Surf Forecasts:
Playa Santa Catalina surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 16s period, SSW swell with 892 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m 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 1.3m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (EST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sat 5th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Santa Catalina over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright crew, Rusty here with the lowdown on Playa Santa Catalina.
We’ve got a solid stretch of surf lined up from August 29th all the way to September 13th. The swell is coming from the SSW, which is exactly what this point break loves. The best part? The water is sitting at about 86°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, so you’ll be comfortable in boardshorts.
The Cream of the Crop
The absolute standout is Saturday morning, September 4th. You’ve got a 3ft swell from the SSW, with a long 17-second period pumping 673 units of energy. The wind is glassy, dead calm, making for perfect, clean lines. This is a point break, so those long-period groundswells will wrap in and give you some proper shaped waves.
Right behind it is the Saturday morning, September 5th. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the SSW, still with a solid 16-second period and 635 energy. A light cross-offshore breeze from the west will keep the faces smooth. This is top-tier.
The Rest of the Ride
The Saturday morning, August 29th kicks things off well. 3ft, 16-second SSW groundswell, 517 energy, and a cross-offshore wind. It might be a bit stormy with a risk of thunderstorms, but the surf will be clean. The Monday morning, August 31st offers 3ft waves with glassy conditions and a 13-second period. Not huge, but fun and clean.
The Friday morning, September 11th is another one to note. 3ft, 16-second period, 506 energy, and a cross-offshore breeze. A bit further out, but the pattern looks good. The Wednesday morning, September 9th has glassy conditions on a 3ft, 16-second groundswell. The Thursday morning, September 10th sees a similar 3ft, 15-second swell with glassy wind. The Sunday morning, September 13th finishes the run with a smaller 2ft, 13-second swell, but it’s glassy and clean.
The Sessions to Skip
The afternoons are a mess. Wind swings onshore from the south and southwest, turning the ocean into a bumpy, choppy mess. The afternoons of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of September are particularly poor, as is the entire afternoon of the 12th. The afternoon of the 13th is a total dud, with a tiny 1ft swell and a messy onshore breeze.
Final Word
For a break that’s very consistent and loves this swell direction, you’re in for a treat. The morning sessions of September 4th and 5th are the absolute best bets. For the rest, just make sure you’re in the water early before the wind ruins it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 53mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | SW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 464 | 532 | 487 | 437 | 425 | 299 | 225 | 222 | 219 | 193 | 190 | 184 | 189 | 232 | 181 | 125 | 242 | 404 | 528 | 622 | 539 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-off | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 4:37PM3.29m | 4:58AM3.46m | 5:13PM3.32m | 5:31AM3.51m | 5:50PM3.30m | 6:07AM3.50m | 6:29PM3.23m | 6:46AM3.43m | 7:11PM3.10m | 7:29AM3.30m | 8:00PM2.94m | 8:20AM3.13m | 8:59PM2.78m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:33AM0.45m | 10:44PM0.33m | 11:08AM0.35m | 11:18PM0.32m | 11:44AM0.31m | 11:53PM0.35m | 12:22PM0.32m | 00:31AM0.44m | 1:03PM0.39m | 1:13AM0.57m | 1:50PM0.51m | 2:02AM0.73m | 2:46PM0.65m | 3:03AM0.90m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | | | |  | |  | | | |  |  | | | | | | |
 | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — |
mm | 5 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 15 | 3 | 2 | — | 6 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
Temp °C | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 34 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 6 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 464 | 532 | 487 | 437 | 425 | 299 | 225 | 222 | 60 | 193 | 190 | 184 | 45 | 189 | 129 | 125 | 158 | 404 | 528 | 622 | 539 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 6 | SSW 18 | SSW 6 | SSW 13 | SSW 17 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 15 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 |
| kJ | 31 | 22 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 55 | 55 | 219 | 31 | 32 | 44 | 189 | 166 | 34 | 21 | 242 | 148 | 105 | 107 | 66 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 8 | — | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 6 | W 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 8 | W 9 |
| kJ | 22 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 6 | — | 15 | 15 | 15 | 34 | 32 | 62 | 124 | 232 | 181 | 98 | 14 | 17 | 40 | 21 | 14 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 6 | — | — | SSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | — | — | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 131 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 131 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 69 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Veraguas | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Panama | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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