Playa Santa Teresa Surf Break

Lat Long: 9.63° N 85.16° W

Playa Santa Teresa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 05 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Playa Santa Teresa sea temperature is
30.2°C
2.0° 

Playa Santa Teresa surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Playa Santa Teresa surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,284 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 15s 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 15s period. 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 1.6m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) 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 0.9m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (CST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12AM (Sun 6th Sep)4.5ft (1.4m) 15s
Best Surf 6AM (Thu 10th Sep)4.5ft (1.3m) 18s
Most Powerful 3PM (Sat 5th Sep)5ft (1.6m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Santa Teresa over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, let's talk about the stretch ahead for Playa Santa Teresa. The ocean is going to have a lot to offer, but the key is to be an early bird. The afternoons are set to go a bit wonky or just run out of puff, so make the most of the morning windows.

We kick things off this Saturday with some proper juice. There's a solid 6ft of SW swell pushing in, with a long 16-second period. That's serious, groundswell energy, and the ocean's really working. The total wave energy is strong at 1472. Water temp is around 86°, warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can keep the rubber thin. The wind is dead calm, glassy, with offshore NE airflow and clear skies – about as perfect as it gets. This is the standout of the entire window. It's getting a bit big for the beginners, but anyone with a bit of experience is going to be on it.

Saturday afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the SSW at 6 mph. The swell is still around 5ft, but the surface gets more textured and the quality drops. The tide might also be messing with it. Not the session to write home about.

Sunday morning brings a bit of relief. The swell settles to a still solid 4ft, with a 14-second interval. The wind goes light NE again, leaving it glassy again. This is a really good option – clean and fun. Energy is still up there at 775. As expected, Sunday afternoon the SSW wind kicks in, it gets messy, so get your waves in early.

Monday is a bit of a washout. There’s a risk of thunderstorms and a cross-onshore wind that'll chop things up. The swell is easing and the surf is going to be poor. Honestly, Monday is a day to find something else to do. This poor surf and onshore breeze will linger into Tuesday. Tuesday morning has a tiny 2ft swell with a very long 18-second period, and it's glassy. But it's just too small to get excited about. We have a couple of days there where the size just isn't there to make it worthwhile.

Now, we come to Wednesday the 9th. The swell bumps back up a little to around 3ft, and we get a clean, cross-offshore E wind. It's looking very good for the morning – a proper clean little wave. Then Thursday the 10th is when it starts to get interesting again. The swell pushes back up to 4ft with a 17-second period, and we have a light offshore ENE wind. This is another standout period. Clean, lined-up, and with that long period, there's some real power behind it. Friday the 11th is more of the same in the morning, with 4ft of SW swell and clean offshore ENE winds. It's still going to be good. But it's the mornings that are the story. Thursday and Friday afternoons get choppy with cross-onshore winds.

Heading into the following week, from Saturday the 12th onward, the size slowly fades. The swell drops from 3ft down to under 2ft. The mornings are still your best bet, often with light or glassy winds, but it's going to be a lot smaller. The energy drops right off, and it’s more of a longboard or funboard session. There are still a couple of fun glassy mornings in there, like the 15th and 16th, but it's all in the waist-high range. It won't be as exciting as the start, but there are still waves for the keen ones.

There's some real fun to be had at the start of this run. If you don't get out before the weekend is out, your next real chance is that Thursday morning, which is looking like a gem.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 64mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
3
3
3
1
2
1
1
2
2
0
1
3
1
2
3
1
3
3
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.7
SW
16
1.6
SW
16
1.4
SW
15
1.3
SW
14
1.3
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
1
SW
13
0.9
SW
13
0.6
SW
18
0.8
SW
13
0.8
SW
16
0.9
SW
16
0.8
SW
16
1.2
SW
18
1.3
SW
17
1.2
SW
16
1.2
SW
16
1.2
SW
16
1.1
SW
15
1
SW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1420
1284
868
746
667
514
422
352
286
246
227
302
371
322
871
974
728
719
701
485
398
Wind (km/h)
0
NW
10
SSW
5
SW
5
NW
15
SW
5
W
20
SSE
5
SE
5
WNW
0
W
10
SW
5
WSW
5
SE
15
SW
5
NW
5
ENE
10
SW
5
N
5
ENE
15
SSW
5
E
Wind State
glassy
on
glassy
glassy
on
cross-on
cross
cross
glassy
glassy
on
cross-on
glassy
on
cross
glassy
on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
9:08PM2.02m
9:37AM2.25m
10:28PM2.03m
10:55AM2.25m
11:44PM2.15m
12:07PM2.32m
00:49AM2.32m
1:09PM2.43m
1:43AM2.50m
2:02PM2.53m
2:30AM2.65m
2:49PM2.60m
Low Tide
2:57PM0.54m
3:14AM0.67m
4:12PM0.57m
4:35AM0.68m
5:26PM0.51m
5:52AM0.60m
6:31PM0.40m
6:57AM0.46m
7:26PM0.28m
7:53AM0.32m
8:14PM0.18m
8:42AM0.20m
8:58PM0.12m
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
cloud
cloud
part cloud
thunderstorm
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:31
5:31
5:31
5:31
5:31
5:30
5:30
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:46
5:45
5:45
5:45
5:44
5:44
5:43
 mm
3
15
1
25
20
1
3
3
5
3
2
2
2
2
Temp °C
29
29
28
28
28
27
26
27
27
29
29
28
29
28
28
29
29
28
29
29
28
Feels °C
33
32
31
31
31
31
29
30
32
34
32
32
32
31
32
33
32
33
32
32
32
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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