Playa Samara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening at Playa Samara. It’s a beach and reef setup, open to the SW swell, and pretty beginner-friendly most of the time.

Right now, the water is a balmy 87°F, which is a good 4°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a noticeable jump, so you’re getting a warm bath out there.

We start off this Sunday, the 23rd of August, with clean, small waves. The morning sees a 2ft SW groundswell with a long 13-second period, and a light NE cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is moderate at 410. It’s small, but clean. The afternoon glassed right off with an even longer 18-second period, making it silky smooth, but still tiny.

Monday the 24th keeps the same vibe early – glassy 2ft waves with a 18-second period. The morning is the pick. By the afternoon, the wind shifts onshore and we get a risk of thunderstorms, making things messy.

Tuesday the 25th has a clean morning with some cross-off wind, but the swell is still only 2ft. The afternoons are consistently getting blown out and seeing storm risks, so mornings are the only window.

Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th are pretty ordinary. The swell drops to 1ft-2ft, and the conditions are a mixed bag of cross and cross-on winds, with very low combined energy values (176 to 257). Not worth paddling out for.

Friday the 28th of August is our first sneak peek at something better. The morning brings a solid 3ft SW groundswell with a 19-second period, and the combined energy jumps to a strong 742. The wind is a clean cross-off from the NE at 9 mph. This is a nice, clean long-period swell that will wrap into the bay well. Expect some glassy, well-shaped waves.

But the real standout is Saturday the 29th of August. The morning is absolute gold. We’ve got a 5ft SW groundswell with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is pumping hard at 1072. The wind is glassy, dead calm from the NE. This is the best morning of the whole forecast period – clean, powerful, and offering excellent surf for experienced surfers. The afternoon gets a bit onshore and messy, but that morning session is the one.

Sunday the 30th still has solid 5ft swell, but it’s a little shorter period at 14 seconds. The morning is glassy and very good, but the afternoon turns into a cross-on mess with storms.

We hit a bit of a lull through the start of September. Monday the 31st has a clean 4ft morning, but it’s weak. From Tuesday the 1st of September through Wednesday the 2nd, the swell drops right back to 2ft-3ft with onshore winds and poor conditions.

Thursday the 3rd of September is a special morning. The wind is dead calm, glassy as a mirror, and the swell is 3ft but with a *very* long 20-second period. The combined energy is strong at 817. This is a clean, long-period groundswell that will be a joy on a point or reef, though it might be a bit straight for the beach. It’s a very good morning.

Then, Friday the 4th of September brings the big one. The morning sees a 6ft SW groundswell with a 17-second period, and the combined energy rockets to 2305 – that’s very strong. Winds are light and glassy from the NE. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers only; it’s too big for beginners. The afternoon calms off completely with zero wind and a 7ft swell, making for another excellent, powerful session. This is a standout swell event.

Saturday the 5th of September stays big at 6ft, with a clean morning and cross-off winds. Still excellent for experienced surfers, but the afternoon wind turns onshore.

Sunday the 6th of September is still pumping at 5ft in the morning, glassy, and excellent for experienced surfers.

We wind down from Monday the 7th of September onwards, with the swell dropping back to 4ft and then smaller, with clean mornings but onshore afternoons.

So, the biggest takeaway? The best bet is the morning of Saturday the 29th of August for the glassy, punchy 5ft conditions. For the bigger, more powerful stuff, Friday the 4th of September is your target for expert-only waves. Saturday the 29th gets my vote for the overall best combination of quality and accessibility.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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