Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,330 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 9s. 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. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 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 folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Playa Samara over the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a bit of a slow start to the week, but don’t let that fool you. There’s some real magic brewing for the weekend. The swell is coming from the southwest, which is right in the sweet spot for this exposed beach and reef setup. The water temp is sitting about average for the time of year, so nothing wild there.
The first real standout is Friday, August 28th. The morning at Playa Samara is looking clean with a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNE at 6 mph. The swell is a modest 3 ft from the SW, but the period is a very long 19 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is a solid 738 (moderate). For a beach and reef break, that long period can sometimes make the waves wall up, but the wind is right and the morning session is calling. Expect clean, lined-up waves.
But the big one, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Saturday, August 29th. The morning is absolutely glassy – no wind at all. The swell has built to 5 ft from the SW, with a combined energy of 1143 (strong). The period is 16 seconds, still a solid groundswell. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The waves will have push and shape, and with glassy conditions, it’s about as good as it gets here. The swell is just over 5 ft, so it’s stepping up for the more confident crew. Be aware, crowds are sometimes around, so you might have some company.
If you miss Saturday, Sunday, August 30th is almost a carbon copy: glassy morning, 5 ft swell from the SW, and 1001 (strong) combined energy. Again, excellent for experienced surfers.
The next week has some promising signs too. The morning of Tuesday, September 1st is dead calm and glassy, with a 3 ft swell. The energy is weaker (389), but for a log or a fun board, it’ll be a relaxing session.
Looking further ahead, Saturday, September 5th is a standout in the long-range. Both the morning and the afternoon are showing glassy conditions, with the swell holding strong at 6 ft to 5 ft from the SW. Combined energy is over 1500 (strong to very strong). This is a powerful swell, definitely for experts only at that size. Excellent conditions are forecast, but being this far out, treat it as a promising heads-up.
There are no real gaps here – there’s at least something small and clean most mornings, but the two true standouts are the 29th and 30th of August. Get on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Mon morning, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Fri afternoon, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 15 | SSW 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 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 255 | 243 | 322 | 211 | 206 | 191 | 110 | 107 | 75 | 112 | 155 | 248 | 450 | 358 | 1215 | 1017 | 1330 | 1014 | 911 | 821 | 557 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | on | cross | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | on | off | glassy | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 11:54AM2.02m | 00:40AM1.89m | 12:49PM2.11m | 1:28AM2.04m | 1:35PM2.22m | 2:08AM2.20m | 2:17PM2.32m | 2:45AM2.35m | 2:55PM2.39m | 3:20AM2.48m | 3:32PM2.45m | 3:54AM2.58m | 4:09PM2.46m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:27PM0.69m | 6:37AM0.81m | 7:14PM0.58m | 7:27AM0.70m | 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 | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | |  | | | |  | |
 | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — |
 | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — |
mm | — | 1 | 1 | — | 9 | 4 | — | 4 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 5 | 4 |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 29 | 30 | 26 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 33 | 34 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 31 | 34 | 33 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 29 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 32 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 9 | SW 16 | S 9 | SW 16 | SW 15 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 7 | S 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 104 | 102 | 322 | 53 | 206 | 191 | 51 | 59 | 73 | 89 | 75 | 58 | 450 | 358 | 1215 | 1017 | 1330 | 1014 | 911 | 821 | 557 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 17 | S 9 | SW 16 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | S 6 | S 11 | SSW 11 | S 7 | S 6 | SSW 7 | S 7 |
| kJ | 255 | 243 | 76 | 211 | 51 | 33 | 110 | 107 | 75 | 77 | 76 | 248 | 245 | 89 | 20 | 119 | 117 | 23 | 30 | 70 | 61 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 21 | SSW 7 | SW 16 | SSW 11 | — | — | S 10 | SW 8 | W 15 | WSW 7 |
| kJ | 72 | 69 | 35 | 35 | 13 | 30 | 18 | 11 | 56 | 112 | 155 | 72 | 45 | 125 | 40 | — | — | 18 | 17 | 4 | 26 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WSW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 66 | 16 | 9 | 43 | 9 | 9 | 43 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 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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