Playa Samara Surf Break

Lat Long: 9.88° N 85.53° W

Playa Samara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 20 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Playa Samara sea temperature is
30.3° C
2.1° 

Playa Samara surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Playa Samara surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 11s period, S swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s period, S swell with 351 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 11s period with S 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 (Aug 20) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 13s. 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 1.2m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 3AM.

Wave TypeTime (CST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Thu 20th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 11s
Best Surf 6PM (Thu 20th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 11s
Most Powerful 3PM (Fri 21st Aug)4ft (1.2m) 11s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here, let's take a look at what's coming our way.

Alright, folks, it's going to be a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, with some decent windows of clean surf if you play your cards right. The real standout looks to be a solid pulse of long-period groundswell that arrives towards the end of the month and into the start of September. Water temps are running much warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at a balmy 87°, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

Let's start with the immediate future. We’ve got a small, clean start on Thursday morning at Playa Samara (Playa-Samara). Glassy conditions with a 2ft SW swell at 13 seconds. It's not going to blow your mind, but with the water warm and the wind off, it's a nice way to ease into the morning. Combined wave energy is moderate (278). That glass holds through the weekend, with Friday and Saturday mornings offering clean 4ft and 3ft S swells. Sunday is back to tiny 1ft, but with a very long 19-second period – those sets will be few and far between. The next week stays in that small, clean groove with 2ft to 2ft SW swells through to Wednesday the 26th.

Now, for the good stuff. Keep your eyes on the 28th of August. The morning is looking really nice with a clean 3ft SW groundswell at 19 seconds. The combined energy jumps up significantly (837), and that very long period means proper waves on the reefs and points, with plenty of time between sets to paddle back out. It’s a promising build-up.

The real highlight, and the one to circle on the calendar, is the morning of Saturday the 29th of August. We're looking at a solid 5ft swell from the SW with a 16-second period. That’s proper, chunky groundswell. The wind is light and offshore from the ENE, keeping it clean. The combined energy hits a massive 1493, which tells you how much power is in the water. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. It's a bit chunky for beginners, but for everyone else, this is the session you want to be in the water for. It'll be a bit of a drop from the overnight energy, so be ready for a bumpy paddle out.

Sunday the 30th is still good, with a slightly smaller 5ft SW swell, and Monday the 31st drops to a clean, glassy 4ft from the same direction. The first few days of September look a bit more ordinary with onshore winds and smaller, shorter-period swells, before another good pulse of long-period SW swell arrives on the morning of Friday the 4th of September, offering clean 4ft waves at 18 seconds (combined energy of 923). That’s a promising end to the outlook, but it's a long way out.

So, if you're picking your battles, the Saturday the 29th morning is the absolute standout. Friday the 28th and Saturday the 4th are your next best bets. Keep an eye on the tides for the beach and reef setup at Playa Samara, especially on the bigger days.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Sat morning, min 26°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Sun morning, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
0
2
2
1
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
SSW
9
0.9
SSW
9
1.1
SSW
11
1.2
S
11
1.2
S
11
1.1
S
11
1
S
10
1
S
10
0.9
S
10
0.6
SSW
13
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
18
0.6
SW
17
0.8
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
15
0.5
SW
15
0.5
SW
15
1.1
SSW
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
142
138
286
345
351
279
218
194
154
133
263
260
255
243
322
211
161
191
110
107
102
Wind (km/h)
5
NE
10
S
5
NNE
5
NNE
5
SSW
5
NNE
5
NE
10
S
5
ESE
5
N
5
SE
10
NNE
10
NE
5
SSE
10
NNE
5
NNE
5
WNW
10
NNE
5
E
10
SSE
10
ESE
Wind State
glassy
on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
on
cross
glassy
glassy
off
cross-off
glassy
off
glassy
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross
High Tide
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
12:49PM2.11m
1:28AM2.04m
1:35PM2.22m
2:08AM2.20m
Low Tide
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
6:37AM0.81m
7:14PM0.58m
7:27AM0.70m
7:55PM0.47m
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
mod rain
part cloud
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
rain showers
thunderstorm
rain showers
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:33
5:33
5:33
5:33
5:33
5:33
5:33
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:57
5:57
5:55
5:55
5:54
5:54
5:53
 mm
4
1
7
7
1
7
2
5
3
1
4
2
2
6
10
Temp °C
30
29
27
30
30
28
31
29
27
31
30
26
29
29
26
29
29
26
29
29
26
Feels °C
34
32
31
34
34
33
34
33
31
36
35
30
33
33
30
33
33
29
32
33
30
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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