Surf Forecasts:
Playa Santa Catalina surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore 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★+): Friday 28 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 6s. 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 1.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) 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+) | 10AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 16s |
| 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, this is Rusty.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid run of waves at Playa Santa Catalina, a point break that’s set to be very consistent over the next couple of weeks. The water is sitting at a very warm 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be surfing in a warm bath.
The swell direction is locked in from the SSW, which is exactly what this spot wants to see. It’s a mix of groundswell and longer-period energy throughout. The combined swell energy is moderate to strong, hitting a three-digit range most of the time, and even pushing up into the 800s at one point.
The standout session by a long shot is Friday morning, September 4th. We’ve got 3 ft of SSW swell with a very long period of 17 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid 620. What makes this the pick of the litter is the wind: glassy, with the sun out. That’s a recipe for perfect, peeling point-break waves. It’s an advanced spot and it can get crowded sometimes, so expect company for this one.
Tuesday morning, September 8th is another cracker. You’ll get 2 ft of SSW swell with an even longer period of 18 seconds, and the energy reading is 501. The wind is offshore and light, so it’ll be clean. The longer period makes the sets a bit more spaced out, which is a bonus for the paddle out.
Wednesday morning, September 9th and Thursday morning, September 10th both offer glassy conditions and clean 3 ft waves. These are good, reliable sessions, but the 4th and the 8th are the real standouts.
The first few days of the run, like Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th, have some good morning conditions, but the afternoons get chopped up by cross or onshore winds. Stick to the morning windows for the best of it.
The second week holds some promise too. Monday morning, September 7th offers 3 ft with glassy conditions and an energy reading of 410, which is a solid, clean session.
All in all, the swell sticks around for a long stretch. The best bet is the 4th of September, but the whole run has quality if you can time the mornings.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 57mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 29mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Warm (max 27°C on Mon morning, min 25°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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) | 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 | SSW 13 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | SW 15 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 99 | 171 | 316 | 464 | 532 | 487 | 437 | 425 | 299 | 225 | 222 | 219 | 196 | 190 | 184 | 189 | 195 | 181 | 180 | 242 | 404 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | off | on | cross-off | cross-off | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 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 | 6:46AM3.43m | 7:11PM3.10m | 7:29AM3.30m | 8:00PM2.94m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 1:03PM0.39m | 1:13AM0.57m | 1:50PM0.51m | 2:02AM0.73m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | |  | | |  | | | | |  |  |  |  | | | | |
 | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:32 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — |
mm | 5 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | 1 | — | 6 | 2 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 35 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 18 |
| kJ | 21 | 22 | 316 | 464 | 532 | 487 | 437 | 425 | 299 | 84 | 222 | 219 | 196 | 190 | 184 | 189 | 147 | 129 | 180 | 158 | 404 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 13 | SW 20 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 18 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 11 |
| kJ | 99 | 171 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 14 | 20 | 32 | 77 | 225 | 15 | 47 | 35 | 32 | 34 | 30 | 30 | 21 | 98 | 242 | 113 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | — | — | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 19 | SW 19 | W 7 |
| kJ | 94 | 146 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 10 | — | — | 15 | 15 | 15 | 34 | 84 | 62 | 124 | 195 | 181 | 145 | 95 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 7 | — | — | SSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 66 | — | — | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 0 | 0 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 137 | 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.
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