Playa Samara Surf Break

Lat Long: 9.88° N 85.53° W

Playa Samara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 23 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Playa Samara sea temperature is
30.3°C
2.1° 

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


Playa Samara surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,314 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period with SW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Playa Samara this week:

The surf forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Playa Samara in the next 16 days are 1.6m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 3AM.

Wave TypeTime (CST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Sun 23rd Aug)2ft (0.6m) 18s
Best Surf 9PM (Fri 28th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 18s
Most Powerful 3PM (Sat 29th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening at Playa Samara. It’s a beach and reef setup, open to the SW swell, and pretty beginner-friendly most of the time.

Right now, the water is a balmy 87°F, which is a good 4°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a noticeable jump, so you’re getting a warm bath out there.

We start off this Sunday, the 23rd of August, with clean, small waves. The morning sees a 2ft SW groundswell with a long 13-second period, and a light NE cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is moderate at 410. It’s small, but clean. The afternoon glassed right off with an even longer 18-second period, making it silky smooth, but still tiny.

Monday the 24th keeps the same vibe early – glassy 2ft waves with a 18-second period. The morning is the pick. By the afternoon, the wind shifts onshore and we get a risk of thunderstorms, making things messy.

Tuesday the 25th has a clean morning with some cross-off wind, but the swell is still only 2ft. The afternoons are consistently getting blown out and seeing storm risks, so mornings are the only window.

Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th are pretty ordinary. The swell drops to 1ft-2ft, and the conditions are a mixed bag of cross and cross-on winds, with very low combined energy values (176 to 257). Not worth paddling out for.

Friday the 28th of August is our first sneak peek at something better. The morning brings a solid 3ft SW groundswell with a 19-second period, and the combined energy jumps to a strong 742. The wind is a clean cross-off from the NE at 9 mph. This is a nice, clean long-period swell that will wrap into the bay well. Expect some glassy, well-shaped waves.

But the real standout is Saturday the 29th of August. The morning is absolute gold. We’ve got a 5ft SW groundswell with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is pumping hard at 1072. The wind is glassy, dead calm from the NE. This is the best morning of the whole forecast period – clean, powerful, and offering excellent surf for experienced surfers. The afternoon gets a bit onshore and messy, but that morning session is the one.

Sunday the 30th still has solid 5ft swell, but it’s a little shorter period at 14 seconds. The morning is glassy and very good, but the afternoon turns into a cross-on mess with storms.

We hit a bit of a lull through the start of September. Monday the 31st has a clean 4ft morning, but it’s weak. From Tuesday the 1st of September through Wednesday the 2nd, the swell drops right back to 2ft-3ft with onshore winds and poor conditions.

Thursday the 3rd of September is a special morning. The wind is dead calm, glassy as a mirror, and the swell is 3ft but with a *very* long 20-second period. The combined energy is strong at 817. This is a clean, long-period groundswell that will be a joy on a point or reef, though it might be a bit straight for the beach. It’s a very good morning.

Then, Friday the 4th of September brings the big one. The morning sees a 6ft SW groundswell with a 17-second period, and the combined energy rockets to 2305 – that’s very strong. Winds are light and glassy from the NE. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers only; it’s too big for beginners. The afternoon calms off completely with zero wind and a 7ft swell, making for another excellent, powerful session. This is a standout swell event.

Saturday the 5th of September stays big at 6ft, with a clean morning and cross-off winds. Still excellent for experienced surfers, but the afternoon wind turns onshore.

Sunday the 6th of September is still pumping at 5ft in the morning, glassy, and excellent for experienced surfers.

We wind down from Monday the 7th of September onwards, with the swell dropping back to 4ft and then smaller, with clean mornings but onshore afternoons.

So, the biggest takeaway? The best bet is the morning of Saturday the 29th of August for the glassy, punchy 5ft conditions. For the bigger, more powerful stuff, Friday the 4th of September is your target for expert-only waves. Saturday the 29th gets my vote for the overall best combination of quality and accessibility.

This is Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Sun afternoon, min 25°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 31mm), heaviest during Wed afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Sun
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
2
1
2
2
1
2
1
0
1
1
0
2
3
1
4
4
2
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
17
0.8
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
15
0.5
SW
15
0.5
SW
15
1.6
SSW
7
0.4
SW
15
0.5
SW
18
0.7
SW
16
0.8
SW
19
0.7
SW
19
1.4
SW
18
1.4
SW
16
1.6
SW
16
1.5
SW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
263
260
255
243
322
211
206
191
110
107
212
77
155
251
450
358
1215
1017
1314
1014
Wind (km/h)
5
E
10
NNE
5
NE
10
SSW
10
NNE
5
NE
5
ESE
5
ENE
5
ENE
10
SSE
10
E
5
E
10
SW
10
N
10
NNE
10
S
10
NNE
5
ENE
15
SSE
5
N
Wind State
glassy
off
glassy
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross-on
off
cross-off
on
cross-off
glassy
on
glassy
High Tide
11:41PM1.79m
11:54AM2.02m
00:40AM1.89m
12:49PM2.11m
1:28AM2.04m
1:35PM2.22m
2:08AM2.20m
2:17PM2.32m
2:45AM2.35m
2:55PM2.39m
3:20AM2.48m
3:32PM2.45m
Low Tide
5:28PM0.77m
5:37AM0.89m
6:27PM0.69m
6:37AM0.81m
7:14PM0.58m
7:27AM0.70m
7:55PM0.47m
8:10AM0.58m
8:31PM0.38m
8:49AM0.46m
9:06PM0.30m
9:27AM0.36m
9:40PM0.25m
thunderstorm
cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
part cloud
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:33
5:33
5:33
5:33
5:33
5:33
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:55
5:54
5:54
5:53
5:53
5:52
5:52
 mm
4
1
1
9
4
2
10
7
5
2
1
5
1
3
Temp °C
30
27
30
29
27
30
29
26
29
28
26
28
26
26
30
29
26
30
30
27
Feels °C
35
30
34
32
31
34
33
30
33
32
29
33
30
30
34
33
29
33
32
31
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Playa Samara Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Playa Samara provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Playa Samara can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Playa Samara 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 (Playa Samara) 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 Playa Samara 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.

Playa Samara is 31 km (19 miles) from Nicoya. If you plan a holiday in Golfo de Nicoya, 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.

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