Playa Santa Teresa Surf Break

Lat Long: 9.63° N 85.16° W

Playa Santa Teresa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 16 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Playa Santa Teresa sea temperature is
30.6° C
2.4° 

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 16 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 14s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 15s period, SW swell with 606 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 14s 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 (Aug 16) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m 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 1.2m 15s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) 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 8s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 12PM.

Wave TypeTime (CST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12PM (Sun 16th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 14s
Best Surf12PM (Sun 16th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 14s
Most Powerful 3PM (Sun 16th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 15s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's headed our way for Playa Santa Teresa.

The overall pattern for the next two and a bit weeks is a drawn-out run of fun, small-to-medium southwest groundswell. The water is way warmer than usual for this time of year, sitting at a balmy 87°F, so you can leave the thick suit at home. The real standout window kicks off this Sunday the 16th (that's tomorrow), with a solid little pulse that has moderate energy (679) behind it. Expect clean 4ft waves, glassy conditions, and a very long 15-second period that’ll really push through. This is the pick of the entire outlook – a proper long-period groundswell from the SW hitting a peak, with absolutely no wind to mess it up. It’s consistent here, so there will be waves, but be prepared to share, as crowds are likely.

Monday the 17th holds in similar 4ft range from the SW, still with a nice 14-second period. The early morning glass-off will give you beautiful clean lines at the peak, making it a close second-best. The kids and learners will have a ball with these sizes. Tuesday morning the 18th drops a touch to 3ft, but the glassy wind (WNW) keeps it clean and fun for the morning session before the afternoon thunderstorms threaten to shut things down.

Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th see the swell get smaller, with the energy dropping right off. Thursday morning is pretty ordinary, with a weak 2ft swell. The crossing winds arrive on Thursday afternoon, making things messy, but a bigger, shorter-period swell bumps up the height.

The best bet for a proper reset comes on Saturday the 29th of August. We get a new southwest groundswell filling in, pushing 4ft, with strong energy (543) and clean early winds from the NE. This is another morning to mark on the calendar. The swell holds up through Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st, with clean conditions each morning. These later sessions are a bit of a gamble with the long-range forecast, but the early read is promising.

Overall, this is a good stretch for Playa Santa Teresa. The surf is never huge, but it's very consistent and clean in the mornings. Forget the afternoons – they get trashed by wind and storms. Keep your eyes on that Sunday the 16th and Saturday the 29th for the best waves.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Sun morning, min 25°C on Sun afternoon). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
0
3
2
0
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.2
SW
15
1.2
SW
15
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
0.9
SW
14
0.9
SW
14
0.9
SW
16
0.9
SW
15
0.8
SW
14
0.7
SW
14
0.6
SW
13
1.1
SSW
11
1.1
SSW
11
1.2
SSW
11
1.2
SSW
11
0.5
SW
16
0.5
SW
14
0.6
SSW
14
0.6
SSW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
606
606
528
428
428
410
317
322
406
309
251
203
142
286
292
356
356
129
95
138
120
Wind (km/h)
5
NNW
15
SSW
0
NNW
5
ESE
10
SSW
10
NE
0
WNW
10
SW
10
ENE
5
E
0
SSW
5
NNW
5
ENE
10
SSW
10
NW
0
E
5
S
5
N
5
E
10
SSE
5
NNW
Wind State
glassy
on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
off
glassy
on
off
cross-off
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
glassy
High Tide
5:22PM2.55m
5:45AM2.68m
6:05PM2.41m
6:26AM2.55m
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
Low Tide
11:17AM0.17m
11:29PM0.17m
12:01PM0.26m
00:11AM0.31m
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
part cloud
mod rain
thunderstorm
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
mod rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
thunderstorm
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:31
5:31
5:31
5:31
5:31
5:31
5:31
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:57
5:57
5:55
5:55
5:55
5:54
5:54
 mm
7
2
1
2
2
7
9
3
3
1
1
3
5
3
1
1
2
Temp °C
29
26
26
28
27
26
28
28
27
28
27
27
29
29
28
29
29
28
29
29
28
Feels °C
33
28
30
32
30
30
32
32
31
32
32
31
33
33
32
33
33
33
32
32
33
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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