Surf Forecasts:
Playa Santa Teresa surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 11s period, SSW swell with 430 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s 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 Tuesday (Aug 18) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Playa Santa Teresa in the next 16 days are 1.3m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) 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 1.2m 11s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Santa Teresa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here, lookin’ at what’s comin’ down the pipe for us. The next couple of weeks have a bit of a mixed bag, with some real nice clean windows and a couple of standout pulses that’ll have you frothin’.
We’re kickin’ things off at Playa Santa Teresa. Right off the bat, Tuesday the 18th, we’ve got a sweet morning. The water’s a balmy 87°, which is about 4° warmer than usual – feels like bathwater, way warmer than normal for this time of year. There’s a 3ft swell out of the SW, and it’s glassy. The combined wave energy is moderate right now (373), but those conditions are perfect for a beginner-friendly wave.
The pattern for the next week holds some fun, clean mornings. Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th also have glassy starts with knee-to-waist high swell from the SW. Friday the 21st looks the best of this first run, with the swell bumping up to 4ft and glassy conditions again, that’s a solid morning.
Now, we hit a bit of a lull. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd drop right off. The surf gets tiny, under 2ft, so don’t bother paddling out. We get a few cleaner windows early on the 24th, 25th, and 26th but the size is lacking, around 2ft to 2ft. There’s a gap of a few days there where it’s pretty average.
Here’s where it gets interesting. We’ve got a proper pulse lining up for the end of the month. Saturday the 29th of August is the one to circle. The morning session is lookin’ epic. We’ve got a 5ft swell from the SW, glassy conditions, and the combined energy jumps right up to 1203 – that is strong, powerful surf. This is one for experienced surfers only, as it’s over 5ft and packing serious punch. The stand-out, however, is Sunday the 30th of August. That morning, the swell pushes to 5ft, still out of the SW, with a clean offshore breeze. The energy is 1115. This is the pick of the whole outlook: big, clean, and powerful. This is expert territory, no place for beginners.
We’ve also got another big morning on Monday the 31st of August, with 4ft and glassy conditions, followed by a couple more clean mornings to kick off September. The long-range stuff looks promising. The Monday the 29th and Sunday the 30th standouts are a little further out, so keep an eye on the charts, but the signs are real good.
That’s the picture from here. Keep your eyes on that end-of-month swell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 26°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 373 | 322 | 406 | 309 | 251 | 203 | 154 | 201 | 350 | 356 | 430 | 129 | 95 | 136 | 97 | 184 | 206 | 260 | 199 | 241 | 322 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:48PM2.25m | 7:08AM2.39m | 7:34PM2.08m | 7:54AM2.23m | 8:24PM1.93m | 8:45AM2.09m | 9:25PM1.81m | 9:47AM2.00m | 10:36PM1.77m | 10:55AM1.98m | 11:47PM1.81m | 12:00PM2.03m | 00:46AM1.91m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:44PM0.38m | 00:52AM0.48m | 1:30PM0.52m | 1:36AM0.64m | 2:20PM0.65m | 2:26AM0.78m | 3:18PM0.75m | 3:25AM0.89m | 4:25PM0.80m | 4:35AM0.93m | 5:33PM0.77m | 5:44AM0.90m | 6:31PM0.69m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — |
 | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — |
mm | 4 | 1 | 6 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 4 | 8 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | — | 4 | 4 | — | 3 | 8 |
Temp °C | 28 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 33 | 33 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 124 | 120 | 117 | 126 | 123 | 126 | 154 | 201 | 350 | 356 | 430 | 338 | 254 | 194 | 151 | 136 | 137 | 106 | 104 | 78 | 322 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | S 9 |
| kJ | 373 | 322 | 406 | 309 | 251 | 203 | 142 | 114 | 83 | 55 | 35 | 129 | 95 | 136 | 88 | 120 | 206 | 260 | 199 | 241 | 76 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | W 12 | SW 21 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 19 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 21 | SSW 21 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 8 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 28 | 42 | 36 | 23 | 6 | 18 | 42 | 60 | 97 | 184 | 84 | 82 | 72 | 56 | 36 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 6 | — | — | WSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 12 | 0 | 78 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 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.
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