Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SW swell with 376 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s 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 Saturday (Aug 01) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Playa Samara in the next 16 days are 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk about the Nicoya Peninsula. The 16-day outlook has a solid run of small to moderate SW groundswell, but the real highlight peaks in the last week. Here’s the breakdown.
It starts slow on Saturday, August 1st, at Playa Samara (Nicoya Peninsula). The water temp is about average for this time of year. Saturday morning offers a clean 3ft SW swell with a 13-second period and a light NE cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is moderate (281). It’s a nice, gentle wave for a beginner. The afternoon gets a bit onshore, so get in early.
Sunday the 2nd is smaller, with a 2ft SW swell, but the period stretches to 15 seconds, giving it real shape. Morning is clean with a light NE cross-off. The energy is moderate (278). A slow, mellow session.
Monday morning the 3rd is a solid call. A clean 3ft SW swell (13s) with a light N offshore. Energy is moderate (324). Perfect for a longboard.
Tuesday the 4th brings a shift to a shorter-period 8-second SSW windswell. It’s still 3ft and clean with a light N offshore in the morning. Energy is moderate (224). A bit lumpy, but rideable.
Wednesday the 5th is a glass-off in the morning with a 3ft SSW swell (8s). Energy is weak (191). It’s surfable, but nothing special.
Thursday the 6th is a washout. Onshore wind and a tiny 1ft swell. Not worth it.
Now, Friday the 7th of August is a real standout. The morning is glassy with a 2ft SSW swell, but the period jumps to 18 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, and the combined energy is a strong 506. It’s small, but that long period will bring proper, shaping waves. Perfect for the point and reef. The afternoon stays clean with a light WNW cross-off. This is the best session of the first week.
Saturday the 8th is another cracker. A 3ft SW swell with a 16-second period, a light NNE cross-off in the morning – clean as can be. Energy is strong (587). The window is opening up.
Sunday the 9th holds clean with a 3ft SW swell (14s) and a light NE cross-off in the morning. Energy is strong (460). A classic fun morning.
The following week (from the 10th) is more mixed with onshore afternoons, but the mornings stay clean. The real highlight is the second weekend. Saturday the 15th of August is a beast. A 4ft SW swell with a 17-second period, but the morning is clean with a NNE cross-off. The energy is a very strong 811. This one is for the experienced crew – that long period will make it powerful and a bit peaky, but it’ll be clean. Sunday the 16th also looks great with a 4ft SW swell (15s), strong energy (653), and a clean NE cross-off in the morning. Both of those are the standouts of the whole run.
The gaps between the early days and the bigger stuff are only a couple of days, so it’s not a total bust. The near-term forecast is solid, and the long-range stuff on the 15th and 16th looks promising, but we’ll need to see how it pans out.
Keep your eyes on the 7th, 8th, and 15th for the best windows. The water is warm and crowds are possible at Samara, but it’s a big beach so you’ll find a spot.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Sat morning, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 40mm), heaviest during Thu morning. Warm (max 30°C on Tue morning, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 8 | SW 13 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 241 | 238 | 193 | 147 | 136 | 171 | 167 | 253 | 212 | 96 | 109 | 112 | 92 | 87 | 90 | 74 | 70 | 155 | 212 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | on | glassy | off | cross-on | glassy | off | on | glassy | glassy | cross | off | cross-on | on | off |
High Tide | 4:27AM2.42m | 4:35PM2.40m | 5:02AM2.47m | 5:11PM2.36m | 5:37AM2.50m | 5:49PM2.31m | 6:14AM2.50m | 6:30PM2.23m | 6:55AM2.47m | 7:17PM2.14m | 7:43AM2.42m | 8:11PM2.06m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:12PM0.28m | 10:31AM0.45m | 10:45PM0.29m | 11:09AM0.43m | 11:19PM0.31m | 11:47AM0.42m | 11:55PM0.36m | 12:29PM0.44m | 00:34AM0.41m | 1:15PM0.47m | 1:19AM0.48m | 2:08PM0.51m | 2:13AM0.56m | ||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — |
 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — |
mm | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 6 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 2 |
Temp °C | 27 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
Feels °C | 31 | 33 | 34 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 15 | S 7 | SW 13 | SSW 7 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 241 | 238 | 193 | 147 | 110 | 171 | 51 | 253 | 71 | 96 | 109 | 112 | 92 | 87 | 90 | 65 | 61 | 60 | 212 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 16 | S 7 | S 6 | SW 14 | S 7 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | S 7 |
| kJ | 17 | 17 | 15 | 124 | 32 | 31 | 167 | 52 | 212 | 84 | 100 | 77 | 73 | 50 | 49 | 74 | 70 | 155 | 39 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 11 | WNW 12 | SW 16 | S 7 | SW 15 | SSW 11 | SW 12 | WNW 10 | SW 16 | SW 13 | SW 10 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 15 | S 14 | SW 6 | SW 11 | S 11 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 24 | 26 | 91 | 14 | 136 | 85 | 118 | 19 | 68 | 82 | 15 | 38 | 36 | 54 | 37 | 9 | 43 | 21 | 159 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 6 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 9 | 43 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 9 | 34 | 290 | 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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