Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 30 Aug 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) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,438 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 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 (Aug 30) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 10s. 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 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+) | 9AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty coming to you from the shores of Playa Samara. Let’s get into it.
We’ve got a solid run of surf on the horizon, starting right now. It’s not going to be massive, but there’s plenty of quality on offer, especially early on. The water temp is sitting about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.
The real standout is the window starting Sunday, August 30th. Playa Samara is a beach and reef setup, exposed to the SSW swell. That morning, we’re looking at a clean 5ft of SW groundswell, with a long 14-second period and a glassy, offshore wind from the NE. The combined energy is moderate (967), and the conditions are set up for some very good, clean waves. This is the best early call, perfect for a beginner-friendly session. The afternoon looks a bit dicey with a risk of thunderstorms and a cross-on wind, so the morning is your window.
Monday the 31st drops a little to 4ft, but the morning glass-off from the NE makes it a decent, clean option. The energy drops to 468.
Tuesday and Wednesday (September 1st and 2nd) are smaller. Tuesday morning is a bit messy with cross-shore wind, but Wednesday morning, the 2nd, is a real treat. The wind is glassy calm, and while the swell is only 2ft, the period is a very long 18 seconds, pushing moderate energy (527). It’s a small but clean groundswell, great for a longboard.
Thursday and Friday (September 3rd and 4th) build again. Thursday morning is glassy with 2ft, but Friday morning, the 4th, is a major highlight. We’ve got 4ft of SW groundswell at 17 seconds, glassy offshore from the ESE, and the combined energy jumps to a strong 1277. This is excellent for experienced surfers – clean, powerful, and long-period lines. The crowd is sometimes an issue here, so factor that in.
Saturday the 5th is another big one. The morning is glassy again with 6ft of SW swell at 16 seconds, energy is strong at 1483. It’s excellent for experienced surfers but getting into that 5ft+ range, so it might push a bit for beginners. The afternoon turns cross-on.
From Sunday the 6th through the 14th, we see a gradual drop in size. The mornings consistently offer glassy or very light wind conditions, with small to moderate SW swells. The energy remains moderate, between 371 and 911. The 2nd week is quieter, with a lot of 2ft to 4ft days, but clean. The 8th, 9th, and 10th of September all have glassy mornings with solid long-period groundswell, making for some fun, small-wave sessions.
Overall, your best bet is the morning of Friday, September 4th, or Saturday, September 5th, for the biggest, cleanest swell. If you want a quieter, smaller session, Wednesday morning, September 2nd, is a gem.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Sun morning, min 26°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 42mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 911 | 821 | 621 | 451 | 386 | 331 | 301 | 252 | 220 | 246 | 326 | 314 | 239 | 418 | 881 | 1297 | 1415 | 1314 | 1420 | 1164 | 868 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 4:09PM2.46m | 4:29AM2.63m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:04AM0.29m | 10:14PM0.23m | 10:42AM0.24m | 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 | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — |
 | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:47 | — |
mm | — | 2 | 1 | — | 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | 6 | 11 | 3 | 18 | 3 |
Temp °C | 30 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 26 |
Feels °C | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 30 | 33 | 33 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 7 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 |
| kJ | 911 | 821 | 621 | 451 | 386 | 331 | 301 | 252 | 220 | 241 | 238 | 149 | 48 | 418 | 881 | 1297 | 1415 | 1314 | 1420 | 1164 | 868 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | S 8 | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 6 | S 6 | SW 18 | SSW 6 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 7 | SSW 7 |
| kJ | 47 | 45 | 31 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 56 | 66 | 27 | 246 | 44 | 314 | 239 | 47 | 44 | 133 | 103 | 88 | 39 | 36 | 65 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | W 15 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | SSW 20 | W 9 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 6 | S 6 | SW 16 | S 7 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 11 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 |
| kJ | 9 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 37 | 14 | 84 | 112 | 23 | 29 | 326 | 47 | 144 | 215 | 58 | 40 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 13 | 14 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 6 | — | — | WSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 8 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 16 | 16 | 257 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 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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