
Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 15s period, SW swell with 435 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period with SSW 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 (Aug 04) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. 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 1.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 5s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks. Rusty here. Let’s break down what Playa Samara’s got cooking for the next couple of weeks.
It’s a slow burner, but there’s some proper gold in the second week if you can wait. The first few days are tiny, but the wind is your pal. The water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year.
Tuesday, August 4th starts with a knee-high 2ft SW swell, but the morning is a stunner. A light NNE breeze at 3 mph is blowing cross-off, keeping it clean. The wave energy is weak (253). It’s small, but for a beginner-friendly spot, it’s a fun little paddle. The afternoon turns onshore and messy, so forget it.
Wednesday, August 5th morning is glassy with a 3ft S swell, but the period is short at 8 seconds, so it’s a bit gutless. The energy is low (190). It’s surfable, but pretty average.
Thursday, August 6th is a total washout – risk of thunderstorms and onshore junk. Don’t even think about it.
Friday, August 7th morning shows some life. A 2ft SSW swell, but the period jumps to 18 seconds – that’s real groundswell. The combined energy is moderate (469). The wind is a light cross-off from the NE at 3 mph. Clean, but it’s small. That long period will make it a bit tricky on this beach and reef setup, but for the experienced paddler, it’ll be a treat.
Saturday, August 8th morning is the first real standout. The swell picks up to 3ft from the SW with a 16-second period. The energy is strong (557). Light cross-off wind from the NNE at 3 mph. The report says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is a clean, lined-up morning. The afternoon fills in a bit (3ft) but the wind goes cross-on, so stick to the morning.
Sunday, August 9th morning is another good one. 3ft SW swell, 14-second period, and a proper offshore wind from the NNE at 6 mph. The energy is moderate (466). Clean conditions for a solid Sunday session.
Monday, August 10th morning is glassy with a 3ft SW swell. Moderate energy (338). A lovely, clean, small-wave day.
Tuesday, August 11th morning is glassy again with a 3ft SW swell. The energy is moderate (381). Another smooth, clean morning.
Wednesday, August 12th is a beauty. Glassy all day. A 2ft SW swell, but with a 16-second period and moderate energy (423). The morning is clear, the afternoon is glassy from the SSW. This is a dream session for a learner or a longboarder.
Friday, August 14th morning has a pulse. The swell is 3ft from the SW, but the period is a massive 19 seconds, and the energy is very strong (810). The wind is a light cross-off from the NE. This is a standout for the second week. Clean, powerful, and consistent.
Saturday, August 15th morning is the big one. The swell hits 4ft from the SW with a 16-second period and the energy is very strong (1078). The report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” The wind is a light cross-off. This is the best on offer in the whole forecast. It’s getting into the size where it’s for the more experienced crew, but if you’ve got the skills, this is the morning to circle on the calendar.
Sunday, August 16th is a good finisher. The swell is 4ft with a 15-second period and strong energy (783). The morning is clean, and the afternoon actually turns offshore from the N at 6 mph. Clean waves all day.
The rest of the period into the 19th settles back into smaller, clean morning runs. The afternoon on the 18th gets a bit messy again.
So, the standout is the Saturday, August 15th morning for the experienced surfer. The second best is the Friday, August 14th morning with that long-period groundswell. Playa Samara is a fairly consistent spot, so there’s plenty to go at, but the real quality is saved for those two mornings.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Tue morning, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 29mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 30°C on Sun afternoon, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SSW 8 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
91 | 126 | 126 | 94 | 86 | 84 | 82 | 80 | 153 | 212 | 209 | 305 | 330 | 367 | 435 | 305 | 401 | 284 | 199 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross | on | glassy | cross-off | on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | off | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:14AM2.50m | 6:30PM2.23m | 6:55AM2.47m | 7:17PM2.14m | 7:43AM2.42m | 8:11PM2.06m | 8:39AM2.37m | 9:16PM1.99m | 9:46AM2.34m | 10:31PM2.00m | 10:58AM2.35m | 11:46PM2.08m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:55PM0.36m | 12:29PM0.44m | 00:34AM0.41m | 1:15PM0.47m | 1:19AM0.48m | 2:08PM0.51m | 2:13AM0.56m | 3:11PM0.53m | 3:18AM0.61m | 4:21PM0.52m | 4:33AM0.62m | 5:33PM0.45m | |||||||
— | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | |
— | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | |
mm | 5 | — | 1 | 3 | — | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 14 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 6 | 5 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 29 | 30 | 26 |
Feels °C | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 28 | 32 | 33 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 7 | SSW 8 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
91 | 118 | 126 | 94 | 86 | 84 | 82 | 80 | 80 | 125 | 92 | 79 | 330 | 367 | 435 | 305 | 401 | 284 | 199 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 10 | S 10 |
82 | 126 | 77 | 73 | 50 | 49 | 75 | 70 | 153 | 212 | 168 | 151 | 144 | 139 | 53 | 55 | 35 | 48 | 47 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SSW 10 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 11 | SW 11 | S 11 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | S 9 | S 8 | WSW 6 | SW 11 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 16 |
84 | 9 | 38 | 36 | 54 | 34 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 159 | 209 | 305 | 55 | 51 | 3 | 77 | 30 | 31 | 91 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 2 | — | — | SW 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 5 |
— | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 9 | 103 | 9 | 9 | 103 | 9 | 16 | 29 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 43 | 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.











