Jaco Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 9.60° N 84.62° W

Jaco Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 28 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Jaco Beach sea temperature is
30.0°C
1.7° 

Jaco Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Jaco Beach surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 17s period, SW swell with 1,560 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 18s 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m 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 1.6m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (CST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Fri 28th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 18s
Best Surf 6PM (Sat 29th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 16s
Most Powerful 3PM (Fri 4th Sep)5ft (1.6m) 17s

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’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, no real gap to speak of. The first couple of days are smaller and clean, then the swell builds into a real nice window around the start of September. Water temp is sitting at 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – you’ll feel that tropical bath.

Friday 28 August starts off with a beauty. Jaco Beach is showing 2ft of SW swell, period a chunky 20 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, long lines. Combined energy is moderate at 543. Morning is glassy with a light northerly, so expect clean, peeling waves. This long period stuff will really favour the points and reefs, but even here it’ll be organised and fun. Afternoon gets a bit tricky with a risk of t-storms and a cross-shore wind, so get out early.

Saturday 29 August morning bumps up to 4ft from the SW, period still a lovely 16 seconds. Glassy again with a light northerly. Combined energy is strong at 929. This is a cracking morning – clean, good size, decent power. The afternoon sees the swell hit 5ft and the wind goes cross-onshore, so it’ll get a bit bumpy. The morning is definitely the call.

Sunday 30 August morning holds at 4ft SW, period 14 seconds, and it’s dead calm – glassy as a mirror. Combined energy is strong at 811. Another top-notch morning. Afternoon storms and a cross-onshore breeze mess it up.

Monday 31 August morning drops a touch to 4ft, period 13 seconds, but it’s glassy again with no wind. Combined energy is 438. Still good, clean surf. The pattern of clean mornings and iffy afternoons holds all week.

Tuesday 1 September and Wednesday 2 September see the swell dip a little – 3ft on Tuesday morning, glassy with calm wind, and 3ft on Wednesday but with a cross-onshore breeze. Wednesday afternoon gets really poor, with only 2ft and cross-onshore wind. A bit of a lull.

Thursday 3 September morning bounces back to 2ft, glassy, period 16 seconds. Clean but small.

Now, the standout window is Friday 4 September and Saturday 5 September. Friday morning brings 4ft of SW swell, 17 second period, glassy conditions with a light ESE breeze. Combined energy is strong at 1130 – you’ll feel that push. This is excellent for experienced surfers. Saturday morning is even better: 5ft SW, 16 second period, glassy. Combined energy is very strong at 1345. Both mornings are absolute crackers – clean, powerful, and well-shaped. The afternoon winds do get a bit messy on both days, so the dawn patrol is the winner here.

Sunday 6 September morning is still good at 4ft, glassy, 14 second period. Solid.

The following week, from Monday 7 September through Saturday 12 September, the swell hangs around the 3ft to 4ft range, mostly SW direction, with periods between 13 and 16 seconds. There are plenty of clean, glassy mornings – Monday 7th, Wednesday 9th, Thursday 10th, Friday 11th, and Saturday 12th all have mornings with either calm or near-calm winds and clean conditions. Combined energy stays moderate to strong, peaking at 917 on Friday 11th morning. The afternoons are consistently more marginal with storms and cross-shore breezes, so stick to the early sessions.

The pick of the whole run has to be Saturday 5 September morning – 5ft of clean SW swell, 16 second period, glassy, with very strong energy (1345). That’s the one to circle on the calendar. Friday 4 September morning is right up there too.

Because the swell is coming from the SW, and Jaco Beach is exposed to that direction, it lines up nicely. Crowds are *sometimes* an issue here, so expect some company, but the quality on those top mornings will be worth it.

If you’re a beginner, stick to the smaller mornings around 2ft to 3ft – anything over 5ft (like Saturday 5th) is really for the more experienced crew.

Stay stoked.
Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Fri morning, min 27°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 29°C on Wed morning, min 25°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
2
2
3
3
2
3
1
3
2
1
2
2
1
1
1
0
2
2
1
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
SW
20
0.8
SW
19
1.1
SW
18
1.2
SW
16
1.5
SW
16
1.4
SW
15
1.3
SW
14
1.3
SW
14
1.2
SW
14
1.1
SW
13
1
SW
13
0.9
SW
13
0.8
SW
13
0.8
SW
13
0.9
SW
12
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
17
0.6
SW
16
0.7
SW
16
0.8
SW
19
1.1
SW
18
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
373
441
777
746
1109
939
746
726
549
392
342
282
199
190
212
212
222
163
248
427
786
Wind (km/h)
5
N
10
S
5
N
5
N
10
SSW
10
NNW
0
NE
10
SSW
5
W
0
SW
10
SSW
15
SE
0
WSW
10
SSW
20
SE
10
NNW
10
SW
0
W
0
W
10
SW
0
NW
Wind State
glassy
cross
cross
glassy
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross-on
glassy
glassy
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
3:03PM2.55m
3:27AM2.64m
3:39PM2.60m
4:01AM2.74m
4:16PM2.62m
4:36AM2.80m
4:53PM2.61m
5:12AM2.81m
5:32PM2.55m
5:51AM2.77m
6:15PM2.46m
6:35AM2.69m
7:03PM2.34m
Low Tide
9:13PM0.32m
9:34AM0.38m
9:47PM0.27m
10:11AM0.30m
10:21PM0.25m
10:48AM0.26m
10:57PM0.26m
11:27AM0.25m
11:35PM0.31m
12:10PM0.30m
00:17AM0.39m
12:57PM0.38m
1:06AM0.50m
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
thunderstorm
part cloud
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
mod rain
part cloud
thunderstorm
mod rain
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:28
5:28
5:28
5:28
5:28
5:28
5:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:49
5:49
5:47
5:47
5:46
5:45
5:45
 mm
3
1
6
1
6
5
2
5
10
1
9
1
1
3
Temp °C
29
29
28
29
29
27
28
29
28
28
28
26
26
27
26
29
28
27
28
28
28
Feels °C
32
33
32
32
32
31
33
32
33
33
31
30
31
30
28
33
31
32
33
31
33
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Jaco Beach:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

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.

Nearest locationNearest