Playa Santa Teresa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Playa Santa Teresa has cookin’ for us over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow starter, but there’s some genuine fire on the horizon if you’ve got the patience.

The overall pattern is a long, drawn-out SW groundswell pulse that builds in energy over the first week, then slowly fades through the second. The early part is a bit iffy with tricky winds, but we’ve got a couple of standout windows where everything lines up. The real gem looks to be next Tuesday morning.

Right now, on Sunday the 26th, it’s a no-go. We’ve got a 4ft SW swell (18 seconds period) but the wind is onshore from the SSW at 6 mph, making it messy. Wave energy is sitting at 996 (moderate) but the conditions are just poor. Not worth paddling out.

Monday morning the 27th is our first real look. The swell drops to 3ft from the SW but the period stretches to 19 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy, reading at 1174 (moderate). We’re getting clean offshore winds from the NE at 6 mph, so the lineup should be smooth. This is a solid option for experienced surfers. The water is hovering around 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Expect good shaped waves, but with that long period, it might break a bit straight on the beach – work the tide.

Now, the standout. Tuesday morning the 28th. This is the one to circle on the calendar. Swell jumps to 5ft from the SW, period 17 seconds, and the combined energy is pumping at 1404 (strong). The kicker? Glassy conditions – winds from the ENE at only 3 mph, dead calm. This is the best on offer for the whole outlook. Excellent surf for experienced surfers, clean as a whistle, and the energy is there. This is the session you’re chasing.

Wednesday morning the 29th is still real good. 5ft SW swell, 16-second period, and we’ve got zero wind – dead calm glass. Energy is 1104 (moderate to strong). If you miss Tuesday, this is your backup. Still excellent for experienced surfers, but the afternoon gets choppy with onshores.

Thursday and Friday mornings (30th & 31st) stay clean with offshore ENE breezes at 3 mph, but the swell is dropping – 4ft and 3ft, with periods dropping to 14 seconds. Energy drops from 531 down to 403 (moderate). Still very good conditions, but the size is backing off.

Saturday morning the 1st of August is glassy with a risk of thunderstorms, 3ft SW, 13-second period, energy at 396 (moderate). Decent enough for a fun session, but nothing to write home about.

Then we hit a real flat patch from Sunday the 2nd all the way through Thursday the 6th of August. Swell drops to 2ft and lower, with some days barely breaking. Winds are mixed – some clean mornings, but the energy is weak (down to 47 at one point). This is a dry spell of about three to four days where the surf is ordinary or poor. Not worth dragging the board out.

Things perk up again Friday morning the 7th of August. A fresh pulse of SW groundswell at 2ft, but the period jumps back to 18 seconds, and the energy climbs to 459 (moderate). With glassy conditions from a light NE breeze, this is a nice return to form. Good surf potential.

Saturday morning the 8th of August looks very good again. Swell 3ft from the SSW, 16-second period, energy 509 (moderate), and clean offshore ENE winds at 3 mph. That’s a promising end to the week for a dawn session.

From there, the last few days – Sunday the 9th through Monday the 10th – offer clean mornings with SW swell around 2ft to 3ft, periods around 13-14 seconds, but the energy is fading (257 to 416). Fun surf, but nothing that’ll stop the presses.

As for crowds at Playa Santa Teresa (Costa Rica), they can be an issue sometimes, so get out early for the best of it.

Signing off,
Rusty

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