Surf Forecasts:
Playa Santa Teresa surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 18s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,109 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 14s period with SSW 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 (Aug 22) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 14s 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 1.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 10s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Santa Teresa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it.
The ocean’s been pretty sleepy for a while, but don’t let that fool you – there’s some real promise hiding in this forecast. The first few days are pretty ordinary, with ankle-high slop and not much energy behind it. The swell direction is good for us, but the size just isn't there. It’s more about getting wet than getting barreled. However, patience is key. The water is sitting around 87°, which is a couple of degrees warmer than usual for this time of year – you’ll be surfing in a bathtub, so leave the wetsuit at home.
Saturday morning starts things off with a meagre `2ft` of southwest swell, but it’s weak. It’s glassy though, so if you’re desperate for a splash, you could find a clean little wave. The rest of Saturday goes downhill with onshore wind and afternoon storm risk.
Sunday and Monday morning are similar – tiny, but there’s a bit more push with the period stretching out. The wind is offshore and clean, which makes those little waves look a whole lot better than they sound. Then we hit a lull through the middle of the week. The size drops, and the energy just isn’t there. It’s not a complete write-off, but you’ll be working hard for ankle-biters.
Now, here’s where it starts to get interesting. Friday morning, the 28th of August, something wakes up. The swell jumps slightly to `3ft`, and the energy is starting to organize. It’s still glassy, and that west-southwest groundswell is getting its act together. This is a good sign for the weekend.
The real standout, though, is the run from Saturday the 29th into Sunday the 30th. Saturday morning brings a proper pulse of `4ft` southwest swell. With light offshore wind and clean conditions, this is going to be the best session you’ve had in a week. Sunday morning is just as good, with `5ft` on tap and the wind dropping to glassy calm. It’s still a bit small for the heavy hitters, but for the consistent banks, this is prime time. There’s some solid push behind it.
After that brief peak, it backs off a touch for the start of the new week. Monday the 31st still has some fun `4ft` waves, but the period is dropping. Then we settle into an average stretch for a few days. It’s not bad, but it’s not special.
Hold on to your boards, because the real gem is lurking. Friday morning, September 4th, is the standout of this whole forecast. The swell jumps to `6ft` with serious energy behind it. The period is a solid `18` seconds – this is proper groundswell. With the wind dead calm and glassy, and the direction right in our wheelhouse from the southwest, this will be the best surf of the week, bar none. It’s not huge, but it’s powerful, clean, and consistent.
Saturday the 5th holds that size and energy, with `5ft` swell and another day of clean morning conditions. This might be a touch big for the beginners, but for anyone with a bit of experience, it’s going to be firing. Sunday the 6th fades slightly to `4ft` but is still a beautiful, glassy day to end the run.
So, the plan is simple: sit tight through the small stuff, get some fun waves on the 29th and 30th, and be on the water early on September 4th. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. It’s far out, so don’t book the week off yet, but the signs are all pointing the right way.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 30°C on Sat morning, min 27°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Wed afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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 | SSW 14 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
95 | 136 | 118 | 184 | 206 | 260 | 199 | 241 | 322 | 211 | 125 | 191 | 110 | 77 | 75 | 150 | 81 | 236 | 531 | 232 | 1099 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | cross-off | off | cross-on | glassy | off | glassy | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 9:47AM2.00m | 10:36PM1.77m | 10:55AM1.98m | 11:47PM1.81m | 12:00PM2.03m | 00:46AM1.91m | 12:54PM2.12m | 1:33AM2.06m | 1:41PM2.23m | 2:13AM2.21m | 2:22PM2.33m | 2:50AM2.36m | 3:00PM2.40m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:25PM0.80m | 4:35AM0.93m | 5:33PM0.77m | 5:44AM0.90m | 6:31PM0.69m | 6:43AM0.82m | 7:19PM0.59m | 7:32AM0.71m | 7:59PM0.48m | 8:15AM0.58m | 8:36PM0.39m | 8:54AM0.47m | 9:10PM0.31m | ||||||||
5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | |
— | 5:54 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:51 | — | |
mm | — | 4 | 5 | — | 2 | 3 | — | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | — | 6 | 5 | — | 4 | 11 | 3 | 6 | — |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 34 | 34 | 31 | 34 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 18 |
208 | 192 | 151 | 136 | 137 | 134 | 129 | 99 | 99 | 73 | 66 | 66 | 59 | 54 | 40 | 43 | 72 | 88 | 104 | 59 | 1099 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 19 | S 7 | SW 7 |
95 | 136 | 118 | 120 | 206 | 260 | 199 | 241 | 322 | 211 | 125 | 191 | 110 | 77 | 75 | 150 | 76 | 236 | 531 | 33 | 100 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 6 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 19 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 21 | SW 14 | SW 17 | S 13 |
3 | 60 | 97 | 184 | 84 | 82 | 72 | 56 | 36 | 37 | 13 | 12 | 30 | 12 | 56 | 54 | 81 | 72 | 123 | 232 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 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.











