
Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 17s period, SW swell with 1,567 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s 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 (Sep 04) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m 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 1.7m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's get into it folks. This is Rusty, and here’s the outlook for your local patch.
Alright, so we’ve got a run of southwest groundswell heading our way at Playa Samara. It’s a beach and reef setup that’s pretty consistent, and for a beginner-friendly spot, it’s going to have a few really tidy windows. The water temp feels about average for this time of year, so no shock to the system.
The real standout here kicks off Friday, September 4th. The morning is looking mint – glassy conditions with a light easterly breeze, and a solid 5 ft SW groundswell with a long 17-second period giving the waves plenty of grunt. The wave energy is strong at 1309, so you’ll feel the push. That’s the pick of the next few days for the experienced crew. The afternoon is a write-off with a risk of storms and a messy cross-on wind, so get in early.
Saturday the 5th is more of the same pattern. The morning glass-off is your window, delivering a slightly bigger 6 ft swell from the SW at 16 seconds, with strong energy (1470). Clean, lined-up, and ripe for a solid session. As soon as that afternoon wind swings onshore, it’s game over.
Sunday the 6th looks good for a cruisier morning. You’ve got 5 ft SW swell at 14 seconds and totally calm, glassy conditions. The energy drops a bit (866) but it’ll be clean and user-friendly. Best for those who aren’t chasing the biggest wave of the season.
After that, things settle down a touch. Monday the 7th through Thursday the 10th offers smaller but still clean morning windows. Swell drops from 4 ft down to 2 ft, but the early glass and light winds will keep the waves tidy. Thursday the 10th gives up a 4 ft SW swell at 17 seconds (energy 1160) with a clean, cross-off breeze – another solid session if you time it right.
The second week is smaller and quieter. From September 11th onward, mornings stay clean but the swell height drops below 3 ft. There are still windows of 2 ft to 3 ft SW swell with long to very long periods (17 to 21 seconds) through to the 19th. It’s going to be very small and fat, but if you want an easy longboard or a fish session with no crowd worries, those early glass-offs will be your friend. Just don't expect to get wet on many afternoons – the wind and storm risk makes most afternoons a flop.
Overall, your best bets are the mornings of September 4th, 5th, and 6th – that’s when the energy, size, and conditions line up best. After that, it's all about timing the morning glass for smaller, cleaner waves.
Stay stoked, and keep an eye on that morning sky.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 31mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 38mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 30°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | ||||||||||||||
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 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
881 | 1174 | 1537 | 1314 | 1420 | 1412 | 868 | 833 | 667 | 521 | 500 | 357 | 286 | 249 | 224 | 302 | 367 | 669 | 871 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | on | off |
High Tide | 7:20AM2.43m | 7:54PM2.09m | 8:21AM2.32m | 9:03PM2.01m | 9:33AM2.25m | 10:23PM2.02m | 10:50AM2.25m | 11:39PM2.13m | 12:02PM2.32m | 00:44AM2.31m | 1:04PM2.42m | 1:38AM2.49m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:59AM0.46m | 1:46PM0.45m | 1:57AM0.57m | 2:52PM0.53m | 3:08AM0.66m | 4:07PM0.55m | 4:29AM0.67m | 5:21PM0.50m | 5:46AM0.59m | 6:26PM0.39m | 6:52AM0.46m | 7:21PM0.27m | |||||||
— | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | 4 | 6 | — | 4 | 9 | — | 7 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 |
Temp °C | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 34 | 35 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 |
881 | 1174 | 1537 | 1314 | 1420 | 1412 | 868 | 833 | 667 | 521 | 500 | 357 | 286 | 249 | 199 | 302 | 367 | 669 | 871 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | W 9 | W 9 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 12 | SW 12 | W 10 | S 11 |
105 | 107 | 91 | 89 | 25 | 13 | 31 | 20 | 34 | 63 | 59 | 21 | 19 | 246 | 224 | 114 | 116 | 54 | 37 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | SW 13 | SSW 11 | W 9 | SSW 11 | W 11 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | SW 19 | SW 6 | SW 18 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | SW 19 | SW 20 | WNW 11 |
14 | 28 | 24 | 15 | 25 | 2 | 14 | 13 | 22 | 19 | 96 | 23 | 155 | 59 | 58 | 57 | 234 | 134 | 38 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 6 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 34 | 9 | 9 | 43 | 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.










