
Surf Forecasts:
Playa Santa Teresa surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 19s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 17s period, SW swell with 1,519 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 19s 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 1.6m 17s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) 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 0.7m 10s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 26) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 19s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Santa Teresa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into what’s cooking for Playa Santa Teresa over the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a solid run of surf kicking off right now and stretching through the first week, with the biggest, cleanest windows falling on Monday through Wednesday. The water is sitting at 86°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – feels like a bath out there.
Saturday morning (25 July) is a nice little warm-up. We’re looking at 3 ft of swell from the southwest, with a very long 21-second period. The wind is glassy out of the ENE at 3 mph, so it’ll be clean. The combined energy is moderate (580), and for a beginner-friendly, consistent break like this, that’s a fun, mellow start. The afternoon turns onshore, so make the most of the morning.
Sunday morning (26 July) is a step up. Swell bumps to 4 ft from the southwest, period drops a touch to 19 seconds, and we get a clean offshore breeze from the NNE at 3 mph. Energy is building to 849. This is a very good session for someone looking for a bit more push.
The standout window is Monday morning (27 July) through Wednesday morning (29 July). Monday morning delivers 4 ft SW swell at 17 seconds with glassy conditions and NE wind at 3 mph – excellent for experienced surfers. Energy hits 1265. Tuesday morning is even better: 5 ft SW swell, 17-second period, cross-offshore wind from the east at 6 mph, and energy at 1410. Wednesday morning holds 5 ft SW swell, 16 seconds, and glassy conditions again. This is the best on offer – consistent, clean, and plenty of power. Keep in mind, with a very long-period groundswell like this, the waves will have more energy and longer lulls between sets. At a beach break, it can sometimes stand up a bit too straight, but with the quality of the wind, it’ll be well worth it. Crowds are possible here – it’s a consistent spot.
By Thursday (30 July) and Friday (31 July), the swell drops back to 4 ft and 3 ft, with period shortening to 14 seconds. Still fun, clean mornings, but the energy is fading.
There’s a bit of a lull from the 1st of August through the 6th of August. Swell hangs around 2 ft to 3 ft, with energy dropping to as low as 61 on some afternoons. Mornings are often glassy or clean, but the waves are small and ordinary. There’s a gap of a few days where it’s really just ankle-biters.
We do see a little pulse come back around the 7th and 8th of August. Friday morning (7 August) offers 2 ft from the SSW with a 13-second period and glassy ENE wind. Energy jumps back to 321. It’s a modest improvement, but nothing like the first week. The 9th of August shows a similar pattern – small, clean, but not worth getting too excited about.
Overall, the first three days of the week are the real deal. Get out there Monday through Wednesday mornings for the best of it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Sat morning, min 26°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
543 | 563 | 1100 | 791 | 996 | 962 | 802 | 920 | 1327 | 1199 | 1519 | 1109 | 1082 | 964 | 695 | 529 | 521 | 428 | 357 | 290 | 241 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | cross | off | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:31AM2.08m | 00:18AM1.86m | 12:28PM2.12m | 1:12AM1.93m | 1:19PM2.19m | 1:59AM2.03m | 2:05PM2.27m | 2:41AM2.15m | 2:46PM2.34m | 3:20AM2.26m | 3:25PM2.39m | 3:56AM2.36m | 4:03PM2.41m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:07PM0.69m | 6:12AM0.84m | 7:01PM0.62m | 7:06AM0.77m | 7:47PM0.53m | 7:54AM0.70m | 8:29PM0.44m | 8:38AM0.62m | 9:06PM0.36m | 9:19AM0.55m | 9:42PM0.31m | 9:58AM0.49m | 10:16PM0.29m | ||||||||
5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | |
— | 6:04 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 33 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
543 | 563 | 1100 | 791 | 996 | 962 | 802 | 920 | 1327 | 1199 | 1519 | 1109 | 1082 | 964 | 695 | 529 | 521 | 428 | 357 | 290 | 241 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 10 | SW 20 | SW 14 | S 9 | SW 13 | S 9 | S 11 | S 11 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 8 | S 7 | S 7 |
42 | 45 | 42 | 44 | 46 | 94 | 455 | 293 | 40 | 205 | 25 | 57 | 81 | 23 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 19 | 27 | 25 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 8 | WSW 7 | SW 11 | SW 11 | S 10 | SW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 12 | S 9 | SSW 11 | W 12 | W 12 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 |
37 | 30 | 103 | 58 | 52 | 18 | 68 | 67 | 28 | 39 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 14 | 23 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 6 | — | — | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 93 | 12 | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 106 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 36 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
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.










