Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 14 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SW swell with 710 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 16s 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 07) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 12s is also forecast. 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 1.1m 18s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 9AM. 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 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a steady run of small, clean surf on the cards, especially through the mornings. The water is sitting at 86°, which is a good couple of degrees warmer than usual for this time of year – feels like a bath out there. The standout period is really the second half of the first week and into the second week, with a nice little pulse of energy arriving.
Let’s start with Friday morning, the 7th of August. The swell is tiny at 2ft from the SSW, but the period is a long 18 seconds, so there’s a bit of real ground energy in the water. The combined energy is moderate (506). The wind is light and cross-off from the ENE, so the surface will be clean. It’s small, but it’s surfable.
The real highlight starts on Saturday morning, the 15th of August. That’s the day to circle. We’ve got a solid 5ft SW groundswell pushing in with a 16-second period. The combined energy jumps up to a strong 1293. The wind is light and cross-off from the ENE, leaving it clean. That’s a proper step up in size, and with that period, it’ll have some punch. It’s getting a bit too big for beginners, but for anyone with a bit of experience, that’s going to be the best wave of the outlook.
The following morning, Sunday the 16th, is still very good. 4ft of SW swell with a 15-second period, combined energy of 829, and clean, cross-off winds from the NNE. Another solid session.
Tuesday morning, the 18th of August, is worth a mention too. The wind is glassy – dead calm from the ESE – and the swell is a consistent 4ft from the SW with a 15-second period. The wave energy is moderate (596). Those glassy conditions are rare and precious, so if you can get out then, it’ll be a treat.
Overall, the best bets are the mornings of the 15th, 16th, and 18th of August. The rest of the time, it’s small but clean enough for a longboard or a funboard. Keep an eye on the afternoons though – the wind tends to swing onshore or on, and the surface gets a bit messy. That Saturday morning the 15th though, that’s the one.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Mon morning, min 25°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 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 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 19 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 209 | 305 | 376 | 367 | 435 | 305 | 401 | 284 | 199 | 172 | 288 | 309 | 224 | 375 | 212 | 211 | 163 | 181 | 176 | 251 | 369 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | on | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 9:16PM1.99m | 9:46AM2.34m | 10:31PM2.00m | 10:58AM2.35m | 11:46PM2.08m | 12:09PM2.42m | 00:54AM2.24m | 1:13PM2.52m | 1:53AM2.42m | 2:09PM2.61m | 2:45AM2.59m | 3:01PM2.68m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 3:11PM0.53m | 3:18AM0.61m | 4:21PM0.52m | 4:33AM0.62m | 5:33PM0.45m | 5:48AM0.56m | 6:39PM0.33m | 6:56AM0.45m | 7:37PM0.20m | 7:57AM0.32m | 8:29PM0.08m | 8:51AM0.21m | 9:16PM0.01m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — |
 | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 32 | 32 | 30 | 33 | 33 | 29 | 33 | 33 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 13 | SW 15 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 |
| kJ | 92 | 106 | 376 | 367 | 435 | 305 | 401 | 284 | 199 | 172 | 288 | 309 | 224 | 224 | 212 | 211 | 134 | 181 | 84 | 82 | 80 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 16 | S 9 | SW 20 | S 9 | SW 18 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 19 |
| kJ | 205 | 151 | 144 | 139 | 55 | 39 | 35 | 48 | 47 | 125 | 41 | 186 | 37 | 375 | 60 | 58 | 57 | 55 | 176 | 251 | 369 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SW 17 | S 9 | S 9 | WSW 6 | SW 11 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 16 | S 10 | SW 20 | S 9 | SW 18 | S 9 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 16 | S 15 | S 14 | S 12 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 209 | 305 | 56 | 55 | 3 | 77 | 30 | 31 | 91 | 29 | 99 | 40 | 159 | 37 | 150 | 136 | 163 | 109 | 94 | 27 | 248 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 43 | 9 | 9 | 43 | 9 | 9 | 29 | 9 | 9 | 43 | 9 | 9 | 112 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 284 | 9 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Golfo de Nicoya | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Playa Samara surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest