
Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 7 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 7 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 7 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 18s period, SSW swell with 1,339 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 7 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s period with SSW 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 Tuesday (Jul 07) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Playa Samara in the next 16 days are 1.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 07) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Tue 7th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Tue 7th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Tue 7th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
Alright, let's get into it. Playa Samara is the only game in town this forecast period, and it serves up a classic mixed bag. The water here is sitting at 86°, which is a touch warmer than what we'd normally expect for this time of year, adding a little extra comfort to your session.
Looking at the whole picture, the first week dishes up some real quality, especially in the mornings. Tuesday the 7th is looking mighty fine to start the week. We've got a clean 4ft SSW groundswell with a long 18-second period rolling in, and the wind is glassy out of the NE. That's the kind of combo that gets the heart rate up. The combined energy is strong (1096), meaning there's plenty of push in the water.
Wednesday the 8th has a similar story with a 4ft SSW swell at 16 seconds and glassy morning conditions. Things are still looking solid. Thursday the 9th drops off a little in size to 3ft, but the wind is clean and cross-offshore. You're still getting a decent wave.
Now, the best of the best? Honestly, that Tuesday morning, the 7th, is a true standout. The wave size is perfect for most experienced surfers, the direction matches the break's optimum, and with glassy wind you're looking at clean, peeling lines. It's a beautiful start.
Crowds can show up here sometimes, so if you want a piece of that Tuesday morning perfection, get out there early.
The afternoons through this first week get a bit messy with thunderstorms and onshore breezes, so keep your sessions to the early hours. The wave energy stays in the moderate range for a few days, dipping into the 400s and 500s.
We hit a bit of a lull after the first week. The swell drops down to 2ft to 3ft through the 13th to the 19th of July. It's not a total washout, as we get some clean morning windows with offshore or glassy wind. For example, Monday the 13th morning has a 2ft SW swell and offshore wind, making it surfable. The weekend of the 19th shows promise too, with a clean 3ft S swell on Sunday morning and offshore NNE winds. It'll be smaller, but if you're on a log or a fish, you'll find something fun.
Then, hold onto your boards, because around the 20th and 21st of July, the energy really ramps up. We're talking about a 4ft to 4ft S swell moving in, and the combined energy jumps back into the strong range (1301). The problem is, the wind turns onshore from the ESE, making things choppy and a bit of a battle. It's not ideal for a clean paddle session, but the power is there. Things settle down beautifully on Wednesday the 22nd. We get a 4ft S swell with glassy conditions. That late in the forecast, it's a promising sign but we know the long-range stuff can be a bit fickle.
So, to sum it up: grab the first few mornings of the first week, especially Tuesday the 7th, for the best quality. The middle part of the outlook is small but clean. The end of the period has some serious grunt, but you'll need to pick your window wisely for the cleanest conditions.
Stay stoked.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Thu night. Warm (max 31°C on Wed morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 39mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | S 16 | S 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
835 | 1033 | 963 | 864 | 683 | 649 | 414 | 353 | 387 | 279 | 279 | 398 | 377 | 362 | 293 | 437 | 233 | 158 | 151 | 188 | 159 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | off | glassy | on | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | off | off | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:44PM2.08m | 8:14AM2.36m | 8:39PM2.02m | 9:08AM2.37m | 9:42PM2.00m | 10:10AM2.40m | 10:50PM2.02m | 11:15AM2.45m | 11:59PM2.11m | 12:20PM2.53m | 1:04AM2.24m | 1:22PM2.62m | 2:04AM2.39m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:44PM0.61m | 1:48AM0.55m | 2:38PM0.59m | 2:41AM0.58m | 3:39PM0.55m | 3:42AM0.60m | 4:44PM0.49m | 4:49AM0.57m | 5:49PM0.39m | 5:58AM0.50m | 6:52PM0.26m | 7:03AM0.40m | 7:50PM0.13m | ||||||||
5:26 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | |
— | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | 4 | 6 | — | 6 | 15 | — | 8 | 4 | — | 5 | 1 | — | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 |
Feels °C | 33 | 34 | 30 | 35 | 35 | 32 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 34 | 33 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 7 | SW 14 | SW 13 | S 15 |
835 | 1033 | 963 | 864 | 683 | 649 | 414 | 353 | 387 | 279 | 279 | 398 | 377 | 362 | 293 | 437 | 233 | 56 | 151 | 180 | 159 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 10 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | SSW 6 | S 8 | SW 14 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 7 |
208 | 136 | 100 | 118 | 110 | 108 | 87 | 85 | 89 | 89 | 84 | 80 | 64 | 59 | 40 | 40 | 31 | 158 | 35 | 33 | 28 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 14 | S 8 | W 16 | NW 15 | W 15 | — | SSW 15 | S 20 | SSW 20 | S 18 | SSW 18 | S 16 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SW 23 | SW 12 | SSW 14 | S 16 | S 16 | SSW 12 |
53 | 35 | 31 | 5 | 9 | 4 | — | 47 | 31 | 75 | 163 | 106 | 134 | 132 | 172 | 21 | 68 | 105 | 134 | 188 | 83 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 34 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 9 | 9 | 43 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Golfo de Nicoya | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










