Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,314 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 15s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Playa Samara in the next 16 days are 1.6m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) 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+) | 3AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s coming up for Playa Samara.
Right now, the water is sitting at 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – feels like a warm bath out there.
We’ve got a bit of a slow start. Wednesday afternoon is a write-off with risk of thunderstorms and onshore wind, so don’t bother paddling out yet. Thursday morning, the 27th, will see a tiny 1ft SW groundswell with a very long 18-second period, and with a light offshore breeze, it will be clean but tiny. The energy is weak (246). Not worth getting excited about.
Friday morning, the 28th, is where things start to wake up. The swell picks up to 3ft from the SW, period holding at 19 seconds, and the energy jumps to a moderate 757. A light cross-offshore breeze from the NE will keep things clean. This is a good sign – the waves will have some shape.
Now, the standout window is the morning of Saturday, the 29th. We’ve got a 5ft SW swell, 16-second period, glassy conditions with a light breeze from the ENE, and the energy is strong at 1089. This is excellent for experienced surfers – the sets will be well-formed and the offshore flow will keep those faces smooth. This is the best on offer in the whole 16-day run.
Sunday morning, the 30th, still looks good – 5ft SW, 14-second period, glassy again, energy at 974. Very good surf, though the period is a little shorter. After that, the swell drops a bit through Monday and Tuesday, but the energy stays moderate.
There’s a gap in quality from Tuesday afternoon through to Wednesday morning, but Wednesday morning, the 2nd of September, brings a surprise – a clean 2ft SW swell with a very long 18-second period and glassy conditions. The energy is moderate at 505. Not big, but if you’ve got a longboard, this will be a fun, lined-up morning.
The next real standout is the morning of Friday, the 4th of September. Swell jumps to 4ft from the SW, 17-second period, glassy conditions, and energy is strong at 1169. Excellent for experienced surfers – this is one to mark on the calendar.
Saturday morning, the 5th of September, is nearly identical – 5ft SW, 16-second period, glassy, energy at 1162. Also excellent for experienced surfers.
After that, conditions taper off but remain surfable through the second week, with a few more clean mornings, especially on the 9th and 10th of September. The morning of Thursday, the 10th, sees a 5ft SW swell, 16-second period, glassy, and energy at 1356 – excellent for experienced surfers again. That’s a solid finish to the outlook.
Overall, the best windows are the mornings of Saturday the 29th of August, Friday the 4th of September, and Thursday the 10th of September. Go get some.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Wed afternoon, min 26°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Mon morning, min 25°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | S 7 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 107 | 75 | 112 | 112 | 245 | 450 | 358 | 1215 | 1017 | 1314 | 1001 | 911 | 821 | 549 | 392 | 386 | 331 | 256 | 220 | 220 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-off | off | on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:08AM2.20m | 2:17PM2.32m | 2:45AM2.35m | 2:55PM2.39m | 3:20AM2.48m | 3:32PM2.45m | 3:54AM2.58m | 4:09PM2.46m | 4:29AM2.63m | 4:47PM2.44m | 5:06AM2.65m | 5:26PM2.39m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:55PM0.47m | 8:10AM0.58m | 8:31PM0.38m | 8:49AM0.46m | 9:06PM0.30m | 9:27AM0.36m | 9:40PM0.25m | 10:04AM0.29m | 10:14PM0.23m | 10:42AM0.24m | 10:50PM0.24m | 11:21AM0.24m | 11:28PM0.28m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  | | |  | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — |
 | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — |
mm | 5 | 5 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 4 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 4 | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 30 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 26 |
Feels °C | 34 | 32 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 33 | 33 | 31 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 28 | 30 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 |
| kJ | 64 | 74 | 57 | 62 | 63 | 62 | 47 | 1215 | 1017 | 1314 | 1001 | 911 | 821 | 549 | 392 | 386 | 96 | 150 | 143 | 103 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 11 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | S 7 | SW 6 | SW 7 | SW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 107 | 75 | 77 | 76 | 245 | 450 | 358 | 202 | 47 | 82 | 32 | 51 | 91 | 31 | 59 | 77 | 331 | 256 | 220 | 220 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 10 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 21 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 8 | — | SW 6 | S 8 | S 10 | S 7 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 17 | 56 | 112 | 112 | 72 | 245 | 89 | 189 | 25 | — | 20 | 12 | 8 | 34 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 84 | 113 | 112 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 19 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 59 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 16 | 59 | 28 |
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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