Surf Forecasts:
Playa Santa Teresa surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 17s period, SW swell with 1,682 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 7s. 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 1.7m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Santa Teresa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for Playa Santa Teresa over the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a solid run of consistent, long-period SW swell coming in, and the water is sitting at a warm 87° which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – you won’t need a wetsuit, that’s for sure. The energy readings are moderate to strong across the board, so there’s plenty of push in the water.
The standout session is hands down Saturday morning, August 29th. We’re looking at a clean 5ft SW groundswell with a period of 16 seconds and a strong energy reading of 1178. The wind is glassy – dead calm – so it’s going to be silky smooth out there. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers; that long period means the waves will have plenty of shape and power, but at a beach break like this, it might jack up a bit fast. For the experienced crew, this is the one to circle.
Friday morning, August 28th, kicks things off with a clean 3ft SW swell at a very long 19 seconds. Energy is moderate at 716, and with a light offshore NNE breeze at just 3 mph, it’ll be glassy. Definitely a good one to get your board wet before the crowds show up.
Sunday morning, August 30th, has a nice 5ft SW swell at 14 seconds, cross-off wind, and clean conditions. The energy is strong at 948. A solid morning session, though the crowd factor might be a thing here – this spot gets busy.
Monday morning, August 31st, and Tuesday morning, September 1st, both offer glassy conditions on smaller SW swell (4ft and 3ft, periods 13 and 12 seconds) with lower energy (405 and 430) – good for a longerboard or a cruiser day, especially for beginners given the size. The offshore wind is dead calm, so it'll be smooth.
Looking further ahead to Friday morning, September 4th, we’ve got another big pulse: 5ft SW swell at 17 seconds with an energy reading of 1320. The wind is cross-off and light at 6 mph, so it’ll be clean. This is a serious contender for the best of the second week – a powerful, long-period groundswell with decent shape. Saturday morning, September 5th, is also a cracker: 5ft SW at 16 seconds, glassy wind, energy at 1335. Both of these mornings are for the experienced surfers only – over 5ft at a beach break can get a bit much for the groms.
The weekend of September 7th and 8th sees smaller swell but still clean glassy mornings. Monday the 7th has 4ft SW at 14 seconds, and Tuesday the 8th has 2ft at 18 seconds – very long period but small. Both will be excellent for a calm paddle when the wind is off.
After that, there’s a run of glassy or near-glassy mornings with consistent waist-to-chest high SW swell right through to Saturday, September 12th. The energy stays moderate to strong, so there’s always something to surf, just not the big stuff.
The afternoons consistently get chopped up by cross-onshore or onshore wind, so be a morning person for the best of it. The crowds are a reality here, but the quality on offer makes it worth the company.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri afternoon, min 27°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | ||||||||||||||
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 20 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
239 | 881 | 1017 | 1215 | 1001 | 911 | 726 | 541 | 392 | 386 | 331 | 256 | 220 | 216 | 246 | 326 | 257 | 302 | 499 | 881 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:24AM2.49m | 3:37PM2.46m | 3:58AM2.59m | 4:14PM2.47m | 4:33AM2.64m | 4:51PM2.45m | 5:10AM2.65m | 5:30PM2.40m | 5:49AM2.62m | 6:13PM2.31m | 6:33AM2.54m | 7:01PM2.20m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:10PM0.31m | 9:32AM0.36m | 9:44PM0.26m | 10:09AM0.29m | 10:19PM0.25m | 10:46AM0.25m | 10:54PM0.26m | 11:25AM0.25m | 11:33PM0.30m | 12:08PM0.29m | 00:15AM0.38m | 12:55PM0.37m | 1:03AM0.48m | |||||||
— | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | |
5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:47 | — | |
mm | 4 | 3 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 2 | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 34 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 32 | 33 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 7 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | SW 6 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 7 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 |
45 | 881 | 1017 | 1215 | 1001 | 911 | 726 | 541 | 392 | 386 | 99 | 96 | 91 | 216 | 241 | 167 | 45 | 302 | 499 | 881 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SSW 7 | SSW 11 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 6 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 11 |
235 | 48 | 161 | 58 | 44 | 68 | 65 | 44 | 42 | 62 | 331 | 256 | 220 | 49 | 246 | 326 | 149 | 43 | 31 | 151 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 20 | SW 14 | S 11 | — | S 10 | SW 6 | SW 6 | W 9 | W 8 | W 10 | W 9 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 6 | S 7 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 15 | W 9 |
239 | 189 | 62 | — | 31 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 84 | 112 | 112 | 29 | 44 | 257 | 114 | 176 | 14 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 106 | 12 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 245 | 56 | 12 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 93 |
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.











