Surf Forecasts:
El Estero surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 17s period, SW swell with 1,519 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 18s 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 1.6m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) 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 0.8m 11s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Estero over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, let’s talk El Estero. Over the next couple of weeks, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some smallish swell hanging around, but the wind and conditions are going to be the main story. The water’s feeling a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, which is a nice little bonus.
The one to circle on your calendar, the real standout, is Friday, September 4th morning. It’s not the biggest, with 5ft from the SW, but the period is a solid 17 seconds carrying some real grunt (1449 combined energy). That’s proper groundswell that’ll wrap in here nicely. The wind is clean, cross-off from the NE at a light breeze. This will be a proper session for experienced surfers. The break’s consistent, so you won’t be waiting around. Just a heads up, at that size it’s a bit too much for beginners.
Right behind that is Saturday, September 5th morning. Slightly bigger at 6ft SW, same kind of period, and the wind goes glassy offshore from the E. This is clean, excellent conditions for experienced surfers. This is probably the top of the swell for the run.
Leading up to that, there are some usable mornings. Monday, August 31st and Tuesday, September 1st have small 4ft and 3ft SW swell, but with decent offshore wind and clean faces. It’s small, but fun for a log or a fish.
Wednesday, September 3rd morning is glassy – 3ft SW with 16 second period. Really clean, but tiny. Good for a slow, soulful paddle.
The gap in any real quality starts after that first week. Sunday, September 6th morning is glassy again with 5ft, but the period drops to 14 seconds. Still okay, but not the power of the earlier days. From the 7th onwards, we get into a pattern of smaller swell and more onshore afternoon winds. The mornings around the 10th and 11th look promising again with 4ft to 4ft SW, clean offshore winds, and a little more energy (596 to 813). Those are your best bets if you missed the first window. The second half of the 16-day window is definitely more hit-and-miss, with afternoons turning choppy and onshore.
As for crowds, El Estero is often busy. When that September 4th morning fires, expect some company – you’ll be sharing those lines.
Signing off, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 33°C on Fri afternoon, min 26°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Fri afternoon, calm by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | ||||||||||||||
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 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 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 354 | 1215 | 1123 | 1314 | 1105 | 911 | 899 | 621 | 451 | 386 | 336 | 301 | 297 | 220 | 246 | 326 | 371 | 291 | 577 | 1099 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 3:19AM2.35m | 3:32PM2.32m | 3:53AM2.45m | 4:09PM2.34m | 4:29AM2.51m | 4:46PM2.32m | 5:05AM2.52m | 5:25PM2.27m | 5:45AM2.50m | 6:08PM2.19m | 6:29AM2.43m | 6:56PM2.09m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 12:04PM0.28m | 00:10AM0.34m | 12:52PM0.35m | 00:59AM0.43m | |||||||
 |  | | | | |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — |
 | 5:54 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:51 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 33 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 32 | 29 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 30 | 28 | 35 | 34 | 29 | 36 | 31 | 32 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 32 | 31 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 6 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 354 | 1215 | 1123 | 1314 | 1105 | 911 | 899 | 621 | 451 | 386 | 336 | 301 | 96 | 220 | 238 | 238 | 371 | 291 | 577 | 1099 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 7 | S 11 | S 7 | SSW 7 | S 6 | S 6 | S 10 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SW 12 | SSW 6 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 6 | S 6 |
| kJ | 35 | 152 | 37 | 60 | 40 | 36 | 46 | 20 | 40 | 41 | 79 | 75 | 297 | 44 | 246 | 326 | 144 | 144 | 32 | 29 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | S 13 | S 11 | — | S 10 | NNW 15 | W 6 | N 4 | NW 10 | N 4 | W 9 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 6 | SSW 6 | S 7 | SSW 6 | SW 12 | SW 11 |
| kJ | 11 | 14 | 38 | — | 18 | 21 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 84 | 112 | 155 | 19 | 44 | 45 | 44 | 110 | 57 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NNE 5 | — | SW 6 | — | — | — | NE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | 9 | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 20 | 0 | 29 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 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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