Playa Santa Teresa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, giving you the lowdown for Playa Santa Teresa. It's a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, but there's some real treasure if you play your cards right.

The big picture: clean, small mornings getting blown out by onshore winds in the afternoons, especially in the first week. The water's a warm 86°F, running a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so don't worry about a thick wetsuit.

We start on Friday, July 31st with a tiny 3ft SSW swell, but it's cross-on with a light breeze, so it's a washout. The real action starts Saturday morning, August 1st. Still small at 3ft from the SW, but the wind goes glassy with a slight air from the NE. That's a huge plus. The combined energy is moderate (265), and the period is a long 13 seconds, giving the waves some shape. This is a good window for a longboard or a funboard.

Sunday morning, August 2nd, is even cleaner with a light offshore breeze from the NE. The swell drops to 2ft, but the period holds at 12 seconds, and the energy is still moderate (219). It'll be small but clean. Monday morning, August 3rd, is a standout for the first week: dead calm, glassy conditions, with a 3ft SW swell at 13 seconds. The energy is moderate (272). This is your best bet for the first few days.

The pattern of clean mornings and blown-out afternoons holds through the first week. By Thursday, August 6th, the swell drops further to 2ft, but it's glassy. The energy is weak (112). It's surfable but very ordinary.

Now, things get interesting from Friday, August 7th. We see a jump in energy with a new, very long-period groundswell. Friday morning has a 2ft SSW swell with a period of 18 seconds and a combined energy of 412 (strong). The wind is glassy from the NE. That's a very clean, long-period pulse. Keep in mind, long-period swells can be a bit straight on a beach break like Santa Teresa, but the glassy conditions will make it look fun.

The real standout of the entire forecast is the stretch from Thursday, August 13th, through to Saturday, August 15th. This is the best on offer. On Thursday morning, August 13th, we have a 3ft SSW swell, a 14-second period, and a combined energy of 586 (strong). The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the NNE. This is very good surf.

Then Friday morning, August 14th, is even better. The swell drops to 2ft, but the period jumps to a massive 19 seconds, and the energy is 612 (very strong). Glassy conditions. This is a proper, long-range groundswell.

But the pick of the bunch is Saturday morning, August 15th. A 3ft SW swell, a 17-second period, and a combined energy of 736 (very strong). The wind is glassy from the NE. That's a perfect combination of size, period, and conditions. This is the one to circle on your calendar. It's a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but it looks promising.

The afternoon winds will ruin the show each day, so the call is simple: it's all about the early sessions. The break is consistent and exposed to the WNW swell, so it picks up most of the Southern Hemisphere energy. The crowds are listed as "sometimes" busy, so on the best mornings, expect some company.

There's a gap in the middle of the first week with very small, weak surf, but the energy builds back nicely. Don't bother with the afternoons. For the best window, focus on the mornings of August 13th, 14th, and 15th, with Saturday the 15th being the absolute standout.

Rusty.

Read more