
Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 21s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 17s period, SW swell with 1,722 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 12s 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 Thursday (Jul 23) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 7s. 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 1.7m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) 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+) | 12AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here, checkin' in from the beach. We've got a bit of a slow start but the second half of the week is lookin' tasty, so let's get into it.
Alright, the first couple of days are a write-off. Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning have got tiny, messy swell with a combined energy of 282 and 158, so you're not missing much. Thursday arvo sees a weird spike in period to 26 seconds, but only 1ft of swell – that's a ghost pulse, not worth paddlin' out for.
The real action kicks off Friday morning, the 24th. Playa Samara wakes up with a clean 2ft of SW groundswell, period 24 seconds, and a light offshore from the north. The water's a touch warmer than normal at 86°, about 3° above average for this time of year. Combined energy is a solid 822 – it's not huge, but it's got that long-period push. This is your best window for a fun, uncrowded session before the afternoon storms roll in.
Saturday morning, the 25th, is another glassy beauty with 3ft of SW swell, period 21 seconds, and a combined energy of 778. The wind is dead calm, so the surface is gonna be like a mirror. The swell is a little bigger than Friday, but still well within the fun zone for all levels.
Sunday the 26th is the standout. Morning glass, 4ft of SW groundswell, period 19 seconds, and a combined energy of 1038. That's a proper pulse for this spot. Conditions are gonna be excellent for experienced surfers – the sets will have some punch, but the long period will keep 'em lined up. This is the one to circle on the calendar.
Monday the 27th holds the same quality: 4ft of SW swell, period 19 seconds, and combined energy up to 1414. Another glassy morning with excellent conditions. The energy is building, so the waves will have more grunt.
Tuesday the 28th sees the swell bump up to 5ft, but the wind goes cross-shore in the morning and onshore in the arvo. The morning is still rideable, but it's not the clean perfection of the previous days.
Wednesday the 29th is a call for the experienced crew. Morning glass with 5ft of SW groundswell, period 16 seconds, and a combined energy of 1223. That's gettin' into the solid range – it's too big for beginners, but for the lads who know what they're doin', it'll be a ripper morning.
After that, the swell fades through the end of July and into early August. There's a gap of poor to marginal surf from the afternoon of the 30th right through to the 2nd of August. Then we get a run of clean, small mornings from the 3rd to the 6th of August, with 2ft to 3ft of SW swell and glassy conditions. The best of that late run is Thursday the 6th of August afternoon, with 3ft of SSW swell and a combined energy of 501 – glassy, clean, and a nice way to finish the outlook.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 31mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 24°C on Thu afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 51mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 24°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 26 | WSW 8 | SW 24 | SW 24 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
156 | 92 | 93 | 171 | 175 | 563 | 271 | 898 | 658 | 563 | 1210 | 920 | 996 | 1185 | 800 | 715 | 1465 | 1213 | 1682 | 1225 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:06PM1.94m | 9:29AM2.17m | 10:06PM1.85m | 10:26AM2.09m | 11:10PM1.81m | 11:26AM2.07m | 00:12AM1.84m | 12:23PM2.11m | 1:07AM1.91m | 1:14PM2.18m | 1:55AM2.01m | 2:00PM2.26m | 2:37AM2.13m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:03PM0.63m | 3:07AM0.73m | 4:02PM0.69m | 4:05AM0.82m | 5:03PM0.71m | 5:06AM0.85m | 6:02PM0.68m | 6:06AM0.83m | 6:56PM0.61m | 7:01AM0.77m | 7:43PM0.52m | 7:49AM0.69m | 8:24PM0.43m | |||||||
— | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | |
6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:05 | — | |
mm | 6 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 32 | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | 2 | 12 |
Temp °C | 28 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 |
Feels °C | 33 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 34 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 32 | 29 | 32 | 33 | 29 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | SW 12 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | WSW 8 | SW 8 | WSW 8 | SW 8 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
119 | 92 | 30 | 104 | 175 | 204 | 113 | 142 | 658 | 563 | 1210 | 920 | 996 | 1185 | 546 | 525 | 1465 | 1213 | 1682 | 1225 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | S 7 | SW 12 | SW 13 | S 7 | SW 24 | S 7 | SW 21 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 19 | SW 19 | S 9 | SW 13 | S 9 | S 11 |
156 | 23 | 93 | 59 | 64 | 563 | 48 | 898 | 78 | 69 | 114 | 100 | 98 | 96 | 800 | 715 | 41 | 253 | 39 | 86 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 26 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 24 | SW 12 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 11 | WSW 7 | SW 11 | SW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SSW 11 | — |
7 | 39 | 35 | 171 | 45 | 55 | 271 | 71 | 42 | 43 | 128 | 18 | 41 | 29 | 68 | 67 | 28 | 89 | 25 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 153 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 29 | 9 | 9 | 43 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 9 | 9 | 51 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 16 | 9 | 45 | 9 | 16 | 52 | 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.










