Surf Forecasts:
Playa Santa Catalina surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, SSW swell with 635 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 9 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s 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 Sunday (Aug 09) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 24s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Playa Santa Catalina in the next 16 days are 1.1m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Santa Catalina over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright mates, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening at Playa Santa Catalina for the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a stretch of clean, small waves coming up. The main event is from Saturday the 15th through Wednesday the 19th, with a couple of real standouts in there. The water is about average for this time of year, so no need to pack the thick rubber.
The first few days are a slow grind. Sunday the 9th and Monday the 10th bring small 2ft to 3ft of SSW swell with a 13 to 14 second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore. Clean, but the energy is only moderate (around 274 to 370). Perfect for a longboard and a morning coffee.
Tuesday the 11th morning is a gem: 2ft of SSW groundswell, 14 seconds, and clean offshore wind from the NNE. The energy is moderate (283), and the conditions are sweet. The afternoon turns into a mess with a strong cross-onshore wind and a storm risk – skip it.
Wednesday the 12th morning is a real highlight. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, and you’ve got 2ft of that long-period SSW groundswell (16 seconds). The energy is moderate (415), but it’s clean as a whistle. The afternoon gets choppy, so get in early.
Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th are more of the same: small, clean mornings with offshore or cross-off winds, then onshore slop in the afternoons. Not huge, but fun.
Now, the best of the whole forecast lands on Saturday the 15th morning. The swell bumps up to 4ft, still from the SSW, with a 16-second period. The wind is glassy. The combined energy jumps to a strong 689. This is the pick of the bunch. The afternoon is onshore and messy, but that morning will be killer.
Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th mornings keep it clean with 3ft to 2ft of swell, glassy or light offshore winds, and moderate energy. Solid morning sessions.
Then, Wednesday the 19th morning delivers another standout. The swell pushes to 4ft from the SSW, with a 14-second period, and you have clean offshore winds from the NNE. The energy is strong at 675. This is a proper fun wave for the experienced crew – a little too big for beginners, but for the rest of us, it’s a treat.
The final week from the 20th onward drops off. We get small 1ft to 3ft swells, but the glassy morning windows on the 21st and 22nd keep the hope alive for a longboard. The 22nd morning has a super long 21-second period, which is very long-period groundswell – that 1ft of swell will be weak and a bit too straight for the beach, but if you’re on a point, you might get a few clean lines.
The best sessions are the mornings of Saturday the 15th and Wednesday the 19th. Get out there early.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 32°C on Sun afternoon, min 26°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 27°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 19 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 20 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 325 | 285 | 195 | 147 | 136 | 214 | 133 | 276 | 164 | 229 | 357 | 301 | 236 | 141 | 137 | 223 | 319 | 386 | 635 | 620 | 430 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | on | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:07PM3.01m | 1:00AM2.84m | 1:19PM3.13m | 2:06AM3.07m | 2:22PM3.29m | 3:03AM3.32m | 3:18PM3.45m | 3:53AM3.53m | 4:08PM3.55m | 4:38AM3.67m | 4:54PM3.58m | 5:22AM3.72m | 5:39PM3.53m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:48AM0.95m | 6:40PM0.63m | 7:04AM0.83m | 7:46PM0.45m | 8:10AM0.65m | 8:43PM0.26m | 9:08AM0.45m | 9:34PM0.10m | 10:00AM0.29m | 10:21PM0.02m | 10:47AM0.19m | 11:05PM0.02m | 11:32AM0.17m | 11:47PM0.10m | |||||||
 | |  |  | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | — | 6:42 | — | — | 6:42 | — | — | 6:42 | — | — | 6:40 | — | — | 6:40 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | — | 5 | — | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 7 |
Temp °C | 31 | 32 | 28 | 31 | 32 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 27 |
Feels °C | 32 | 34 | 29 | 33 | 36 | 33 | 36 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 30 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 325 | 285 | 195 | 147 | 136 | 126 | 133 | 276 | 118 | 229 | 357 | 301 | 236 | 141 | 137 | 223 | 319 | 386 | 635 | 620 | 430 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 19 | SSW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | SSW 13 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 13 | 31 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 214 | 23 | 116 | 164 | 158 | 39 | 37 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 93 | 85 | 47 | 46 | 71 | 137 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SW 22 | SW 22 | SSW 16 | SSW 21 | SSW 12 | SSW 18 | S 9 | S 10 | S 7 | SW 12 | S 10 | SW 21 | SSW 21 | SW 20 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 12 | SW 8 |
| kJ | 32 | 18 | 18 | 102 | 83 | 56 | 127 | 41 | 47 | 28 | 75 | 7 | 18 | 42 | 97 | 26 | 24 | 13 | 8 | 46 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 3 | — | SSE 6 | NNE 3 | S 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | — | 7 | 2 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 40 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 131 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 1 |
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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