Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 17s period, SW swell with 1,663 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 28 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s 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 28) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m 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 1.7m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next couple of weeks here at Playa Samara. The first real window of opportunity hits us on Tuesday the 28th of July with a nice pulse of groundswell.
We’re starting the period with a clean, glassy morning at Playa Samara. The swell is a solid 4.6ft from the SW, with a very long period of 18 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and it’s packing some serious energy (1491). The water is a touch warmer than normal at 85.6°, which is always a bonus. Because that period is so long, this is going to be a bit more powerful and better suited to the reef sections of this beach-and-reef setup. The sets will be a bit more spaced out, making the paddle out easier, but the wave shape should be really good. It’s a bit of a standout morning for experienced surfers.
Wednesday the 29th is a near repeat: another glassy morning, clear skies, and a 5.2ft SW swell with a 16-second period. The energy is still high (1250). This is likely the best on offer, with that combo of size, long period, and perfect offshore wind. Thursday the 30th is still clean in the morning with a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell drops to 3.6ft, and the period shortens to 14 seconds. The energy is moderate (553). It’s still fun, but not the standout.
Friday the 31st through Sunday the 2nd of August, the swell drops off significantly. Mornings stay glassy, but we’re looking at 3.3ft or less. The energy drops into the low hundreds. It’s surfable for a beginner, but nothing to get excited about. There’s quite a gap then from the 2nd through to the 7th of August, where the swell is tiny and inconsistent.
Then we get a bit of a revival. On Saturday the 8th of August, the morning turns glassy again with a 2.6ft SSW groundswell built on a 16-second period. The energy is moderate (475). It’s a better-looking morning. The standout for the second week is shaping up to be Sunday the 9th of August. The morning is clean with a NE cross-offshore wind, and a 3.0ft SW swell with a 14-second period, and the energy is picking up again (513). And then Monday the 10th of August, the wind picks up a bit, but it’s still a clean, cross-offshore breeze, with a 2.6ft SSW groundswell and a long 16-second period. The energy is 510. It’s a promising run of mornings, but because it’s so far out, you’ve gotta keep an eye on it.
The standout of the whole run is that Tuesday morning, the 28th of July. Get on it.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Tue afternoon, min 25°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1213 | 1663 | 1225 | 1194 | 964 | 767 | 529 | 514 | 492 | 357 | 342 | 241 | 238 | 193 | 147 | 136 | 171 | 167 | 253 | 208 | 84 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 2:00PM2.26m | 2:37AM2.13m | 2:42PM2.33m | 3:16AM2.24m | 3:21PM2.38m | 3:52AM2.34m | 3:58PM2.40m | 4:27AM2.42m | 4:35PM2.40m | 5:02AM2.47m | 5:11PM2.36m | 5:37AM2.50m | 5:49PM2.31m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:24PM0.43m | 8:33AM0.61m | 9:03PM0.36m | 9:14AM0.54m | 9:38PM0.31m | 9:53AM0.49m | 10:12PM0.28m | 10:31AM0.45m | 10:45PM0.29m | 11:09AM0.43m | 11:19PM0.31m | 11:47AM0.42m | 11:55PM0.36m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | |  |  | | |  |  | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — |
 | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:04 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 9 | — | 6 | — | — | 4 | 1 |
Temp °C | 29 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 32 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 7 |
| kJ | 1213 | 1663 | 1225 | 1194 | 964 | 767 | 529 | 514 | 492 | 357 | 342 | 241 | 238 | 193 | 147 | 44 | 51 | 51 | 253 | 208 | 51 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | S 9 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 7 | S 7 | S 10 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | S 7 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SW 16 | S 7 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 253 | 25 | 61 | 56 | 54 | 23 | 22 | 7 | 13 | 16 | 28 | 19 | 19 | 91 | 22 | 112 | 171 | 167 | 34 | 34 | 80 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSW 11 | — | — | S 10 | S 10 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 11 | SSW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 25 | 25 | — | — | 8 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 25 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 124 | 136 | 63 | 98 | 23 | 22 | 84 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 112 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 28 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 |
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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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