Surf Forecasts:
Jaco Beach surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 15 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SW swell with 371 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 14s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Jaco Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Jaco Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Jaco Beach in the next 16 days are 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Jaco Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Jaco Beach has cookin' for us over the next couple of weeks.
Straight off the bat, we've got a nice little window opening up for Friday afternoon, the 11th. The ocean is serving up a clean 3ft SW groundswell, with a long 15-second period. That's proper energy, with a combined reading of 532 – solid moderate energy. The wind is light and cross-offshore, which means the waves will be holding their shape nicely. That water is sitting at 86°, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won't need to reach for the thick rubber. It's a very consistent beach break, so there'll be waves for everyone, but it's a beginner-friendly size.
Now, the real treat is a run of glassy mornings. Saturday the 12th, Sunday the 13th, and Monday the 14th all kick off with near-calm conditions. Saturday morning is the standout of that bunch: zero wind, clean 3ft SW swell with a 14-second period, and 405 in the energy department. That is as glassy as it gets. Just be aware the afternoons will likely see some stormy breezes kick up.
The next true standout is Wednesday morning, the 16th. We've got another clear dawn with a slight breeze, delivering a clean 3ft SW swell, 16-second period, and solid 518 moderate energy. That is a fantastic window if you can get out early.
Looking further ahead, there's a notable pulse on the horizon. Tuesday the 22nd shows a jump in size: 7ft of SW swell. The combined energy jumps to 801, which is solidly in the moderate-to-strong range. However, the period drops to 8 seconds, so this is shorter-period wind swell. It's still clean in the morning with light offshore breeze, but at 7ft, it starts pushing into that zone where beginners might want to sit this one out. The afternoons will see the wind swing onshore, making for a bumpy surface.
All in all, the best bet is to hit the early, glassy mornings, especially the 12th and 16th. The long-period swells we get here are really best at a point or reef, but at a beach break like Jaco, they can sometimes wall up. Still, when it's clean and waist to chest high, it's tough to beat.
Stay stoked,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Fri afternoon, min 27°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 37mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 26°C on Tue afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 427 | 346 | 346 | 245 | 176 | 140 | 131 | 234 | 127 | 192 | 252 | 192 | 358 | 310 | 371 | 353 | 251 | 248 | 297 | 238 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 3:16AM2.91m | 3:36PM2.77m | 3:56AM2.93m | 4:17PM2.74m | 4:34AM2.89m | 4:56PM2.65m | 5:12AM2.79m | 5:35PM2.52m | 5:50AM2.64m | 6:15PM2.37m | 6:29AM2.47m | 6:56PM2.20m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:01PM0.12m | 9:28AM0.13m | 9:42PM0.12m | 10:10AM0.11m | 10:22PM0.17m | 10:50AM0.15m | 11:00PM0.26m | 11:29AM0.24m | 11:38PM0.39m | 12:08PM0.37m | 00:17AM0.54m | 12:50PM0.52m | 00:58AM0.70m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — |
 | 5:40 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — |
mm | 3 | 2 | — | 2 | 3 | — | 5 | 3 | — | 2 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 2 | — | 4 | 13 | — | 1 | 9 |
Temp °C | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | S 9 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 427 | 346 | 346 | 245 | 76 | 99 | 96 | 90 | 90 | 109 | 124 | 121 | 115 | 97 | 371 | 353 | 251 | 248 | 297 | 238 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 |
| kJ | 68 | 51 | 42 | 64 | 176 | 140 | 108 | 234 | 73 | 192 | 252 | 192 | 358 | 310 | 96 | 69 | 48 | 81 | 76 | 69 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 10 | SW 22 | SW 22 | SW 21 |
| kJ | 37 | 17 | 17 | 80 | 30 | 70 | 131 | 104 | 127 | 52 | 49 | 128 | 109 | 79 | 51 | 50 | 18 | 78 | 118 | 160 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Golfo de Nicoya | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Jaco Beach 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 Jaco Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Jaco Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Jaco Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Jaco Beach 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 (Jaco Beach) 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 Jaco Beach 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Golfo de Nicoya? If you are looking for accommodation near Jaco Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Golfo de Nicoya, consider staying in Esparza which is 43 km (27 miles) away. Other places in and around Golfo de Nicoya where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include San Rafael Abajo which is 45 km (28 miles) away, Tejar, Chacarita and Puntarenas.
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