Playa Samara Surf Break

Lat Long: 9.88° N 85.53° W

Playa Samara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 21 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 22 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period, SW swell with 1,215 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 10s period with S 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 14s. 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 1.4m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (CST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9AM (Sat 22nd Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 10s
Best Surf 9PM (Fri 28th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 18s
Most Powerful12AM (Sat 29th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the next couple of weeks have in store for us at Playa Samara. Straight up, it’s a mixed bag, but there are a couple of sessions that are really gonna get the stoke levels up.

The general pattern is a slow, small start that builds into a solid pulse of long-period SW groundswell. The first week is mostly small and clean, perfect for the learners and loggers, then around the end of August and into early September, we get a proper kick in energy. The combined swell energy hits the moderate to strong range, getting up to around 1241 by the 29th, so there’s some real punch in the water.

Right out of the gate, Saturday morning the 22nd is worth a look. It’s small, about 3ft from the S, but with a clean 10-second period and a nice cross-off breeze from the NNE. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The combined energy is a moderate 381. It’s a good, gentle intro.

The real standout, the one you want to circle on the calendar, is Saturday the 29th. This is the pick of the bunch. Both the morning and afternoon sessions are excellent. The morning sees 5ft SW swell with a 16-second period, a clean cross-off from the ENE, and a combined energy of 1241. That’s proper groundswell energy. The afternoon gets even better, glassing off with 5ft SW swell and a combined energy of 1402. This is expert territory at over 5ft, and that long period will wrap nicely into the beach and reef setup. The only thing to watch is that the crowds are sometimes here, so get out there early for a clean session.

Another one to keep an eye on, especially for the experienced crew, is Friday the 4th of September. The morning has a solid 4ft SW groundswell with an 18-second period, a clean offshore wind from the NNE, and a combined energy of 1298. That’s a serious wave. The following Saturday morning the 5th is also a beauty, with 5ft SW swell and glassy conditions, energy at 1208. It’s worth noting the period is still long, which is great for the point and reef sections.

The rest of the window is a mix of small, clean mornings and afternoons that get a bit bumpy with onshore breezes and the risk of thunderstorms. The first week has some super fun, tiny days with glassy conditions, like Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th mornings. Later on, the 2nd and 3rd of September offer some clean morning sessions with solid energy, but the afternoons are messy. The last few days of the forecast, around the 6th, look a bit ordinary with onshore winds, so that’s a pass.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Sat morning, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 45mm), heaviest during Wed afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
1
2
2
0
2
2
1
2
2
1
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.1
S
11
1
S
10
0.9
S
10
0.9
S
10
0.9
S
9
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
0.9
S
7
0.4
SW
15
0.5
SW
18
0.7
SW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
279
218
158
154
136
263
260
255
243
322
211
206
191
110
107
77
77
155
242
Wind (km/h)
10
N
5
NNE
10
SW
5
ENE
10
NE
10
S
10
NNE
10
NE
10
S
10
NNE
5
NE
5
SSW
10
NNE
5
NE
5
SSW
5
E
0
NNE
5
W
5
NNW
Wind State
off
cross-off
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
on
off
cross-off
on
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
off
glassy
cross-on
glassy
glassy
glassy
glassy
High Tide
9:41AM1.99m
10:30PM1.75m
10:49AM1.97m
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
Low Tide
3:19AM0.87m
4:20PM0.79m
4:28AM0.92m
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
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
rain showers
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>
5:55
5:55
5:54
5:54
5:53
5:53
 mm
3
4
4
3
3
4
4
2
6
5
2
9
7
4
6
10
Temp °C
28
31
30
28
31
30
27
30
29
26
29
28
27
29
28
27
28
27
26
Feels °C
33
34
34
33
34
33
32
34
33
29
33
32
31
33
32
32
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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