
Surf Forecasts:
Playa Santa Teresa surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 14s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 20 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 19s period, SW swell with 621 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 19s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Playa Santa Teresa this week:
The surf forecast for Playa Santa Teresa over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Playa Santa Teresa in the next 16 days are 0.9m 19s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 20) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 8s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 19s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Sun 20th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Santa Teresa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what's cooking for Playa Santa Teresa over the next couple of weeks.
First things first, we've got a bit of a slow start. The wind is a mess on the 13th with a risk of thunderstorms, so don't expect much. The water temperature is sitting at a warm 86°, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year. But from the 14th onwards, we start seeing some fun little swells.
The standout windows come in two parts. The first is from Monday the 14th through to the morning of Friday the 18th. It's not big, with waves mostly around 2 ft to 3 ft, but it's a long-period groundswell (17 to 19 seconds) coming from the southwest, which is the optimum direction for this spot. The real treat is the morning glass-offs. We're talking glassy or light offshore breezes from the east and northeast, making the surf super clean and inviting. The best of this run looks like Tuesday morning the 15th and Thursday morning the 17th.
Then there’s a real potential gem on Saturday the 20th. The morning session sees a clean 3 ft SW groundswell with a 19-second period, and the wind is flat calm – glassy perfection. The combined swell energy is cooking at 622 (moderate), promising some real push and shape for such a clean morning.
The morning sessions are definitely the key here. The afternoons are a write-off, mostly onshore winds and a risk of storms. Crowds are described as "sometimes", so you'll have company, but it's not a circus.
Now, we move into the second week. Things get interesting, but with a major caveat. On Friday the 25th, we see a bump in size to 5 ft to 6 ft from the SSW. The combined energy jumps to 565 (moderate) and it's glassy, which is excellent. But be aware, the period drops to 7-8 seconds, which is short-period chop, not the clean lines we saw earlier.
The big news is Saturday the 26th. The swell is predicted to be massive, hitting 12 ft to 13 ft from the southwest. That combined energy is a staggering 2384 to 3448 (very strong). This is way too big for the average surfer. The winds are light, but the size and power are for experts only and even then, the break might just close out. It’s a real beast. Sunday the 27th morning still has a solid 7 ft SW swell, dropping in size, but it's still a proper size for the experienced crew.
After that, the 28th offers a final decent morning with a cleaner 3 ft groundswell from the west.
Signing off, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 38mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 25°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
138 | 234 | 171 | 246 | 379 | 249 | 429 | 371 | 367 | 344 | 350 | 346 | 341 | 228 | 175 | 186 | 236 | 227 | 155 | 328 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | cross | glassy | on | cross | glassy | on | glassy |
High Tide | 4:14PM2.58m | 4:32AM2.73m | 4:54PM2.50m | 5:10AM2.64m | 5:33PM2.38m | 5:48AM2.50m | 6:13PM2.23m | 6:27AM2.34m | 6:55PM2.08m | 7:10AM2.18m | 7:43PM1.93m | 8:01AM2.04m | 8:43PM1.81m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:19PM0.16m | 10:48AM0.14m | 10:58PM0.25m | 11:27AM0.23m | 11:36PM0.37m | 12:06PM0.35m | 00:15AM0.52m | 12:48PM0.50m | 00:56AM0.67m | 1:35PM0.64m | 1:44AM0.81m | 2:31PM0.76m | 2:44AM0.92m | |||||||
— | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | |
5:42 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | 5 | 10 | 1 | — | 2 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 10 |
Temp °C | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 |
99 | 94 | 92 | 92 | 113 | 111 | 108 | 125 | 108 | 344 | 350 | 346 | 341 | 228 | 175 | 175 | 175 | 134 | 132 | 328 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 8 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 12 |
138 | 134 | 73 | 246 | 379 | 200 | 429 | 371 | 367 | 84 | 128 | 115 | 76 | 71 | 51 | 53 | 57 | 56 | 55 | 118 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 6 | SW 23 | SW 22 | SW 22 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | S 8 |
68 | 234 | 171 | 72 | 50 | 249 | 109 | 96 | 130 | 16 | 86 | 76 | 118 | 159 | 143 | 186 | 236 | 227 | 155 | 34 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 6 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 2 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 247 | 12 | 0 | 93 | 12 | 0 | 153 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Golfo de Nicoya | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Playa Santa Teresa Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Playa Santa Teresa 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 Teresa can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Playa Santa Teresa 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 Teresa) 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 Teresa 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.
Playa Santa Teresa is 51 km (32 miles) from Puntarenas. If you plan a holiday in Golfo de Nicoya, look for hotels and other accommodation in Puntarenas. Puntarenas has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










