
Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 21s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 18s period, SW swell with 1,465 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 15s 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 12s. 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 1.6m 18s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, with the imperial measurements for you.
We’re looking at a slow start, but the longer this window goes, the more it builds. First real action kicks off Monday afternoon, July 20th, at Playa Samara, a beach and reef setup exposed to the southwest swell. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 86°F, so leave the wetsuit at home.
Monday afternoon is a solid opener. Swell is a modest 3 ft out of the SW, but the period is a long 16 seconds, giving those waves some real shape and energy. The wind is a light cross-offshore breeze out of the east, keeping things clean. The combined energy here is moderate at 593. It’s not big, but it’s clean and fun.
Tuesday morning, July 21st, keeps that momentum going. Still a long-period SW groundswell at 3 ft, with a light cross-offshore breeze. The wave energy is still moderate at 507, and the conditions are clean. This is a good window for a beginner-friendly session. Tuesday afternoon gets a bit messy with a cross-on wind and a risk of thunderstorms, so morning is definitely the call.
Wednesday morning, July 22nd, is another clean morning with a 2 ft SW swell and a light cross-offshore breeze. The energy drops to 299, but it’s still surfable.
We hit a bit of a lull Thursday and Friday mornings, with smaller swells in the 2 ft to 2 ft range, but the wind stays light and cross-offshore, keeping the surface clean.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Friday morning, July 24th, sees a jump in swell period to 24 seconds, a very long groundswell. The height is only 2 ft, but the energy is pumping at 737. That long period will make the waves bend and stand up better at a beach and reef setup, but it can also make them a bit too straight at the beach. Friday afternoon turns glassy with no wind, but the swell drops to 2 ft.
Saturday morning, July 25th, is the standout of this first week. Glassy conditions, zero wind, and a 3 ft SW swell with a 21-second period. The energy is strong at 773. This is going to be clean, lined-up, and glassy perfection. If you can get out there, do it.
Sunday, July 26th, builds. The swell pushes to 4 ft, the period is 18 seconds, and the wind goes glassy in the afternoon. The energy jumps to 1271, and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. This is a serious step up in size and power, and with zero wind, it’s going to be a clean, punchy session. Not for beginners.
Monday, July 27th, morning keeps the quality high. A 4 ft, 19-second SW swell with a light cross-offshore breeze, and the energy is climbing to 1436. This is a very solid, clean swell.
The peak of the whole window looks to be Tuesday morning, July 28th. The swell jumps to 6 ft out of the SW with an 18-second period, and it’s glassy. The combined energy is a very strong 1848. This is the biggest, cleanest swell of the forecast. This is for experienced surfers only at that size.
Wednesday, July 29th, morning is another glassy session with a 5 ft, 16-second SW swell. Energy is still very strong at 1232. Another excellent morning for experienced surfers.
Thursday, July 30th, and Friday, July 31st, start to ease back. The swell drops to 4 ft and 4 ft, with periods dropping to 14 seconds. The energy is still moderate, but the wind is light and offshore or glassy in the mornings.
The first week of August sees a return to smaller, cleaner conditions. The best of the second week looks like Tuesday, August 4th, afternoon, with a 4 ft S swell, glassy conditions, and moderate energy at 730. That afternoon session on August 4th is a solid bet for the second week.
If I had to pick the absolute best on offer, it’s a tie between Saturday morning, July 25th, for the glassy, clean, long-period perfection, and Tuesday morning, July 28th, for the biggest, cleanest swell of the window. That Tuesday is for the big dogs only.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 30°C on Thu morning, min 24°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Fri morning, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 26 | SW 8 | SW 24 | SW 24 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
365 | 355 | 293 | 250 | 171 | 156 | 92 | 93 | 171 | 63 | 563 | 271 | 898 | 658 | 563 | 1210 | 800 | 996 | 1185 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | glassy | on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 7:48AM2.42m | 8:11PM2.08m | 8:36AM2.28m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:27AM0.43m | 2:09PM0.53m | 2:15AM0.59m | 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 | |||||||
— | 5:28 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | |
— | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | |
mm | 4 | — | — | 7 | 1 | 5 | 3 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 26 |
Feels °C | 30 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 28 | 33 | 33 | 29 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SW 8 | SW 8 | WSW 8 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 |
365 | 355 | 293 | 250 | 171 | 156 | 34 | 47 | 91 | 63 | 93 | 109 | 898 | 658 | 563 | 1210 | 800 | 996 | 1185 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 7 | WSW 7 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
184 | 132 | 137 | 174 | 119 | 88 | 92 | 93 | 59 | 51 | 45 | 68 | 102 | 36 | 119 | 114 | 100 | 98 | 94 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 6 | S 7 | W 10 | WSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 26 | SW 12 | SW 24 | SW 24 | SW 12 | S 7 | WSW 8 | SW 11 | W 9 | SW 11 | SW 11 |
33 | 20 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 39 | 21 | 171 | 52 | 563 | 271 | 51 | 26 | 39 | 45 | 27 | 18 | 18 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 9 | 51 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 9 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 19 | 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.










