, 16-second period, with a moderate offshore breeze. The energy jumps to strong (1168). This is for experienced surfers only – it’s raw and powerful. Sunday the 30th morning is close behind with 5ft and offshore winds, but the energy drops a touch (939). Afternoons get rough with the onshore wind, so dawn is your window.
Monday the 31st morning is glassy again, with a clean 3-4ft. The next few days (September 1st to 3rd) see the swell drop to 2-3ft, but the conditions stay clean with offshore winds, so the quality is still good.
Now, for the second week, Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th mornings are for the big dogs. We’ve got 5ft of southwest groundswell, energy is very strong (over 1400), and it’s clean offshore in the mornings. This is heavy, powerful, and you’ll want your big board. The afternoons get messy.
Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th mornings are good and clean, with the swell in the 4ft range.
Looking further into the second week, Thursday the 10th morning is another major standout. 5ft of swell, cross-off wind, and a huge energy reading of 1526. This is an excellent call for experienced surfers. The 16-second period means long, grinding waves.
The bottom line: dawn patrol is your friend here. For the first week, Saturday the 29th morning is the one. For the second week, make a plan for Thursday the 10th morning. Crowds are likely on the good mornings, so get out there early and you’ll have a blast.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 33°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu afternoon, fresh winds from the ENE by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 32°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 74 | 154 | 155 | 251 | 531 | 358 | 1215 | 1123 | 1314 | 1001 | 911 | 821 | 621 | 451 | 386 | 331 | 301 | 252 | 223 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-on | off | off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:06AM2.09m | 2:16PM2.21m | 2:43AM2.23m | 2:54PM2.28m | 3:19AM2.35m | 3:32PM2.32m | 3:53AM2.45m | 4:09PM2.34m | 4:29AM2.51m | 4:46PM2.32m | 5:05AM2.52m | 5:25PM2.27m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:08AM0.56m | 8:30PM0.38m | 8:48AM0.45m | 9:05PM0.31m | 9:26AM0.35m | 9:39PM0.26m | 10:04AM0.28m | 10:14PM0.24m | 10:42AM0.24m | 10:50PM0.24m | 11:21AM0.24m | 11:28PM0.28m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  | | | | | |  | |  | | | | |  | | |
 | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 28 | 32 | 32 | 28 | 33 | 32 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 29 | 34 | 37 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 27 | 34 | 34 | 27 | 32 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 7 |
| kJ | 60 | 58 | 45 | 251 | 531 | 358 | 1215 | 1123 | 1314 | 1001 | 911 | 821 | 621 | 451 | 386 | 331 | 301 | 252 | 79 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SW 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | WSW 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 74 | 76 | 106 | 37 | 59 | 34 | 13 | 45 | 79 | 48 | 28 | 77 | 59 | 64 | 82 | 100 | 79 | 79 | 223 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 7 | SW 14 | SW 16 | S 13 | S 11 | — | S 10 | S 8 | NNW 11 | N 4 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 56 | 154 | 155 | 11 | 158 | 125 | 14 | 38 | — | 18 | 49 | 22 | 3 | 20 | 17 | 15 | 84 | 113 | 155 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 4 | N 6 | — | N 5 | — | — | SSE 11 | — | — | N 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 |
| kJ | 18 | 16 | — | 11 | — | — | 190 | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 16 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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)
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