Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 16s period, SW swell with 942 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 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 Sunday (Aug 16) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 12s. 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 1.4m 16s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 16s |
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’s coming down the line for us over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a wait. The first real chance to paddle out doesn’t kick in until the afternoon of Saturday the 15th. The water is running a warm 87°, which is a whole lot warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s about 4° above the norm, so you can definitely leave the thick wetsuit at home.
That first Saturday session is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a solid 5ft of swell from the SW, with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is strong at 1128. But the wind is a light cross-shore from the East at 6 mph, and there’s a risk of thunderstorms. It’s rideable, but not the cleanest start.
The real standout window opens up the next morning. Sunday, the 16th, morning at Playa Samara is where it’s at. The swell drops a touch to 4ft, still from the SW with a long 15-second period, and the energy is moderate at 983. The key here is the wind: a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNE at 6 mph. That’s going to clean things right up, giving us some really nice lines. It’s a fairly consistent spot, so you’ll get waves, but keep in mind the crowd can turn up sometimes.
Then Monday the 17th morning is looking absolutely magic. The swell is 4ft from the SW, with a 14-second period, and the wind goes dead glassy from the NNE at just 3 mph. The energy reading is moderate at 618. For a beach and reef setup, that’s as good as it gets – clean, lined-up waves.
The following week sees the swell drop off a fair bit, with heights hovering around 2ft to 3ft, but we get some decent clean windows with offshore or glassy winds. The mornings of the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd all have clean conditions, but the size is small. The 23rd morning has a notably long period of 19 seconds, but only 1ft of swell, so you’ll be waiting for the set waves.
Looking further ahead to the end of the month, things start to look promising again. Thursday the 28th morning is another one to circle. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the SW, with a 15-second period, and the wind is glassy from the NE. The energy is moderate at 699. That’ll be a great session with clean, peeling waves for the beginner to intermediate crew.
The absolute best bet for the whole run, though, is Saturday the 29th morning. We’ve got a nice 4ft of SW swell, a 16-second period, and glassy conditions with an East wind at 3 mph. The combined energy is a solid 813. It’s a classic Playa Samara day – clean, consistent, and just the right size for a long, fun session. The Sunday the 30th morning looks almost as good, with the same size and glassy conditions from the NNW.
So, the long story short: get on it Sunday the 16th morning, and definitely block out Saturday the 29th morning. There’s a bit of a flat spell in the middle, but the forecasts change, so keep an eye on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 31mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 30°C on Sat afternoon, min 24°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 52mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 9 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
991 | 942 | 677 | 606 | 598 | 428 | 428 | 416 | 422 | 341 | 477 | 355 | 305 | 238 | 144 | 169 | 229 | 247 | 291 | 227 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | cross-off | cross | on | off | cross-off | on | glassy | off | glassy | cross |
High Tide | 4:34PM2.64m | 5:00AM2.76m | 5:18PM2.54m | 5:41AM2.67m | 6:00PM2.40m | 6:22AM2.54m | 6:44PM2.24m | 7:04AM2.38m | 7:29PM2.07m | 7:49AM2.22m | 8:19PM1.91m | 8:40AM2.09m | 9:19PM1.80m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:44PM0.05m | 11:13AM0.17m | 11:25PM0.16m | 11:57AM0.25m | 00:06AM0.30m | 12:40PM0.37m | 00:48AM0.46m | 1:25PM0.51m | 1:31AM0.62m | 2:15PM0.64m | 2:20AM0.76m | 3:13PM0.74m | ||||||||
— | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | |
6:00 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | |
mm | 4 | 8 | — | 3 | 15 | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 16 | — | 7 | 1 |
Temp °C | 30 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 34 | 30 | 33 | 33 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 34 | 34 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 8 | S 7 | S 8 | SSW 8 | S 8 | SW 16 | SSW 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 9 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 |
991 | 942 | 677 | 606 | 598 | 169 | 134 | 115 | 151 | 149 | 477 | 104 | 153 | 144 | 118 | 169 | 229 | 247 | 291 | 227 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | S 8 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 16 |
137 | 216 | 247 | 79 | 105 | 428 | 428 | 416 | 422 | 341 | 98 | 355 | 305 | 238 | 144 | 138 | 84 | 19 | 17 | 206 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 12 | SW 7 | S 11 | S 11 | SW 21 | S 13 | S 12 | SW 6 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WSW 6 |
— | — | 59 | 37 | 37 | 21 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 25 | 9 | 2 | 17 | 13 | 27 | 20 | 55 | 55 | 15 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 3 | S 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 223 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 16 | 9 | 9 | 19 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 16 | 19 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 16 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Golfo de Nicoya | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











