Surf Forecasts:
Henrys surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, SW swell with 539 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Henrys this week:
The surf forecast for Henrys over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 14s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Henrys in the next 16 days are 1.1m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 11s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Henrys over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s break it down for Henrys. It’s a reef break, exposed to the west-northwest, and the water’s sitting at 86°F—a touch warmer than usual for the season, so you might not need much rubber.
The first proper surf shows Monday afternoon, 17 August. Swell’s around 4ft out of the southwest, with a 14-second period giving it some real weight. The combined energy is moderate (502), and with glassy conditions and a light north-northwest breeze, it’s gonna be clean as a mirror. A solid session for anyone who knows the reef.
Tuesday the 18th keeps that 4ft SW swell, with a light offshore from the east-northeast in the morning keeping things tidy. The afternoon gets a cross-off breeze and drops to 3ft—still good.
Wednesday the 19th is a touch smaller at 3ft, but the morning has a light offshore and the afternoon turns glassy with no wind. Perfect for a log or a fish.
Thursday the 20th drops to 2ft in the morning, then 2ft in the afternoon. The morning is clean with a gentle offshore, but the energy falls off (139 in the arvo). Small waves.
From Friday the 21st through Thursday the 27th, it’s pretty grim. Swell sits between 1ft and 2ft, with periods jumping from 14 to 19 seconds. Energy is weak to moderate (90 to 384), and winds are often cross or cross-on, making it bumpy. A few clean moments—like Saturday morning the 22nd with a cross-off breeze, or Monday morning the 24th with a moderate offshore—but the size just isn’t there.
Now the standout: Friday the 28th of August morning. Swell jumps to 2ft but with a massive 20-second period from the southwest, and the energy rockets to 730—strong. The wind is light and cross-off, the sky is clear, and it’s clean. This is a proper groundswell pulse, and on a reef like Henrys, those long-period lines will wrap in beautifully. The best morning of the whole forecast.
Saturday the 29th is the biggest. Swell hits 5ft out of the southwest with a 17-second period, and the energy is very strong (1799 in the morning, 1517 in the afternoon). The morning is cross-off and clean, the afternoon turns glassy. Excellent surf, but at 5ft it’s for experienced surfers only—beginners should stay out of the way.
Sunday the 30th holds at 5ft, but the morning is crossed-off with a moderate breeze (12 mph from the east-northeast), so it’ll be bumpy. The afternoon goes cross-on from the southwest and gets choppy. Still big, but messy.
Monday the 31st drops to 4ft with a 14-second period, morning offshore from the east keeps it clean—good energy (718). Another solid session. Tuesday 1 September is similar, 4ft, glassy in the morning, but the arvo gets blown out by a cross-on breeze.
Best bet: Friday morning 28 August for that long-period, clean groundswell. Saturday the 29th has the most size but demands respect. The middle of the run is dead until that late-August pulse arrives.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Thu morning, min 24°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Warm (max 32°C on Sun morning, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
500 | 410 | 428 | 395 | 539 | 355 | 350 | 238 | 183 | 138 | 83 | 76 | 54 | 102 | 95 | 155 | 97 | 184 | 260 | 327 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | off | off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | cross-off | off | glassy | off | off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | off |
High Tide | 6:00PM2.29m | 6:22AM2.44m | 6:44PM2.14m | 7:05AM2.29m | 7:29PM1.98m | 7:50AM2.14m | 8:19PM1.83m | 8:42AM2.01m | 9:18PM1.72m | 9:42AM1.92m | 10:27PM1.68m | 10:48AM1.90m | 11:37PM1.71m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:06AM0.29m | 12:41PM0.36m | 00:48AM0.44m | 1:26PM0.49m | 1:32AM0.59m | 2:16PM0.61m | 2:20AM0.72m | 3:14PM0.71m | 3:18AM0.82m | 4:20PM0.75m | 4:26AM0.86m | 5:27PM0.73m | ||||||||
— | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | |
6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:57 | — | |
mm | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 26 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 31 | 30 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 32 | 30 | 27 |
Feels °C | 33 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 33 | 28 | 34 | 34 | 29 | 34 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 29 | 36 | 33 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | S 8 | SSW 8 | S 8 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 |
500 | 410 | 428 | 395 | 539 | 355 | 350 | 111 | 115 | 147 | 275 | 345 | 351 | 284 | 269 | 198 | 154 | 109 | 106 | 109 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 |
111 | 108 | 98 | 100 | 95 | 89 | 90 | 238 | 183 | 138 | 83 | 76 | 54 | 102 | 95 | 155 | 84 | 116 | 260 | 327 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 3 | S 10 | S 10 | N 4 | S 12 | N 5 | NNW 5 | N 6 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 19 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 17 | N 4 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
2 | 18 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 30 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 74 | 3 | 98 | 97 | 184 | 84 | 75 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NNE 5 | — | — | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | N 3 | NNE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | N 5 | NNE 4 |
— | — | — | — | 26 | — | — | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 18 | 16 | 9 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Guanacaste | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Henrys Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Henrys provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Henrys can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Henrys 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 (Henrys) 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 Henrys 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.
Henrys 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.











