Playa Santa Catalina Surf Break

Lat Long: 7.61° N 81.24° W

Playa Santa Catalina Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 am 26 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Playa Santa Catalina sea temperature is
29.9°C
1.9° 

Playa Santa Catalina surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Playa Santa Catalina surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with 539 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 15s period with SSW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Playa Santa Catalina this week:

The surf forecast for Playa Santa Catalina over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Playa Santa Catalina in the next 16 days are 1.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 10PM.

Wave TypeTime (EST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10AM (Wed 26th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 15s
Best Surf10AM (Sat 29th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 16s
Most Powerful 1PM (Sat 29th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Santa Catalina over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Playa Santa Catalina. This is a very consistent point break that loves a good SSW swell, and it’s exposed to soak it all up. The water temp is feeling about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

Right now, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first few days are small and messy. Wednesday the 26th is pretty much a write-off with tiny 1ft swell and storm risks, so don’t bother paddling out. Thursday the 27th is similar – still tiny at 1.0ft, though the morning has glassy conditions which is nice, but not enough push to get excited about.

Things start to wake up on Friday the 28th. The morning brings a clean 1ft SSW groundswell with a very long 16-second period and a light offshore breeze. The energy is moderate (208), and the conditions are clean. It’s a small but promising start to the weekend.

Now, here’s where it gets good. Saturday the 29th morning is the first real standout. We’ve got 3ft of clean SSW swell, a very long 16-second period, and glassy conditions with a light northerly breeze. The energy is ramping up to moderate-strong (509). This is a proper point break wave, and that long period will wrap in beautifully. Expect some really nice, well-shaped waves. It’s still a size that’s fine for most, but the long period means it’ll have some punch.

Sunday the 30th morning is also solid – 3ft SSW swell, still clean, with a cross-off breeze. The period drops a touch to 14 seconds, but the energy is still strong (464). It’s a good session, but Saturday morning has the edge for that glassy, clean perfection.

The following week keeps a fun, consistent rhythm. The mornings of Monday the 31st, Tuesday the 1st, and Wednesday the 2nd all offer clean, glassy conditions with 2ft to 3ft SSW swell. The energy sits in the moderate range (300-350). It’s not huge, but it’s clean and fun.

But the real gem of this whole forecast is Saturday the 5th of September morning. This is the one to circle. We’re looking at 4ft of SSW swell with a 16-second period, glassy conditions, and a light westerly breeze. The energy is cranked up to strong (845). This is a proper, powerful groundswell hitting a point break. It’s a bit too much for beginners, but for experienced surfers, this is going to be a ripper of a morning. The crowd factor is noted as “sometimes” here, so on a Saturday with this kind of swell, expect some company.

The last few days of the outlook, around the 8th and 9th of September, keep the goods coming. More glassy mornings, 2ft to 3ft swell, with very long periods (17-19 seconds) and strong energy (568-786). The best of the bunch is the morning of the 9th with calm, glassy conditions and a 3ft, 17-second SSW swell. It’s a week and a half out, so keep an eye on it, but it looks promising.

To sum it up: the first few days are a write-off, but from Friday the 28th onwards, it’s a solid run. The absolute best sessions are Saturday the 29th morning and Saturday the 5th of September morning. Get out there for those.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 50mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 65mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Sun afternoon). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
1
1
0
1
2
1
2
3
1
2
2
0
2
2
0
1
1
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)
0.4
SSW
15
0.4
SW
15
0.4
SSW
14
0.3
SSW
18
0.4
SW
18
0.4
SSW
17
0.4
SW
19
0.6
SSW
16
0.7
SW
18
0.9
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
1
SSW
15
1
SSW
14
1
SSW
14
0.9
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
13
0.8
SSW
13
0.8
SSW
13
0.8
SSW
12
0.8
SSW
12
0.7
SSW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
85
54
79
63
81
119
99
171
316
464
532
487
437
425
299
225
222
219
175
169
127
Wind (km/h)
0
NW
10
S
5
WNW
5
NE
10
SW
10
WNW
10
NNE
5
SSE
10
NNW
5
N
10
SW
10
W
10
WNW
15
WSW
10
WNW
5
NW
10
SSW
10
W
10
WSW
10
SSW
5
W
Wind State
glassy
on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-on
off
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross
on
cross
High Tide
2:46PM2.94m
3:17AM3.01m
3:25PM3.09m
3:52AM3.20m
4:02PM3.21m
4:25AM3.36m
4:37PM3.29m
4:58AM3.46m
5:13PM3.32m
5:31AM3.51m
5:50PM3.30m
6:07AM3.50m
6:29PM3.23m
Low Tide
8:40AM0.93m
9:01PM0.61m
9:20AM0.75m
9:37PM0.48m
9:57AM0.59m
10:11PM0.38m
10:33AM0.45m
10:44PM0.33m
11:08AM0.35m
11:18PM0.32m
11:44AM0.31m
11:53PM0.35m
12:22PM0.32m
00:31AM0.44m
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
rain showers
clear
mod rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
mod rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
mod rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:16
6:16
6:16
6:16
6:16
6:16
6:16
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:35
6:35
6:34
6:34
6:32
6:32
6:31
 mm
4
4
1
8
12
9
3
2
8
8
4
22
8
5
8
15
5
12
8
Temp °C
28
27
27
29
29
27
28
27
27
29
28
27
29
27
26
27
27
26
27
25
25
Feels °C
33
31
32
33
33
31
31
32
30
33
31
31
33
30
30
32
30
29
31
29
29
  • Map Icons:
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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 Santa Catalina Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Playa Santa Catalina provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Playa Santa Catalina can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Playa Santa Catalina 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 Santa Catalina) 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 Santa Catalina 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.

Are you planning a holiday in Veraguas? If you are looking for accommodation near Playa Santa Catalina, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Veraguas, consider staying in Manzanillo which is 17 km (11 miles) away. Other places in and around Veraguas where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Las Minas which is 57 km (35 miles) away, Santiago de Veraguas and Chitre.

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