Playa Samara Surf Break

Lat Long: 9.88° N 85.53° W

Playa Samara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 15 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Playa Samara sea temperature is
30.4° C
2.2° 

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 16 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 15s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 15s period, SW swell with 767 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 15s 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 16) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 11s. 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 1.3m 15s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (CST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6AM (Sun 16th Aug)4.5ft (1.3m) 15s
Best Surf 6AM (Sun 16th Aug)4.5ft (1.3m) 15s
Most Powerful 6AM (Sun 16th Aug)4.5ft (1.3m) 15s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down Playa Samara over the next couple weeks. This is a mellow beach-and-reef setup, perfect for beginners, so don’t expect any heavy-duty juice. The water temp is about normal for this time of year—nothing weird.

Straight out of the gate, Sunday morning the 16th, we’ve got a solid SW groundswell hitting 4 ft with a 15-second period—that’s proper long-period groundswell, so the waves will have shape and some punch. The swell energy is moderate (976), and the wind is a light cross-off from the NNE at 6 mph, so the surface should be clean. Expect very good surf conditions. Afternoon gets onshore and messy, so the morning is the play.

Monday the 17th is a beauty. Wind goes glassy from the NE at 3 mph in the morning, with the swell holding at 4 ft and a 14-second period. Energy is still moderate (587). And it stays glassy through the afternoon, too, with a light SW breeze. That’s perfect, clean, uncrowded beginner waves.

Tuesday the 18th morning is more glassy goodness: 4 ft SW at 14 seconds, energy 575. But the afternoon gets iffy with thunderstorm risk and onshore wind, so get out early. Wednesday and Thursday mornings still offer clean windows with glassy winds, but the swell drops to around 3 ft then 2 ft, and energy falls into the 200–400 range. Still surfable on a longboard.

The best bet in this whole forecast is Sunday the 16th morning through Tuesday the 18th morning. The swell is consistent at 4–4 ft, the period is long (14–15 seconds), and the wind is glassy to cross-off. For beginners, that’s about as good as it gets around here. The 16th morning with 4 ft SW and a 15-second period with cross-off wind is the absolute standout.

There’s a lull from the 20th through the 24th where the swell drops to 2 ft and afternoons get messy, but mornings still have clean, cross-off winds on small SW groundswell—just weak energy (278–478). A log will still get you going.

The second week picks up again. Friday the 28th morning drops to dead calm wind—0 mph, glassy—with 3 ft SW swell at 16 seconds and energy jumping to 533. That’s a dream session. Saturday the 29th morning is even bigger: 4 ft SW at 16 seconds, energy at 710, with clean cross-off NW wind at 6 mph. Those are the two standouts in the second week. By Sunday the 30th, the swell is still 4 ft SW at 14 seconds, with clean morning wind and glassy afternoon conditions—a great end to the month.

Nothing huge here, no danger, just clean, fun, small-wave surfing. The mornings are where it’s at.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Sun morning, min 25°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 39mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 25°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
3
2
2
3
3
3
3
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
0
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
SW
16
1.3
SW
15
1.2
SW
15
1.2
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
0.9
SW
14
1
SW
16
0.9
SW
15
0.9
SW
14
0.8
SW
14
0.9
SSW
9
0.9
SSW
9
1
S
10
1.1
SSW
11
1.1
SSW
11
1.1
SSW
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
942
677
606
598
428
428
416
422
336
477
355
305
238
142
138
225
303
297
292
Wind (km/h)
10
NE
10
NNE
5
SSE
5
SE
5
NE
5
SW
5
E
5
NE
5
SSE
5
E
5
ESE
5
NW
5
NW
10
ENE
5
S
0
SE
5
NE
10
SSW
5
NE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross-on
glassy
glassy
glassy
glassy
on
cross
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-off
on
glassy
cross-off
on
cross-off
High Tide
5:00AM2.76m
5:18PM2.54m
5:41AM2.67m
6:00PM2.40m
6:22AM2.54m
6:44PM2.24m
7:04AM2.38m
7:29PM2.07m
7:49AM2.22m
8:19PM1.91m
8:40AM2.09m
9:19PM1.80m
Low Tide
10:44PM0.05m
11:13AM0.17m
11:25PM0.16m
11:57AM0.25m
00:06AM0.30m
12:40PM0.37m
00:48AM0.46m
1:25PM0.51m
1:31AM0.62m
2:15PM0.64m
2:20AM0.76m
3:13PM0.74m
thunderstorm
part cloud
cloud
thunderstorm
cloud
cloud
rain showers
rain showers
thunderstorm
mod rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
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>
5:59
5:59
5:58
5:58
5:57
5:57
 mm
4
3
1
1
5
8
5
1
2
4
3
16
27
Temp °C
26
30
29
26
29
29
26
29
28
27
26
27
26
29
28
27
30
29
26
Feels °C
29
33
33
30
33
33
31
33
32
32
30
32
30
33
33
32
33
32
30
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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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