Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 14 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,123 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 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 Friday (Aug 14) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Playa Samara in the next 16 days are 1.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cookin’ at Playa Samara.
We’re looking at a bit of a slow burn to start, but there’s some real potential building through the period. The first real action worth paddling out for hits Friday morning, August 14th. We’ve got a clean 4 ft swell from the SW with a very generous 18-second period, giving it that proper groundswell feel. The combined energy is solid at 919, and with a light cross-off breeze from the NNE, it’s gonna be glassy and well-shaped. This is the standout of the early window. For a beginner-friendly beach and reef setup, that’s about as welcoming as it gets.
Saturday morning, August 15th, will be the pick for the slightly more experienced crew. The swell bumps up to 5 ft from the SW, still with a long 16-second period, pushing the combined energy to 1246. A light NE cross-off keeps it clean. Anything over 4 ft is starting to push it for beginners, so this one’s for the intermediate crowd who want a bit more push but still clean conditions.
We hit a bit of a lull from Monday through to the following Thursday. The waves drop right down, and the wind turns onshore or stays funky. Definitely a gap where I’d be checking the wind more than the water.
Now, the real sleeper might be the second week. Friday morning, August 28th, the SW swell lifts back to 3 ft with a 16-second period and the combined energy climbs to 618. Glassy conditions with a light NE cross-off wind again. It’s promising but we’re a week out, so keep an eye on it. The following Saturday morning, August 29th, is also looking crisp: 4 ft SW swell, 14-second period, 649 energy, and dead glassy with a NE breeze. That’s a long-range standout worth dreaming on.
Water temp’s running about average for the time of year, so no surprises there – just your standard tropical warmth.
Overall, don’t expect a full-on swell window, but Friday the 14th and the final Saturday the 29th are your real targets. Crowds? Samara gets a bit of traffic, so expect some company on those cleaner mornings.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Sat morning, min 24°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 28°C on Tue morning, min 24°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | S 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 804 | 777 | 1050 | 1109 | 991 | 942 | 677 | 606 | 598 | 428 | 434 | 410 | 373 | 341 | 406 | 355 | 305 | 238 | 144 | 138 | 196 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | on | cross |
High Tide | 3:49PM2.69m | 4:17AM2.77m | 4:34PM2.64m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:41AM0.14m | 10:01PM0.00m | 10:28AM0.13m | 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 | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | |  |  |  | | | | | |  |  | | | | | |
 | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — |
 | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:57 | — |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | 5 | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | 2 | — | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 9 | — | 1 | 6 |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 33 | 34 | 29 | 34 | 33 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | S 8 | SW 14 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 16 | S 9 | S 8 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | S 10 |
| kJ | 804 | 777 | 1050 | 1109 | 991 | 942 | 677 | 606 | 598 | 428 | 138 | 410 | 121 | 145 | 406 | 122 | 108 | 129 | 129 | 132 | 196 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | S 8 | SW 14 | S 7 | SW 14 | SW 14 | S 8 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 50 | 166 | 180 | 137 | 137 | 171 | 75 | 77 | 62 | 118 | 434 | 112 | 373 | 341 | 98 | 355 | 305 | 238 | 144 | 138 | 83 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 12 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 |
| kJ | 65 | 251 | — | — | — | — | 59 | 37 | 57 | 21 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 46 | 48 | 28 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 43 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 9 | 9 | 19 | 16 |
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.
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