
Surf Forecasts:
Jaco Beach surf forecast from 30 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 15s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 30 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 15s period, SW swell with 623 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 15s 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 Thursday (Jul 30) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Jaco Beach in the next 16 days are 1.2m 15s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 30) at 12AM. 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 (Thu 30th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Jaco Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a decent stretch coming up for Jaco Beach, but it’s not all firing. The first few days are small, but we’ve got one standout morning that’s worth setting the alarm for, and a longer-range window that looks promising for the second week.
The water is sitting at a warm 86°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be comfy in boardshorts or a spring suit.
We kick off on Wednesday, 29 July, with a 4ft SW swell at 16 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, which means nice shape and energy, but the wind is a light cross from the SSW, so it’s a bit messy. The combined energy is moderate (825). Not the best, but it’s surfable.
Thursday morning, 30 July, is the first real standout. The swell drops to 4ft from the SW, still a solid 14-second period, and the wind is glassy – zero from the ENE. That’s pure clean conditions. Combined energy is moderate (489). This is your best early window: small, but clean and lined up. Thursday afternoon gets a bit bumpy with a light cross breeze.
Friday morning, 31 July, is another glassy morning with a 3ft SW swell at 14 seconds. Clean again, but smaller. The afternoons this week are generally a write-off with afternoon storms and cross winds.
Saturday morning, 1 August, stays glassy but the swell bottoms out at 2ft. It’s clean but tiny. From Sunday, 2 August, through to Wednesday, 6 August, the swell is small and the wind is mostly cross-on or choppy. Energy drops below 300. It’s a flat spell. Not much to get excited about.
Then we hit a change. Friday morning, 7 August, looks promising. It’s glassy again with a 2ft SSW swell, but the period jumps to 18 seconds – very long-period groundswell. Combined energy climbs to 441. That’s a sign of better energy to come. It’s small, but with that period and glass, it’ll be clean and fun for a longboard.
Saturday morning, 8 August, sees the swell build to 3ft from the SSW, 16 seconds, with a light cross breeze. Energy is now 674 (moderate). It’s improving.
But the real standout of the second week is Monday morning, 10 August. Glassy conditions, a 2ft SW swell with a 21-second period – that’s a very long-period groundswell. Combined energy is 523. That’s a gorgeous combination: clean, glassy, and that long period will wrap around the beach well. It’s small, but it’ll be quality. Tuesday morning, 11 August, is glassy again with a 2ft SW swell at 19 seconds (energy 521). Another cracker.
Wednesday morning, 12 August, is glassy with a 3ft SW swell at 17 seconds (energy 633), and Thursday morning, 13 August, is glassy with a 3ft SW swell at 16 seconds (energy 538). The whole second week has a string of glassy mornings with solid groundswell. The afternoons will have storms, so get out early.
Overall, the best call is Wednesday morning, 12 August, or Thursday morning, 13 August – both are glassy, clean, and have the most size (3ft to 3ft) with excellent period. The 10th and 11th are also top-tier but smaller. Crowds are possible at Jaco Beach, so get there early.
This stretch is a classic example of “don’t sleep on the small stuff” – the quality is in the morning glass and the long-period groundswell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Wed afternoon, min 27°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 45mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 29°C on Sat afternoon, min 25°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
793 | 623 | 466 | 407 | 384 | 268 | 257 | 245 | 170 | 167 | 125 | 107 | 171 | 200 | 147 | 173 | 138 | 113 | 125 | 103 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | off |
High Tide | 3:23AM2.40m | 3:28PM2.53m | 3:59AM2.50m | 4:05PM2.56m | 4:34AM2.58m | 4:41PM2.55m | 5:08AM2.63m | 5:18PM2.52m | 5:43AM2.66m | 5:56PM2.46m | 6:20AM2.65m | 6:37PM2.38m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:09PM0.38m | 9:22AM0.58m | 9:45PM0.32m | 10:00AM0.52m | 10:19PM0.30m | 10:38AM0.48m | 10:52PM0.30m | 11:15AM0.45m | 11:26PM0.33m | 11:54AM0.45m | 00:01AM0.38m | 12:35PM0.46m | 00:41AM0.45m | |||||||
— | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | |
6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | 9 | 11 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 6 | 16 | — | 3 | — |
Temp °C | 30 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 |
793 | 623 | 466 | 407 | 384 | 268 | 257 | 245 | 170 | 167 | 118 | 45 | 47 | 62 | 49 | 71 | 89 | 113 | 125 | 103 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 8 | S 7 | S 6 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
21 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 125 | 96 | 171 | 200 | 147 | 173 | 138 | 100 | 93 | 92 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 10 | W 12 | W 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 7 | SW 15 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SSW 11 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 16 |
11 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 43 | 66 | 23 | 107 | 91 | 9 | 72 | 43 | 22 | 41 | 10 | 25 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 155 | 0 | 0 | 144 | 0 | 0 | 151 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 0 | 1 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 75 | 20 | 3 | 95 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Golfo de Nicoya | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










