Surf Forecasts:
Playa Santa Teresa surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,552 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 6s. 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 1.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Santa Teresa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here.
We’ve got a pretty solid run of surf coming up for Playa Santa Teresa over the next couple of weeks. The water is sitting at 87°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – so you’ll feel that little extra warmth when you paddle out.
The first real standout is Saturday morning, August 29th. The swell is coming in at 5 ft from the SW, with a long period of 16 seconds, and it’s glassy with a light NNE breeze. The wave energy is cooking at 1178 (moderate), and conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. This is a classic groundswell, so expect well-shaped waves with longer gaps between sets – perfect for a point break setup. The west-northwest optimum direction matches nicely.
Saturday afternoon gets a bit messy with a risk of thunderstorms and onshore wind, so the window is narrow.
Sunday morning, August 30th, is another beauty. The swell drops slightly to 5 ft from the SW, period 14 seconds, glassy calm with no wind. Energy is 920 (moderate). Very good surf conditions for anyone who can handle that size.
We then have a bit of a lull through Monday and Tuesday as the swell drops to 4 ft and 3 ft, with onshore winds in the afternoons. The mornings still offer some glassy windows, but the quality drops.
The next big highlight is Friday morning, September 4th. Swell pumps back up to 5 ft from the SW, period 17 seconds, glassy with an ESE breeze. Energy jumps to 1322 (moderate). Excellent conditions for experienced surfers again.
Then Saturday morning, September 5th, is the standout of the whole period. Swell hits 6 ft from the SW, period 16 seconds, dead calm and glassy. Energy is 1433 (moderate). This is the biggest, cleanest swell of the outlook – definitely the one to circle on the calendar. It’s a solid size, so it’s more for the experienced crew.
After that, the swell slowly fades through the second week. Sunday morning, September 6th, is still nice with 5 ft from the SW and glassy conditions. Then we get a few more days of smaller, glassy mornings around 3 ft to 3 ft, with light winds, through to September 13th. The afternoons largely stay onshore and messy.
Overall, the best two windows are Saturday morning, August 29th, and Saturday morning, September 5th. The first week is more reliable; the second week’s standouts are promising but less certain.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 36mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Sat afternoon, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1215 | 1001 | 911 | 726 | 541 | 392 | 386 | 331 | 256 | 220 | 216 | 246 | 326 | 257 | 302 | 499 | 881 | 1174 | 1267 | 1210 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy |
High Tide | 3:37PM2.46m | 3:58AM2.59m | 4:14PM2.47m | 4:33AM2.64m | 4:51PM2.45m | 5:10AM2.65m | 5:30PM2.40m | 5:49AM2.62m | 6:13PM2.31m | 6:33AM2.54m | 7:01PM2.20m | 7:24AM2.43m | 7:58PM2.09m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:44PM0.26m | 10:09AM0.29m | 10:19PM0.25m | 10:46AM0.25m | 10:54PM0.26m | 11:25AM0.25m | 11:33PM0.30m | 12:08PM0.29m | 00:15AM0.38m | 12:55PM0.37m | 1:03AM0.48m | 1:51PM0.46m | 2:02AM0.59m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | |  | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — |
 | 5:51 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:46 | — |
mm | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 5 | — | — | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | 9 |
Temp °C | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 6 | S 6 | SW 12 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 1215 | 1001 | 911 | 726 | 541 | 392 | 386 | 331 | 78 | 78 | 216 | 53 | 70 | 62 | 302 | 499 | 881 | 1174 | 1267 | 1210 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | S 10 | S 10 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSE 6 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 6 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | W 9 |
| kJ | 58 | 31 | 68 | 45 | 12 | 12 | 20 | 43 | 256 | 220 | 53 | 241 | 167 | 149 | 57 | 43 | 45 | 133 | 138 | 40 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 10 | SW 6 | W 15 | SW 6 | SW 6 | W 10 | W 9 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 6 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 11 | W 9 | W 9 | SSW 11 |
| kJ | — | 31 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 84 | 112 | 18 | 246 | 326 | 257 | 114 | 176 | 57 | 26 | 27 | 40 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 6 | — | — | SW 6 | — | SE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 5 | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 92 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 111 | 0 | 2 | 245 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 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.
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