Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s period, SW swell with 1,087 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 14s 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m 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 1.3m 18s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey, Rusty here again. Let's break down the coming weeks for Playa Samara in feet and miles per hour.
The story is a steady diet of manageable swell with a few choice morning windows that are going to be worth the early alarm. The wave energy sits in the moderate range for most of it. Water temp is about normal for the season, so nothing to complain about.
This Sunday, September 6th, gets things started with a proper glass-off in the morning. We're talking clean, waist-to-chest high 4ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period and calm wind. The combined energy is sitting at 793, which is a solid, fun pulse. It’ll get messy in the afternoon with that cross-shore breeze and a chance of storms, so you gotta get it while it's good.
Monday and Tuesday mornings are okay – waves drop from about 4ft to 3ft – but the wind is a little inconsistent. Tuesday morning is clean with that cross-off breeze, but the energy is lower at 520. You could get some, but it's not the main event.
Now, Thursday, September 10th, is the one to circle. That morning session is pure gold. Glassy conditions, a clean 4ft SW groundswell with a long 17-second period, and the combined energy jumps right up to 1145. That's a serious injection of power. This is groundswell of the real deal, offering proper shape and plenty of punch. This one is for the experienced surfers; the paddle out will be easier between sets, but the sets themselves will have some muscle.
The week after that, from the 12th to the 18th, settles down. You're looking at waves from 2ft to 4ft. Plenty of clean mornings, like Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th, with glassy conditions and long-period swell, but the energy is down around the 300 to 500 mark. The afternoons are all onshore wind and storms, so don't bother.
Into the final part of the outlook, the 20th and 21st of September, we see the energy tick back up a little, to the 544 to 601 range, with 3ft to 3ft of clean, glassy SW swell in the mornings. A nice little reward for sticking with it.
The standout is without a doubt that Thursday the 10th morning. After that, it's about chasing the clean, low-energy morning windows. The afternoons are mostly a washout.
That's it from me. Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Sun morning, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Wed morning, min 25°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 868 | 746 | 667 | 581 | 500 | 357 | 286 | 249 | 224 | 302 | 302 | 314 | 871 | 1074 | 728 | 719 | 701 | 550 | 459 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-off | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:33AM2.25m | 10:23PM2.02m | 10:50AM2.25m | 11:39PM2.13m | 12:02PM2.32m | 00:44AM2.31m | 1:04PM2.42m | 1:38AM2.49m | 1:57PM2.52m | 2:25AM2.64m | 2:45PM2.58m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:08AM0.66m | 4:07PM0.55m | 4:29AM0.67m | 5:21PM0.50m | 5:46AM0.59m | 6:26PM0.39m | 6:52AM0.46m | 7:21PM0.27m | 7:48AM0.31m | 8:09PM0.17m | 8:37AM0.19m | 8:54PM0.12m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — |
mm | 5 | — | 6 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 |
Temp °C | 27 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 32 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 29 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 6 | S 8 | S 7 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 868 | 746 | 667 | 581 | 104 | 255 | 150 | 249 | 199 | 302 | 302 | 314 | 871 | 1074 | 728 | 719 | 701 | 550 | 459 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 6 |
| kJ | 22 | 34 | 86 | 108 | 500 | 357 | 286 | 246 | 224 | 114 | 116 | 134 | 38 | 51 | 48 | 47 | 72 | 67 | 40 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | S 6 | S 6 | WNW 11 | SW 19 | SW 20 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 |
| kJ | 18 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 96 | 95 | 155 | 25 | 16 | 37 | 234 | 134 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 9 | 45 | 9 | 16 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 43 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 29 | 9 | 9 | 51 | 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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