Playa Samara Surf Break

Lat Long: 9.88° N 85.53° W

Playa Samara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 25 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Playa Samara sea temperature is
30.2°C
2.0° 

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 26 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,314 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s 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 (Aug 25) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. 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 1.6m 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 0.1m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 6AM.

Wave TypeTime (CST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Tue 25th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 16s
Best Surf12AM (Sat 29th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 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

G'day, Rusty here, and we've got a solid run of south swell on the way for Playa Samara. It’s a beach and reef set-up that’s fairly consistent, and it’s exposed to the south-west. The water’s sitting at 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – you’ll be in trunks and a rashie for sure.

The week kicks off with a small, clean pulse. Tuesday morning the 25th you’ll find clean 2ft swell rolling in from the SW with a very long 16-second period. The wind is light cross-off from the ENE, so the wave faces will be tidy. The combined energy is weak at 299, so it’s small but fun for a beginner log. Crowds are only sometimes, so you’ll get plenty of waves to yourself.

Things get a bit ordinary through Wednesday and Thursday mornings with small 1-2ft swell and tricky onshore winds in the afternoons, but the early sessions stay clean with light breezes. Worth a paddle if you’re keen.

Friday morning the 28th is a step up – the swell bumps to 3ft from the SW with a 19-second period, and a light NNE breeze keeps it clean. The combined energy pushes into moderate territory at 739. A good one to start the weekend.

Now, the real standout is Saturday morning the 29th. We’ve got 5ft of SW groundswell, period at 16 seconds, and it’s glassy with an ENE breeze so light it’s barely there. The combined energy is 1216, which is strong energy. This is excellent for experienced surfers – it’s a touch over the beginner-friendly 5ft mark. The long period will make the sets a bit slower to arrive, but the shape on this reef will be beautiful. Sunday morning the 30th is similar with 5ft and glass, but the period drops to 14 seconds.

After that, we get a bit of a lull. The mornings on Monday 31st and Tuesday 1st September are still surfable at around 3-3ft, but the afternoons get messy with onshore wind. The energy drops back to weak.

The second week really fires up again. Wednesday morning 2nd September kicks off a new pulse with glassy 2ft swell and a very long 18-second period. The energy is moderate at 510. Then Friday morning the 4th September is a ripper – 4ft of SW groundswell with 17-second period and absolutely glassy conditions, no wind at all. The combined energy is strong at 1223. Excellent for experienced surfers. Saturday morning the 5th is another cracker – 5ft of SW groundswell, 16-second period, glassy. Energy is 1296. This is big enough to be for experts only. The afternoon winds turn cross-onshore, so get out early.

Sunday 6th September morning cleans up again with 4ft and cross-off NE wind, and the last few mornings up to the 9th offer glassy or clean 3-3ft waves. The standout of the whole outlook has to be Saturday morning the 5th for size and glass, with Friday morning the 4th a close second.

So, plenty of waves on offer here. The inconsistent part is the afternoon seabreezes, but the mornings are your ticket. For the bigger days, if it gets sloppy on the afternoon wind, the setup would look more interesting for kiting than paddle surfing.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 33mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Mon morning, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Tue
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
2
1
0
2
2
1
2
3
0
4
4
2
4
3
2
3
2
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
15
0.5
SW
15
0.5
SW
15
0.9
S
7
0.4
SW
18
1.1
SSW
7
0.7
SW
16
0.8
SW
19
0.7
SW
19
1.4
SW
18
1.4
SW
16
1.6
SW
16
1.5
SW
15
1.5
SW
14
1.4
SW
14
1.2
SW
14
1.1
SW
13
1.1
SW
13
1
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
206
191
110
107
77
112
112
245
450
358
1215
1017
1314
1001
911
821
549
392
386
331
Wind (km/h)
5
S
5
NE
5
NE
10
SSW
0
N
10
N
10
W
5
E
5
NE
10
S
10
NE
5
E
15
SSW
5
N
5
NE
10
SSW
5
NNE
10
NNE
10
SSW
5
SE
Wind State
on
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
glassy
off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross-off
glassy
on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
off
cross-off
on
cross-on
High Tide
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
4:29AM2.63m
4:47PM2.44m
Low Tide
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
10:42AM0.24m
10:50PM0.24m
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<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:33
5:33
5:33
5:33
5:33
5:33
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:54
5:53
5:53
5:52
5:52
5:52
5:51
 mm
13
8
3
3
3
3
3
2
1
3
2
3
6
2
10
Temp °C
30
26
30
29
27
31
29
27
31
30
27
30
29
27
29
29
27
31
30
27
Feels °C
35
31
34
33
32
36
33
31
34
33
31
32
32
31
33
33
33
34
34
31
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  • 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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