Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 477 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 Tuesday (Aug 18) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. 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 1.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next couple of weeks here in Costa Rica. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but then things start looking up, especially if you like clean, glassy conditions.
We’re kicking off on Tuesday, the 18th of August, with Playa Samara. This is a beach and reef setup, exposed to the SSW swell. The water is sitting at 87°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – you’ll hardly need a wetsuit, just a rashie. The first morning we get a decent pulse of 4ft SW swell with a long 14-second period, giving us a moderate combined wave energy of 530. What makes this a real standout is the glassy conditions with an ENE breeze so light it's barely there. Expect very good, clean waves. This is a beginner spot, and with a consistent swell and glassy surface, it’s a great option for a longboard or a foamie. Crowds are *sometimes* an issue here, but on a Tuesday morning you might get lucky.
After that first morning, things get a little tricky. The afternoons bring sea breezes and risk of thunderstorms, making conditions marginal. Wednesday the 19th through Sunday the 23rd sees the swell drop right down to 2ft to 4ft. The mornings are glassy, but the wave energy is dropping. Thursday the 20th, for example, the combined energy is only 278. We have a gap of several days here where the surf is small and mostly for the morning sessions only. By Sunday the 23rd, the period jumps to 18 seconds, but the swell is tiny at 2ft and the wind goes onshore in the afternoon – poor surf.
Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th are better again for the early birds, with clean, glassy conditions and a small 2ft SW swell with a long period, but the wave energy is still moderate, around 300. The real magic starts to build around Friday the 28th of August. The morning is absolutely glassy, calm wind, with a 3ft SW swell and a 16-second period – very long lines. The combined energy jumps to 546. This is one of the top standouts in the whole period for clean, user-friendly waves.
It gets even better on Saturday the 29th of August. The morning brings a 4ft SW swell, 17-second period, glassy conditions, and a massive combined energy of 930 – that’s strong wave energy. This is the best day on offer. It’s still manageable for intermediates, but that’s a solid, powerful groundswell. Afternoons bring the usual risk of storms, but the mornings are pure gold.
We then roll into the end of the month and the start of September. The morning of Monday the 31st of August still has a solid 5ft SW swell with a combined energy of 796, and glassy wind. Tuesday the 1st of September keeps the clean vibes in the morning with a 4ft SW swell. The last mention is Wednesday the 2nd of September, which is back to a smaller 2ft but with a very long 17-second period and a combined energy of 520 – another glassy morning to sneak a few in before the afternoon thunderstorms roll in.
If I had to pick the true standouts, it’s the morning of Saturday the 29th of August for the biggest, cleanest swell, closely followed by Friday the 28th of August morning for that incredible glass and building energy. Get on it early, because the afternoons are a write-off.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 29mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 29°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Sun morning, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
422 | 331 | 477 | 355 | 305 | 238 | 142 | 138 | 337 | 345 | 351 | 338 | 264 | 194 | 154 | 142 | 263 | 260 | 255 | 243 | 322 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | off | cross | on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:44PM2.24m | 7:04AM2.38m | 7:29PM2.07m | 7:49AM2.22m | 8:19PM1.91m | 8:40AM2.09m | 9:19PM1.80m | 9:41AM1.99m | 10:30PM1.75m | 10:49AM1.97m | 11:41PM1.79m | 11:54AM2.02m | 00:40AM1.89m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:40PM0.37m | 00:48AM0.46m | 1:25PM0.51m | 1:31AM0.62m | 2:15PM0.64m | 2:20AM0.76m | 3:13PM0.74m | 3:19AM0.87m | 4:20PM0.79m | 4:28AM0.92m | 5:28PM0.77m | 5:37AM0.89m | 6:27PM0.69m | ||||||||
5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | |
— | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:54 | — | |
mm | 5 | 4 | 4 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 5 | 9 | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | 5 | 2 |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 26 |
Feels °C | 32 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 34 | 32 | 31 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 29 | 33 | 32 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | S 8 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 16 |
422 | 120 | 477 | 355 | 305 | 126 | 123 | 138 | 337 | 345 | 351 | 338 | 264 | 194 | 154 | 106 | 106 | 106 | 81 | 80 | 322 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | SW 14 | S 8 | SSW 8 | S 8 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | S 9 |
100 | 331 | 95 | 112 | 90 | 238 | 142 | 136 | 84 | 55 | 55 | 169 | 95 | 133 | 118 | 142 | 263 | 260 | 255 | 243 | 78 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SW 7 | SW 21 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 19 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
8 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 28 | 36 | 36 | 22 | 18 | 68 | 98 | 97 | 134 | 84 | 79 | 72 | 69 | 36 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 6 | — | — | — | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | 7 | 3 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 43 | 9 | 9 | 66 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 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.











