Surf Forecasts:
Playa Samara surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s period, SW swell with 1,087 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 11s. 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 18s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Samara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's break it down.
We've got a window opening up around Playa Samara for the next couple of weeks. It’s a beach and reef setup, well exposed to the SW, which is where our swell's coming from, and that's exactly what we want. The water is much warmer than usual for this time of year, sitting at about 86.4°.
The surf kicks off on the 9th of September, but honestly, it's a marginal call with an onshore wind and only 2.6ft from the SW. The energy is moderate at 500, but it’s not going to be clean. Thursday the 10th is where it gets interesting. Thursday morning, the wind goes glassy, light from the ENE, and we get a jump in swell to 4.3ft from the SW with a very long 17-second period. The energy is strong at 1045. That’s a standout for experienced surfers. That long period groundswell is going to hold up nicely on the reef. The afternoon goes a bit messy with a cross-on breeze, so hit it early.
Friday the 11th morning is clean again with a cross-off breeze from the NE and a solid 3.9ft SW swell (769 energy, moderate/strong). Saturday the 12th drops to 3ft but stays clean in the morning with cross-off winds. Sunday the 13th is glassy early with a smaller 2.3ft, but still clean.
For the rest of the first week and into the second, we see a pattern of clean mornings and stormy afternoons. There are no massive standout swells over 5ft, but the consistency is there. The best bet for a clean, fun wave for most surfers would be Monday morning the 16th of September if you can dodge the risk of thunderstorms, or Thursday morning the 17th of September with glassy conditions and a 3.3ft SW swell.
The absolute best session in this whole run looks like the morning of Tuesday the 22nd of September. We’ve got a calm, glassy sea state with 3ft from the SW and a 16-second period. The energy is moderate (566), but with zero wind, that reef at Playa Samara is going to be silky smooth. That's your pick, but keep your eye on Thursday morning the 24th for another glassy run, though the swell drops to 2.3ft.
Crowds are possible here, so don't expect to have it to yourself. It’s fairly consistent, so there will be waves around.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Wed afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 34mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 30°C on Mon morning, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | ||||||||||||||
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 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 314 | 871 | 974 | 728 | 719 | 701 | 485 | 398 | 346 | 341 | 215 | 171 | 138 | 234 | 173 | 246 | 379 | 249 | 499 | 427 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | on | glassy | cross-off | on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross |
High Tide | 1:38AM2.49m | 1:57PM2.52m | 2:25AM2.64m | 2:45PM2.58m | 3:08AM2.73m | 3:29PM2.60m | 3:49AM2.76m | 4:10PM2.57m | 4:28AM2.72m | 4:50PM2.49m | 5:06AM2.62m | 5:29PM2.37m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:21PM0.27m | 7:48AM0.31m | 8:09PM0.17m | 8:37AM0.19m | 8:54PM0.12m | 9:22AM0.12m | 9:35PM0.11m | 10:03AM0.10m | 10:15PM0.16m | 10:43AM0.14m | 10:53PM0.24m | 11:23AM0.22m | 11:31PM0.36m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | | | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — |
 | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:42 | — |
mm | 4 | 1 | — | 4 | 5 | — | 3 | 4 | — | 6 | 9 | — | 6 | 2 | — | 4 | 7 | — | 6 | 13 |
Temp °C | 30 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 33 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 31 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | S 8 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 314 | 871 | 974 | 728 | 719 | 701 | 485 | 398 | 346 | 341 | 99 | 101 | 99 | 90 | 88 | 88 | 112 | 82 | 499 | 427 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 7 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 14 | SSW 8 | S 8 |
| kJ | 134 | 37 | 51 | 69 | 52 | 49 | 51 | 52 | 60 | 46 | 215 | 171 | 138 | 134 | 173 | 246 | 379 | 203 | 109 | 84 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | WNW 10 | SW 18 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 35 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 28 | 18 | 9 | 80 | 71 | 70 | 68 | 234 | 73 | 71 | 69 | 249 | 109 | 101 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 43 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 16 | 9 | 59 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 16 |
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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