Surf Forecasts:
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 Type | Time (EST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (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 ForecastHeavy 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 SummaryHeavy 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 | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SW 19 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
85 | 54 | 79 | 63 | 81 | 119 | 99 | 171 | 316 | 464 | 532 | 487 | 437 | 425 | 299 | 225 | 222 | 219 | 175 | 169 | 127 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | 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 | |||||||
6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 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 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 |
43 | 43 | 41 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 15 | 171 | 316 | 464 | 532 | 487 | 437 | 425 | 299 | 77 | 222 | 219 | 102 | 75 | 59 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 13 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
85 | 54 | 79 | 35 | 41 | 119 | 99 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 30 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 41 | 225 | 15 | 15 | 175 | 169 | 127 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 10 | — | W 11 | SW 20 | W 10 | W 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 |
23 | 11 | 36 | 63 | 81 | 29 | 94 | 146 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 8 | — | 2 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 34 | 32 | 62 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | — | — | — |
— | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 109 | 183 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 131 | 69 | 0 | 166 | 0 | 0 | 85 | 83 | 69 | 40 | 69 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Veraguas | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Panama | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 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.











