Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,123 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 11 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s 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 11) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 20s. 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 1.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 6AM. 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 Monday (Aug 17) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Tue 11th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab a coffee and listen up. Rusty here, with the look ahead for Playa Samara over the next couple of weeks.
First thing you’ll notice is that there’s surf on the cards pretty much from the get-go. The opening of the period looks small, but it’s consistent enough to keep you interested. The water’s a touch warmer than normal at 86°, so you won’t need a thick suit. The big story is a run of decent, clean mornings with that SW groundswell pushing in. The combined wave energy sits in the moderate range (429) early on, so it’s not a full-on powerhouse, but it’s got some grunt.
The Best of It
Without a doubt, the standout morning is Friday, August 14th. We’ve got a clean 4ft SW swell rolling in with a long 18-second period. That’s proper groundswell, and the cross-offshore breeze from the NE will have it looking lined up and tidy. The combined energy is ramping up (904) and it’s set for a very good session. This is the one to circle.
Then, if you’ve got the skill, Saturday the 15th morning is for the experienced crew. The swell jumps to 5ft, still from the SW with a 16-second period, and the energy is strong (1243). It’s clean with a cross-off breeze, but at that size, it’s pushing into expert territory. If you’re a beginner, give this one a miss. The rest of that weekend holds glassy conditions on Sunday the 16th with 4ft SW swell and 15-second periods, which will be a joy if you can avoid any rumbles of storms.
The Rest of the Run
The following week sees the swell dip back down to the 3ft to 4ft range, but the quality remains good on the mornings. Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th both have clean, glassy starts with that consistent SW swell. Into the final week, from around the 21st onwards, the swell drops off noticeably and the period shortens, switching to a shorter-period S swell. It’s still surfable at 3ft, but it loses that grunt. The very end of the outlook, around the 25th, gets pretty weak and messy, with a 2ft SW swell and poor conditions by the afternoon. There’s a gap in quality there that you’ll want to avoid.
So, bottom line: this is a solid two-week stretch for Playa Samara, with the real gold being the Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th mornings. Get on it while it’s good.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 288 | 309 | 224 | 375 | 212 | 211 | 163 | 181 | 176 | 251 | 369 | 804 | 777 | 1050 | 1109 | 897 | 942 | 606 | 606 | 528 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | glassy | off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 00:54AM2.24m | 1:13PM2.52m | 1:53AM2.42m | 2:09PM2.61m | 2:45AM2.59m | 3:01PM2.68m | 3:33AM2.72m | 3:49PM2.69m | 4:17AM2.77m | 4:34PM2.64m | 5:00AM2.76m | 5:18PM2.54m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:39PM0.33m | 6:56AM0.45m | 7:37PM0.20m | 7:57AM0.32m | 8:29PM0.08m | 8:51AM0.21m | 9:16PM0.01m | 9:41AM0.14m | 10:01PM0.00m | 10:28AM0.13m | 10:44PM0.05m | 11:13AM0.17m | 11:25PM0.16m | |||||||
 |  | |  |  |  | | | | | | | |  | |  | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — |
 | 6:01 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 5:59 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 10 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 70 |
Temp °C | 31 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 25 |
Feels °C | 36 | 31 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 31 | 35 | 33 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 16 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 7 |
| kJ | 288 | 309 | 224 | 224 | 212 | 211 | 71 | 103 | 74 | 251 | 369 | 804 | 777 | 1050 | 1109 | 897 | 942 | 606 | 606 | 128 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SW 20 | S 9 | SW 18 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 15 | S 7 | S 8 | S 7 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 42 | 186 | 37 | 375 | 56 | 56 | 134 | 181 | 176 | 70 | 60 | 35 | 166 | 178 | 134 | 134 | 171 | 100 | 117 | 528 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 20 | S 9 | SW 18 | S 8 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 16 | S 15 | S 14 | S 12 | SW 16 | S 12 | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 |
| kJ | 99 | 40 | 159 | 51 | 150 | 136 | 163 | 109 | 94 | 27 | 248 | 65 | 251 | — | — | — | — | 38 | 37 | 21 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 43 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 19 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
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.
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