Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,571 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 12s 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 Wednesday (Sep 02) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 6s. 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 1.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey, it's Rusty. Let's talk about Playa Samara. The next couple weeks are a mixed bag, but if you can pick your windows, there's some real gold to be found.
Don't rush out right now. The first few days are sketchy with marginal surf and messy wind. Monday the 31st has waves around 4ft from the SW with a 13-second interval, but the wind is all wrong. Tuesday the 1st isn't any better.
The game changes on Wednesday morning, September 2nd. Wave height drops to 2ft, but check out that period – it's 18 seconds of pure groundswell. The wind turns cross-offshore from the NW, and the surface goes clean. The combined energy is moderate (535), and it's the start of a great run of small, tidy surf.
The real highlight is the 4th and 5th of September. Friday morning the 4th is the pick of the trip. A nice 4ft SW swell with a 17-second period, the wind is dead calm and glassy, and the energy jumps to a strong 1228. This is excellent surfing for people who know what they're doing. Beginners should sit this one out – it's too big (over 5ft). Saturday morning the 5th is nearly identical: 6ft of SW swell, glassy conditions, and even more energy at 1473. That's expert territory for size (over 8ft), but the quality is top-shelf. Keep an eye on the crowd, as this break can get "sometimes" busy.
Through the following week, the mornings stay your best bet. From the 6th to the 13th, you'll find consistent 3ft to 4ft SW swells, with 14-16 second periods and clean, glassy or cross-off winds. It's not huge, but it's fun. The afternoons get wrecked by onshore winds and storms, so set that alarm.
Into the second week, the 14th and 15th of September bring a shift. You'll see a shorter period S swell and a longer period SW groundswell, but the swell energy is low (276-474). The winds stay light and clean in the mornings. The water is around 86°F, which is a bit warmer than usual.
To sum it up: a slow start, then a killer few days of clean, glassy groundswell. This is a spot for the experienced surfer to score.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 30°C on Mon afternoon, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 34mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Sun morning, min 26°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 386 | 331 | 301 | 252 | 220 | 246 | 326 | 314 | 296 | 494 | 881 | 1062 | 1415 | 1314 | 1420 | 1412 | 868 | 833 | 667 | 521 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 4:47PM2.44m | 5:06AM2.65m | 5:26PM2.39m | 5:45AM2.61m | 6:09PM2.30m | 6:29AM2.54m | 6:57PM2.20m | 7:20AM2.43m | 7:54PM2.09m | 8:21AM2.32m | 9:03PM2.01m | 9:33AM2.25m | 10:23PM2.02m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:50PM0.24m | 11:21AM0.24m | 11:28PM0.28m | 12:04PM0.28m | 00:11AM0.36m | 12:51PM0.36m | 00:59AM0.46m | 1:46PM0.45m | 1:57AM0.57m | 2:52PM0.53m | 3:08AM0.66m | 4:07PM0.55m | ||||||||
 |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — |
 | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — |
mm | 4 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | 5 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | — | 9 | 7 |
Temp °C | 30 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 34 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 34 | 32 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 6 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 386 | 331 | 301 | 252 | 55 | 241 | 238 | 149 | 239 | 494 | 881 | 1062 | 1415 | 1314 | 1420 | 1412 | 868 | 833 | 667 | 521 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 18 | SW 12 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | S 7 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | 12 | 22 | 43 | 112 | 220 | 48 | 40 | 314 | 144 | 174 | 135 | 138 | 103 | 119 | 28 | 27 | 33 | 29 | 31 | 51 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 6 | W 9 | SW 18 | W 8 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 6 | SW 19 | SW 12 | W 9 | SW 13 | SSW 11 | W 10 | SSW 11 | SW 21 | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 11 |
| kJ | 3 | 14 | 84 | 5 | 155 | 246 | 326 | 30 | 296 | 142 | 14 | 28 | 24 | 29 | 25 | 18 | 26 | 12 | 12 | 23 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 60 | 16 | 16 | 112 | 9 | 9 | 106 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 16 | 9 | 52 | 16 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 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.
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