Guarita Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s on offer at Guarita over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a flat spell. The first few days are pretty ordinary with small, short-period swell and tricky winds. Tuesday the 18th has a small 4ft ENE swell with a weak 8-second period, and while the morning has a light cross-offshore breeze, the wave energy is only moderate (219). It’s clean but nothing to get too excited about. That afternoon the wind turns onshore and it goes messy.

Wednesday the 19th is even smaller, with swell dropping to 3ft and the energy fading to 109. The afternoon goes glassy, but the waves are tiny and weak. Thursday the 20th sees a bump in size to 5ft in the afternoon, but the period drops to a dismal 6 seconds and the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s a chop fest. Not worth paddling out.

Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd have cleaner conditions with cross-offshore winds, but the swell is all over the place. Saturday morning has a 7ft S swell with moderate energy (850) and clean winds, but the period is still short at 8 seconds – it’s punchy but not well-shaped. It’s only for the experienced crew.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. Sunday the 23rd is the first real standout. We’ve got a 5ft S groundswell in the morning with a solid 11-second period, and it’s glassy – light W wind, clean as a whistle. The combined energy hits 591 (moderate strong), and the model says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the pick of the first week. Guarita (Costa Rica) is a reef break that needs a clean S or SSE swell, and this is exactly that. The water’s sitting at 62°F, which is about a degree cooler than normal for this time of year – not a big deal, just a little fresh.

Monday the 24th is the absolute standout of the whole forecast. Morning session: 8ft SSE swell, 14-second period – that’s a very long-period groundswell, which means serious energy and power. The combined energy is a massive 1996 (strong). Winds are glassy from the NNW. This is excellent for experienced surfers, but it’s big – over 8ft, so only for the experts. The reef setup at Guarita will handle this long-period swell well, drawing the lines clean. The afternoon gets a bit cross-onshore, so hit it early.

The rest of the second week fades. Tuesday the 25th still has a decent 5ft SSE swell but the wind goes cross-shore and choppy. Wednesday the 26th morning goes glassy again with a small 3ft SSE swell, but it’s weak (314 energy) and not really worth the paddle. From Thursday the 27th through to the end of the forecast (September 2nd), it’s a long run of poor surf – small, onshore winds, and rain. The last few days are particularly grim with heavy rain and fresh onshore winds. That’s a solid 6-day gap of nothing good.

So, bottom line: Sunday morning the 23rd is the best bet for a clean, fun session with the crew. Monday morning the 24th is the big one for the experienced guys – go early, get the waves of the forecast. After that, it’s a long wait.

Rusty.

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