
Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 20 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: Sunday 26 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 19s period, SW swell with 1,210 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 6s. 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 1.3m 19s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for Playa Samara over the next couple of weeks. This is a beach-and-reef setup that’s exposed to SW swell, and it’s a beginner-friendly spot that’s fairly consistent. The water’s sitting at 86.2°F – a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be comfortable in boardshorts or a spring suit at most.
We’ve got a solid run of surf starting this Sunday afternoon, July 19, with a clean 3.3ft S swell, 12-second period, and a light NNE breeze blowing offshore. The combined energy is moderate (550), and it’s a nice intro to the week. The real standout kicks off on Monday morning, July 20 – glassy conditions with a 2.6ft SW swell, screaming 16-second period, and energy up to 636. That’s clean, long-period groundswell, perfect for the reef sections. The afternoon stays glassy too. Tuesday morning, July 21, holds 3.0ft SW with 15-second period and a cross-offshore breeze – still clean and fun.
The pattern picks up steam as we go. Wednesday, July 22, offers 2.3ft SW at 13 seconds, glassy in the afternoon, but the energy dips to 282 – still worthwhile. Thursday, July 23, is a bit of a drop-off, but Friday morning, July 24, brings a surprise: 2.3ft SW with an incredible 24-second period, offshore wind, and energy jumping to 684. That’s a very long-period groundswell that will line up best on the reef – expect long, clean walls with plenty of time between sets.
Now, the top shelf stuff starts around July 26. Sunday morning, July 26, delivers 3.6ft SW at 19 seconds, clean with a cross-offshore breeze, and energy hitting 1088 – that’s strong, powerful swell. The afternoon turns a bit onshore, but the morning is gold. Then Monday morning, July 27, is even better: 3.9ft SW at 16 seconds, clean, energy 1414 – excellent for experienced surfers. Tuesday morning, July 28, is the biggest of the run: 5.9ft SW at 18 seconds, clean, energy 1969. That’s a proper swell, but at 5.9ft it’s stepping into intermediate and expert territory – beginners should sit this one out. The period is still long, so the reef will handle it well, but watch for the occasional closeout on the beach. Wednesday morning, July 29, holds 5.2ft SW at 16 seconds, glassy, energy 1276 – another cracker for those who know what they’re doing.
After that, the second week (July 30 onward) settles down. Thursday morning, July 30, gives 4.3ft SW at 14 seconds, clean, energy 708 – still good but less punch. Friday, July 31, morning is 3.6ft SW, 14 seconds, clean, energy 493. The afternoons often get a cross-on breeze and risk of thunderstorms, so mornings are your window. The last few days into August start small – 2.0–3.3ft SW, mostly glassy mornings, but the energy drops to 262–340.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Sun afternoon, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Thu morning, min 24°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | ||||||||||||||
PM | 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) | S 12 | SSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 7 | SW 12 | SSW 7 | SW 18 | SW 24 | SW 24 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
299 | 256 | 371 | 361 | 365 | 355 | 293 | 250 | 173 | 130 | 105 | 93 | 75 | 93 | 563 | 271 | 898 | 658 | 563 | 1210 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross |
High Tide | 6:32PM2.41m | 7:01AM2.56m | 7:20PM2.25m | 7:48AM2.42m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:41AM0.26m | 1:18PM0.42m | 1:27AM0.43m | 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 | ||||||||
— | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | |
6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 6 | 3 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 31 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 26 |
Feels °C | 34 | 27 | 31 | 33 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 34 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | S 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 |
299 | 256 | 215 | 361 | 365 | 355 | 293 | 250 | 173 | 65 | 105 | 39 | 75 | 93 | 67 | 64 | 898 | 658 | 563 | 1210 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 16 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 7 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 7 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 24 | S 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 |
57 | 59 | 371 | 187 | 184 | 132 | 137 | 99 | 47 | 130 | 92 | 37 | 59 | 51 | 563 | 55 | 96 | 49 | 57 | 105 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | S 7 | SSW 7 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 11 | SW 12 | SSW 10 | SW 18 | SW 12 | SW 24 | SW 12 | S 8 | WSW 8 | SW 11 |
194 | 194 | 50 | 45 | 47 | 32 | 14 | 25 | 62 | 62 | 39 | 93 | 20 | 79 | 54 | 271 | 71 | 46 | 44 | 45 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 43 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 19 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 19 |
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.










