
Surf Forecasts:
Playa Santa Catalina surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, SSW swell with 627 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 Saturday (Aug 08) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-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 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Sat 8th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (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, grab your board, let’s see what’s cooking for *Playa Santa Catalina*. This point break is a consistent performer, and we’ve got a solid window of clean, manageable SSW groundswell rolling in over the next couple of weeks. The water here is sitting at about 86°F, which is a touch warmer than normal, so you’ll be comfortable in just boardshorts.
The main event kicks off Saturday the 8th. It’s not massive, but that early morning session is looking good. You’ve got a clean 3ft groundswell from the SSW with a very long period of 16 seconds. That long period is going to wrap nicely around this point, offering up some proper, lined-up waves. The wind is offshore from the NNE at 9 mph, keeping the surface glassy. The combined swell energy is moderate (509). This is the standout of the first week, without a doubt. It’s an advanced spot, and with crowds listed as *sometimes*, you might see a few others out, but it won’t be a zoo.
Sunday the 9th is another good call. The morning sees a cross-off breeze, but the real gem is the afternoon. The wind goes dead glassy from the ESE at just 3 mph. Swell drops to about 3ft from the same SSW direction, but the period holds at 14 seconds. That’s a classic, fun point-break wave with no wind texture. Monday the 10th has a similar pattern—morning is okay, but the afternoon glass-off (ENE 3 mph) on 2ft SSW swell is where you want to be.
We get a bit of a wobble Tuesday afternoon the 11th when the onshore wind kicks in, but don’t worry. Wednesday morning the 12th is flat calm again, completely glassy with 2ft of 16-second SSW groundswell (418). That’s a sneaky good window if you can get out before any storms roll in.
Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th are mixed, with the glassy mornings being the clear winners. Friday afternoon gets a bit of a bump in energy (506) with the onshore wind, so stick to the early sessions.
The biggest push of the entire forecast hits Saturday the 15th. The morning is clean with a 4ft SSW swell at 16 seconds, and the combined energy jumps up to a solid moderate-to-strong 646. That’s the biggest, cleanest day on the charts. The wind is offshore from the N at just 6 mph. This is your other absolute standout, but it’s getting into that expert territory. If you’re not comfortable on a bigger, powerful point wave, give this one a watch.
The second week keeps the fun rolling, but the energy starts to taper. The mornings remain the best bet, especially on Tuesday the 18th (3ft, 14s, clean) and Wednesday the 19th. Wednesday afternoon the 19th is actually a glassy 4ft SSW swell (546), which is a late call to keep an eye on.
From the 20th onward, the swell starts to get a little weaker and the period drops, but there are still clean, surfable mornings. By the 22nd and 23rd, you’re down to small 2ft to 3ft waves with shorter periods, but it’s still a point break, so it’ll handle it better than most. Just don’t expect any powerhouses.
Bottom line: Saturday 8th morning and Saturday 15th morning are your two standouts. For a reliable, clean, long-running swell, you can’t beat the first week—especially those glassy afternoons on Sunday and Monday.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Warm (max 32°C on Mon afternoon, min 26°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Wed morning. Warm (max 30°C on Tue morning, min 26°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | SSW 14 | 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 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
288 | 439 | 330 | 394 | 312 | 195 | 147 | 136 | 214 | 133 | 276 | 164 | 229 | 357 | 301 | 236 | 141 | 137 | 223 | 399 | 386 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | off | on | cross | glassy | cross-on | glassy | off | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:51AM2.98m | 11:44PM2.70m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:27PM0.74m | 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 | ||||||||
6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | |
— | 6:42 | — | — | 6:42 | — | — | 6:42 | — | — | 6:42 | — | — | 6:40 | — | — | 6:40 | — | — | 6:39 | — | |
mm | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | 3 | 6 |
Temp °C | 31 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 32 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 35 | 34 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 34 | 36 | 33 | 34 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 35 | 32 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | 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 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 |
288 | 439 | 330 | 394 | 312 | 195 | 147 | 136 | 126 | 133 | 276 | 118 | 229 | 357 | 301 | 236 | 49 | 36 | 223 | 399 | 386 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 9 | S 24 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 9 | SSW 6 | SSW 9 | SSW 19 | SSW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | SSW 13 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 6 |
164 | 35 | 11 | 13 | 31 | 26 | 12 | 26 | 214 | 23 | 116 | 164 | 158 | 41 | 36 | 35 | 141 | 137 | 93 | 81 | 17 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | — | S 24 | SW 18 | SW 22 | SW 22 | SSW 16 | SSW 21 | SSW 12 | SSW 18 | SW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 12 | S 9 | SW 21 | SSW 21 | SW 20 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 12 |
64 | — | 11 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 102 | 83 | 56 | 127 | 30 | 47 | 47 | 75 | 2 | 18 | 42 | 97 | 26 | 26 | 47 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 4 | SSE 9 | SSW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | S 9 | — | — | SW 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 7 | 29 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | 60 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 89 | 0 | 0 | 170 | 0 | 0 | 209 | 0 | 0 | 131 | 0 |
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.











