Playa Samara Surf Break

Lat Long: 9.88° N 85.53° W

Playa Samara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 31 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Playa Samara sea temperature is
30.2°C
2.0° 

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 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 TypeTime (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 Forecast

Heavy 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 Summary

Heavy 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
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
0
1
3
1
2
3
2
3
4
3
3
4
3
3
3
2
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.1
SW
13
1
SW
13
1
SW
12
0.9
SW
12
0.9
SW
12
0.9
SW
13
0.8
SW
16
0.8
SW
16
0.6
SW
19
0.8
SW
19
1.2
SW
18
1.3
SW
17
1.6
SW
17
1.6
SW
16
1.7
SW
16
1.7
SW
16
1.4
SW
15
1.4
SW
14
1.3
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
386
331
301
252
220
246
326
314
296
494
881
1062
1415
1314
1420
1412
868
833
667
521
Wind (km/h)
10
SSW
5
ESE
10
ESE
15
S
5
SSE
5
NW
15
WSW
0
SSW
5
NNW
10
SW
5
SE
0
NNE
10
S
5
E
5
NNE
10
SSW
5
NNW
5
NNE
5
SW
5
NE
Wind State
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
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
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part cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:31
5:31
5:31
5:31
5:31
5:31
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
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
  • Map Icons:
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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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