El Estero Surf Break

Lat Long: 10.32° N 85.84° W

El Estero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 14 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's El Estero sea temperature is
30.0° C
1.7° 

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 14 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 18s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 15s period, SW swell with 415 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 14s is also forecast. 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 1.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 13s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (CST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3AM (Wed 15th Jul)1.5ft (0.5m) 18s
Best Surf 3AM (Wed 15th Jul)1.5ft (0.5m) 18s
Most Powerful 3AM (Tue 21st Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 15s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for El Estero over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, let’s talk about the 16-day window for El Estero. It’s a river mouth setup, exposed to the west-northwest, and it’s a consistent little wave. But right now, it’s a slow burn. The first week is mostly a story of small, messy swell fighting with cross-offshore winds. The water is sitting at 86°, feeling a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

We kick off on Tuesday, July 14. The morning is a bit of a washout with small 2ft SW swell and a moderate breeze making it cross-off. The afternoon gets a little more energy, with a 2ft SSW swell and a combined energy of 502 (moderate), but the wind picks up, making it hard to get excited. Honestly, these first few days are nothing to write home about. The scores are low, and we’re looking at a lot of "poor surf conditions" or "marginal" calls. Wednesday the 15th has a tiny window: the afternoon turns glassy and clean with a 2ft SW groundswell at a long 16 seconds, but it’s still small. The trip through Thursday the 16th, Friday the 17th, and into the weekend (July 18 and 19) is a slog. The swell stays ankle-to-knee high, the wind is mostly cross-off, and the combined energy dips into the low hundreds. It’s a dry spell.

We get a few days of marginal surf from July 20 to 22, but nothing to change your plans over. The swell is still small, the wind is stubborn, and the energy (347 to 194) is just not there. The real turning point doesn’t come until the last few days of the month.

The standout run starts on Thursday, July 24. The afternoon brings a glassy surface and a tiny 1ft SW swell, but the period jumps to a massive 24 seconds. That’s very long period groundswell, and the energy reading jumps to 250 (moderate). It’s a sign of things to come. Friday, July 25 morning is the first real highlight: a 2ft SW swell with a 21-second period, light offshore winds, and a combined energy of 473 (moderate). It’s clean, it’s organized, and the river mouth should start to line up nicely.

Saturday, July 26 morning is the absolute best on offer. We’ve got a 3ft SW swell, a 19-second period, and glassy conditions with zero wind. The combined energy hits 678 (strong). This is clean, wave-catching heaven for a longboard or a funboard. The swell direction (SW) matches the optimum (WNW) well enough for this river break to focus it. It’s a little small for high-performance shortboarding, but the quality will be there. Crowds are listed as "often," so expect plenty of company at this consistent spot.

The run continues into Monday, July 27 and Tuesday, July 28. The swell builds to 4ft, and the period stays solid between 17 and 18 seconds. The morning of Tuesday the 28th is a cracker: moderate offshore wind from the ENE, combined energy of 783 (strong), and a 4ft SW swell. The afternoon of the 28th goes glassy again. This is the best window for a bit more size – still not huge, but clean and punchy.

We close out the forecast on Wednesday, July 29 with a 4ft SW swell and a 16-second period. The morning is clean with a cross-off breeze, but the afternoon glass-off is a beauty, with a combined energy of 727 (strong). For a river mouth, this long-period energy (anything over 15 seconds) can make the waves a bit straight, but the glassy conditions and that solid size will more than make up for it.

In summary, forget the first week and a half. It’s tiny and average. The gold is from July 24 through the 29th, with July 26 and July 28 being the absolute standouts for clean, quality surf on a consistent swell.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Sun afternoon, min 25°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
2
0
2
2
2
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1
2
0
1
1
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
SW
13
0.7
SSW
14
0.6
SW
18
0.7
SSW
13
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.7
SW
12
1
SSW
13
0.5
SW
14
0.4
SW
15
0.7
SSW
13
0.7
SSW
13
0.6
SSW
12
0.8
SSW
12
0.9
SSW
13
0.5
SW
19
0.9
SSW
12
0.6
SW
18
0.8
SW
16
0.8
SW
16
0.8
SW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
140
207
197
181
196
206
157
326
103
75
178
181
113
164
286
170
248
192
366
361
313
Wind (km/h)
20
ENE
25
ENE
25
ENE
25
ENE
5
NNW
10
ENE
20
ENE
25
NNE
25
ENE
25
ENE
25
NE
20
ENE
25
ENE
10
N
15
ENE
25
ENE
15
ENE
20
ENE
25
NE
25
ENE
20
ENE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
2:18PM2.59m
2:56AM2.41m
3:12PM2.63m
3:48AM2.52m
4:04PM2.62m
4:39AM2.59m
4:53PM2.56m
5:27AM2.59m
5:42PM2.45m
6:14AM2.54m
6:31PM2.31m
7:01AM2.44m
7:20PM2.15m
Low Tide
8:42PM0.03m
8:59AM0.19m
9:33PM-0.03m
9:54AM0.15m
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
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:28
5:28
5:28
5:28
5:28
5:30
5:30
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:08
6:08
6:08
6:08
6:08
6:08
6:08
 mm
1
1
Temp °C
31
31
26
31
30
27
30
29
27
29
30
26
29
29
27
30
31
27
30
30
27
Feels °C
32
30
26
33
35
29
31
29
27
29
31
26
29
32
29
30
32
27
29
30
27
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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