Jaco Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what Jaco Beach has cookin’ for us over the next couple of weeks.

First off, the water is sitting at a warm 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – you’ll feel that tropical bathwater for sure.

We’ve got a solid run of surf starting right from this Friday morning, 11th September. The morning starts dead flat calm with glassy conditions and a clean 4 ft SW swell. The period is a long 16 seconds, that’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy of all swells directed here is sitting at 614 (moderate wave energy). That’s your standout for the first week. It’s going to be clean, lined-up, and fun for everyone. The wind stays light and variable through the weekend, keeping those morning windows glassy, though afternoons will see a light cross breeze and a chance of storms.

Over Saturday and Sunday morning (12th and 13th September), we see the swell easing back to 3 ft and then 2 ft, but still with that sweet 13-14 second period and glassy, offshore NW to N winds. It’ll stay clean, just smaller. The afternoon sessions get a bit bumpy with light cross-shore winds.

Monday 14th through to Thursday 17th sees a bit of a lull in size, with the swell hanging around the 1 ft to 3 ft range. The mornings are mostly glassy with a slight breeze, and the period stays long between 14 and 19 seconds, so you’ll still get a few fun ones rolling through. The afternoon winds turn cross-shore or cross-off, keeping things rideable. The combined energy dips a bit but stays in the moderate 290 to 589 range.

Friday 18th September morning still has some glassy conditions with a 1 ft, 20-second period groundswell, but the afternoon gets messy with a 6 mph cross-onshore wind – not worth paddling out then.

There’s a stretch from 19th to 20th September with poor conditions as winds turn onshore and cross-onshore, and the swell is inconsistent and weak. Between the 19th and the 21st, we’ve got a few days where it’s mostly poor surf quality, so you’re looking at a couple of days off.

Now, for the second week, the real standout appears on Monday morning, 21st September. The swell bumps back up to 3 ft with a solid SW direction and a 6 mph cross-off breeze keeping it clean. The combined energy is a strong 598 (moderate wave energy). That morning session looks good.

But hold onto your board – Tuesday 22nd September morning brings a much bigger pulse. A 10 ft S swell with a short 8-second period and glassy conditions rocks up. The combined energy of all swells directed here is a massive 1266 (strong wave energy). That’s expert territory only – it’s going to be powerful and jacking up fast. If you’re not experienced, sit this one out. The afternoon stays big at 10 ft with a light cross breeze, but the period shortens to 9 seconds, making it a bit messy.

Wednesday 23rd September drops to 7 ft but with a 9 mph cross-onshore wind, turning it choppy and less appealing. After that, Thursday 24th and Friday 25th see the swell fade to 2 ft, with better conditions returning on Friday morning (25th) – glassy, clean, and a 13-second period.

There’s a nice little uptick on Saturday morning, 26th September, with a glassy 2 ft swell and a 19-second period. The combined energy jumps to 506, and the afternoon stays clean with a light cross-off breeze. A solid way to end the outlook.

So, the two standouts: Friday morning 11th September for that clean, long-period groundswell, and Tuesday morning 22nd September for the serious, expert-level power.

Rusty out.

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