Playa Samara Surf Break

Lat Long: 9.88° N 85.53° W

Playa Samara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 21 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Playa Samara sea temperature is
30.0° C
1.8° 

Playa Samara surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Playa Samara surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 21s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 17s period, SW swell with 1,722 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Playa Samara in the next 16 days are 1.7m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 12PM. 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 2s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 3AM.

Wave TypeTime (CST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Tue 21st Jul)2.5ft (0.8m) 13s
Best Surf12AM (Sat 25th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 21s
Most Powerful12PM (Tue 28th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 17s

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 Playa Samara has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

This is a slow start, but there's some real promise building. The water is sitting at a toasty 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, making for a very pleasant paddle.

The first real window of opportunity kicks off on Tuesday morning, July 21st. We've got a clean 3 ft of SW groundswell rolling in with a long, juicy 15-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 507, and with a light NE cross-off breeze, it's going to be smooth. This is a solid, clean little wave for a beginner-friendly spot like Playa Samara, but don't expect it to be empty – it can get a crowd in here sometimes.

Wednesday morning, July 22nd, is a little smaller at 2 ft, but the wind is still a light cross-off, keeping it clean. The real treat on Wednesday is the afternoon: the wind goes completely glassy, flat calm, with that 2 ft of swell. That’s a beautiful, clean window for a few rides, even if the energy is on the lower side.

Thursday morning, July 23rd, offers a tiny 2 ft with a nice offshore wind, but it's very small. The afternoon gets weird with a 1 ft swell but a 26-second period – a very long period groundswell. That's a strange combo for a beach-and-reef setup; it might be too straight and fat to really work.

The standout period is looking like Sunday, July 26th, through Tuesday, July 28th. The swell builds nicely. Sunday morning, July 26th, has a clean 4 ft with glassy conditions, and the energy is ramping up. By Sunday afternoon, the swell hits 4 ft with a glassy wind, and the combined energy jumps to 1141 (strong). This is excellent, powerful surf for experienced surfers. Monday morning, July 27th, is the true peak: 4 ft of clean, glassy swell with a massive energy reading of 1414. That's a strong, punchy wave. Tuesday morning, July 28th, pushes up to 5 ft, but the wind goes cross-shore, making it a bit lumpy. The afternoon sees 6 ft – that's getting into expert-only territory, especially with onshore wind messing it up.

After that peak, the swell slowly drops. Thursday, July 30th, and Friday, July 31st mornings offer clean 4 ft and 4 ft respectively with cross-off winds, making for some fun, clean waves to finish the month. The first week of August looks like a return to small, clean but marginal conditions with waist-high waves.

Overall, the best surf is undeniably Monday morning, July 27th, with that glassy, powerful, clean 4 ft swell. Sunday afternoon is a close second. The rest of the period is a mix of small clean waves and some lumpy, bigger days that are more for the experienced crew.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Wed morning, min 24°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 29°C on Fri morning, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
3
1
4
2
2
3
3
4
4
4
3
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
SW
15
0.8
SW
14
0.8
SW
13
0.7
SW
13
0.7
SW
13
0.6
SW
12
0.6
SW
12
0.4
SW
26
0.8
SW
8
0.7
SW
24
0.5
SW
24
1
SW
21
0.9
SW
21
0.9
SW
20
1.3
SW
19
1.1
SW
19
1.3
SW
18
1.4
SW
17
1.1
SW
19
1
SW
19
1.6
SW
18
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
355
293
250
173
156
92
93
171
82
563
271
898
658
563
1210
800
996
1185
800
715
1465
Wind (km/h)
5
NE
10
SSW
5
N
10
NE
0
SW
10
NNE
10
NNE
10
SW
5
NE
10
NNE
5
S
5
NE
10
E
5
E
10
E
5
NE
5
S
5
N
0
NNE
10
SW
5
NNE
Wind State
cross-off
on
glassy
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
glassy
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
8:11PM2.08m
8:36AM2.28m
9:06PM1.94m
9:29AM2.17m
10:06PM1.85m
10:26AM2.09m
11:10PM1.81m
11:26AM2.07m
00:12AM1.84m
12:23PM2.11m
1:07AM1.91m
1:14PM2.18m
1:55AM2.01m
Low Tide
2:09PM0.53m
2:15AM0.59m
3:03PM0.63m
3:07AM0.73m
4:02PM0.69m
4:05AM0.82m
5:03PM0.71m
5:06AM0.85m
6:02PM0.68m
6:06AM0.83m
6:56PM0.61m
7:01AM0.77m
7:43PM0.52m
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<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:28
5:30
5:30
5:30
5:30
5:30
5:31
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:07
6:06
6:06
6:06
6:06
6:06
6:06
 mm
2
10
3
1
3
9
2
1
3
3
10
Temp °C
28
27
26
29
28
25
29
29
26
29
28
25
26
27
26
28
28
27
29
29
27
Feels °C
31
30
31
33
33
27
32
32
29
32
31
29
30
31
28
31
32
31
33
33
31
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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