Surf Forecasts:
Playa Santa Teresa surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,215 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 15s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore 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 (Aug 29) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 7s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Santa Teresa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta say, looking at the next couple of weeks for Playa Santa Teresa, it’s a bit of a slow warm-up, but there are some proper gems hiding in there if you’re patient. The water is sitting at a toasty 87°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – you’ll barely need a spring suit, just a good rinse off after.
The first few days are a write-off, honestly. Tuesday the 25th is a no-go with cross-on wind and that 2ft swell just isn't doing anything for us. Wednesday morning the 26th is glassy, but with only 2ft on offer, it’s barely surfable. We’re waiting until Thursday the 27th morning for the first real sign of life. That’s a clean 2ft SW groundswell (18-second period) with a light cross-off breeze from the NW. The energy is moderate (204), so it’s small but it’ll be pretty.
Now, the real standout for the first week is Saturday the 29th morning. This is the one. We’ve got a solid 5ft SW groundswell pumping in with a long 16-second period, and the wind is a light cross-off from the ENE. The combined energy is strong (1076), and conditions are clean. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. It’s right at that 5ft mark, so it might be a bit much for a beginner, but for anyone with a bit of time in the water, this is the session to paddle out for. The beach is exposed to the WNW swell, so the direction is working well.
After that, Sunday the 30th morning keeps the stoke up with a glassy 5ft SW swell (14 seconds, 852 energy). Beautiful. Then the surf dips a little through the week, but the long-range stuff is looking promising.
The absolute standout of the whole forecast, and it’s a bit of a wait, is Friday the 4th of September morning. We’re talking 4ft of clean SW groundswell, with a period of 17 seconds, and absolutely calm, glassy conditions. The energy is very strong (1223). That is a recipe for perfection for experienced surfers. The next morning, Saturday the 5th of September, is also firing with a 5ft SW swell (16 seconds) and a clean cross-off breeze. Another excellent session for those who know what they’re doing.
For the morning of Monday the 8th, we see a sneaky 2ft swell with a very long 20-second period – that’s a proper groundswell. It’s glassy, so it’ll be clean, but with that period it might be a bit too straight for the beach break. Keep an eye on it.
Overall, the first week has a few good windows, but the real magic is locked in for the end of the first week of September. Set your alarms for the 29th of August, and the 4th and 5th of September.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Tue afternoon, min 27°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 29°C on Fri afternoon, min 27°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SSW 7 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 125 | 191 | 110 | 77 | 75 | 150 | 102 | 239 | 531 | 239 | 777 | 1029 | 1215 | 1001 | 833 | 726 | 541 | 392 | 386 | 282 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | cross-off | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 1:33AM2.06m | 1:41PM2.23m | 2:13AM2.21m | 2:22PM2.33m | 2:50AM2.36m | 3:00PM2.40m | 3:24AM2.49m | 3:37PM2.46m | 3:58AM2.59m | 4:14PM2.47m | 4:33AM2.64m | 4:51PM2.45m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:19PM0.59m | 7:32AM0.71m | 7:59PM0.48m | 8:15AM0.58m | 8:36PM0.39m | 8:54AM0.47m | 9:10PM0.31m | 9:32AM0.36m | 9:44PM0.26m | 10:09AM0.29m | 10:19PM0.25m | 10:46AM0.25m | 10:54PM0.26m | |||||||
 |  | | | |  | | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — |
 | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — |
mm | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 6 | — | 5 | 7 | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | 2 | 11 | — | 5 | 13 |
Temp °C | 30 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 33 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 15 | S 7 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 |
| kJ | 50 | 48 | 52 | 81 | 114 | 113 | 76 | 46 | 531 | 235 | 777 | 1029 | 1215 | 1001 | 833 | 726 | 541 | 392 | 147 | 145 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 7 | S 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | S 6 | S 10 | S 10 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 125 | 191 | 110 | 77 | 75 | 150 | 81 | 239 | 58 | 34 | 48 | 47 | 70 | 39 | 68 | 65 | 44 | 60 | 386 | 282 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 19 | SW 14 | S 13 | SW 6 | SW 14 | SW 20 | SW 14 | S 11 | — | SW 6 | SW 6 | W 11 | WSW 6 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 |
| kJ | 13 | 12 | 30 | 12 | 56 | 54 | 32 | 30 | 123 | 239 | 189 | 38 | — | 20 | 19 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 15 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | N 6 | — | — | — | SSW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 6 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 102 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 56 | 0 | 0 | 95 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 106 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 92 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Golfo de Nicoya | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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