Surf Forecasts:
Playa Santa Catalina surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 24 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 24s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 21s period, SSW swell with 718 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 13s 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m 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 0.9m 21s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 2s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 24s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 21s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Santa Catalina over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s break it down.
We’ve got a nice stretch of surf coming in for Playa Santa Catalina, a point break that loves a good SSW swell. Water temp is 86°F, which is a touch warmer than usual for the season.
The first few days, from Sunday the 19th through Thursday the 23rd, are pretty quiet. The swell is small, mostly around 2-3ft, and the wind isn’t always clean. There are some good windows, like Monday morning the 20th with glassy conditions and a 3ft SSW swell, but the energy is low (315). It’s rideable, but nothing to write home about.
Then Friday the 24th is where it picks up. Friday morning brings a 2ft SSW swell, but with a long 24-second period. The energy jumps to 737 (moderate) and the wind is light cross-offshore. That’s a clean, lined-up point break wave. The long period means it’ll be walling up nicely, with good shape and plenty of push for a small wave. This is a standout session.
Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th keep the quality high. Saturday morning is glassy, 2ft SSW at 21 seconds, with energy at 589. Sunday the 26th is dead calm in the morning, 2-3ft SSW at 19 seconds, energy at 597. That’s a clean, fun weekend.
The absolute best on offer is Tuesday the 28th. Tuesday morning sees 4ft of SSW swell, period 18 seconds, and the energy hits 1018 (strong). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the ENE. That’s a pumping, clean point break, solid for experienced surfers. The afternoon goes glassy calm with the same size. This is the pick of the fortnight.
Wednesday the 30th and Thursday the 31st are still good, with similar 4ft SSW swell, but the wind is a bit more variable. Thursday morning the 30th is glassy with a 4ft SSW swell—another great session.
After that, into the first days of August, the swell drops back under 3ft and the energy fades. There’s a bit of a gap from around the 2nd to the 3rd, with only small, clean waves on offer. The run is essentially done by then.
Keep in mind, this spot can get crowded sometimes, especially when it’s good. And that Tuesday the 28th will be worth the paddle.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 49mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun morning, min 24°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 103mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 28°C on Wed morning, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 26 | SSW 7 | SSW 24 | SSW 24 | SSW 21 | SSW 21 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 165 | 263 | 229 | 213 | 157 | 109 | 134 | 108 | 195 | 69 | 133 | 127 | 82 | 132 | 45 | 487 | 217 | 718 | 404 | 346 | 590 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | cross-off | on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | off | glassy | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 7:36PM3.19m | 8:03AM3.35m | 8:25PM2.98m | 8:49AM3.15m | 9:17PM2.77m | 9:39AM2.95m | 10:14PM2.60m | 10:33AM2.79m | 11:18PM2.48m | 11:34AM2.69m | 00:25AM2.46m | 12:36PM2.68m | 1:28AM2.52m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:31PM0.43m | 1:44AM0.43m | 2:20PM0.58m | 2:31AM0.67m | 3:11PM0.74m | 3:20AM0.89m | 4:05PM0.87m | 4:15AM1.07m | 5:04PM0.96m | 5:17AM1.18m | 6:07PM0.98m | 6:21AM1.21m | 7:08PM0.93m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | | |  | |
 | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — |
mm | 1 | 10 | 26 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 6 | 8 | 13 | — | 7 | 20 | 3 | 14 | 32 | 5 | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 28 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
Feels °C | 33 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SW 7 | SW 6 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 7 | SSW 21 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 19 |
| kJ | 161 | 263 | 229 | 213 | 61 | 56 | 42 | 51 | 70 | 54 | 46 | 43 | 44 | 46 | 38 | 222 | 29 | 718 | 138 | 138 | 590 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 | S 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 24 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 21 | SSW 20 | SSW 11 |
| kJ | 34 | 47 | 47 | 59 | 157 | 109 | 134 | 73 | 195 | 64 | 133 | 127 | 82 | 87 | 45 | 487 | 79 | 138 | 404 | 346 | 133 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | W 14 | SSW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | S 21 | SSW 13 | S 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 26 | SSW 13 | SSW 17 | SSW 24 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 165 | 4 | 60 | 43 | 100 | 87 | 100 | 108 | 9 | 69 | 8 | 15 | 14 | 132 | 32 | 28 | 217 | 50 | 47 | 21 | 41 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 209 | 0 | 0 | 91 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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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