Playa Samara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next couple of weeks here in Costa Rica. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but then things start looking up, especially if you like clean, glassy conditions.

We’re kicking off on Tuesday, the 18th of August, with Playa Samara. This is a beach and reef setup, exposed to the SSW swell. The water is sitting at 87°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – you’ll hardly need a wetsuit, just a rashie. The first morning we get a decent pulse of 4ft SW swell with a long 14-second period, giving us a moderate combined wave energy of 530. What makes this a real standout is the glassy conditions with an ENE breeze so light it's barely there. Expect very good, clean waves. This is a beginner spot, and with a consistent swell and glassy surface, it’s a great option for a longboard or a foamie. Crowds are *sometimes* an issue here, but on a Tuesday morning you might get lucky.

After that first morning, things get a little tricky. The afternoons bring sea breezes and risk of thunderstorms, making conditions marginal. Wednesday the 19th through Sunday the 23rd sees the swell drop right down to 2ft to 4ft. The mornings are glassy, but the wave energy is dropping. Thursday the 20th, for example, the combined energy is only 278. We have a gap of several days here where the surf is small and mostly for the morning sessions only. By Sunday the 23rd, the period jumps to 18 seconds, but the swell is tiny at 2ft and the wind goes onshore in the afternoon – poor surf.

Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th are better again for the early birds, with clean, glassy conditions and a small 2ft SW swell with a long period, but the wave energy is still moderate, around 300. The real magic starts to build around Friday the 28th of August. The morning is absolutely glassy, calm wind, with a 3ft SW swell and a 16-second period – very long lines. The combined energy jumps to 546. This is one of the top standouts in the whole period for clean, user-friendly waves.

It gets even better on Saturday the 29th of August. The morning brings a 4ft SW swell, 17-second period, glassy conditions, and a massive combined energy of 930 – that’s strong wave energy. This is the best day on offer. It’s still manageable for intermediates, but that’s a solid, powerful groundswell. Afternoons bring the usual risk of storms, but the mornings are pure gold.

We then roll into the end of the month and the start of September. The morning of Monday the 31st of August still has a solid 5ft SW swell with a combined energy of 796, and glassy wind. Tuesday the 1st of September keeps the clean vibes in the morning with a 4ft SW swell. The last mention is Wednesday the 2nd of September, which is back to a smaller 2ft but with a very long 17-second period and a combined energy of 520 – another glassy morning to sneak a few in before the afternoon thunderstorms roll in.

If I had to pick the true standouts, it’s the morning of Saturday the 29th of August for the biggest, cleanest swell, closely followed by Friday the 28th of August morning for that incredible glass and building energy. Get on it early, because the afternoons are a write-off.

Rusty.

Read more