Surf Forecasts:
Playa Santa Teresa surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,438 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 15s 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 30) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 6s. 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 1.7m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Playa Santa Teresa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s on the menu at Playa Santa Teresa for the next couple of weeks.
The surf’s been a bit so-so to start, but hang tight – the real deal shows up toward the end of the first week and into the second. The absolute standout windows are the mornings of Friday, September 4th and Saturday, September 5th. That’s the gold.
The top pick is Playa Santa Teresa on the morning of Friday, September 4th. We’re looking at a 5ft swell from the SW with a long 17-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy (combined energy of 1333). The wind is glassy, dead calm, so the surface will be like a mirror. That long period means longer waits between sets, but the waves that come will have punch and shape. Because it’s an exposed beach, that long-period swell might run a bit straight, but with wind like that, it’ll be a damn good session. Water temp is 87°F, running about 4°F warmer than average for this time of year.
If you can’t make that, the morning of Saturday, September 5th is a close second. The swell kicks up to 6ft from the SW with a 16-second period (combined energy of 1576). That’s expert territory – too big for beginners. Once again, glassy winds make it clean and inviting. A bit more uncertain being a week out, but the forecast looks tasty.
Earlier on, the morning of Sunday, August 30th gives you a 5ft SW swell with 14-second period and glassy ENE winds. It’s a good warm-up, though the energy (920) isn’t as heavy. The morning of Monday, August 31st is also glassy but with a smaller 4ft swell.
The second week has a few clean windows too. The morning of Thursday, September 10th brings 3ft of SW swell with glassy conditions. The morning of Friday, September 11th is similar – 4ft SW, glassy, and looking good.
After that, it dies off. The morning of Sunday, September 13th is a weak 2ft with glassy wind, but there’s no energy behind it. That far out, take it with a grain of salt.
So, lock in the mornings of Friday, September 4th and Saturday, September 5th. Crowds at Playa Santa Teresa can be an issue sometimes, but with waves this good, you’ll put up with it.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 29°C on Sun morning, min 27°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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 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 | 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 | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | cross | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy |
High Tide | 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 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:46 | — |
mm | 2 | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 7 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
Temp °C | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 13 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 16 | SSW 7 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 1001 | 911 | 726 | 541 | 392 | 386 | 331 | 256 | 85 | 68 | 241 | 56 | 56 | 302 | 62 | 881 | 1174 | 1267 | 1210 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | S 10 | S 10 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 7 | S 6 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 6 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 7 | SW 19 | SSW 6 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | W 9 |
| kJ | 31 | 68 | 45 | 20 | 12 | 19 | 58 | 66 | 220 | 216 | 53 | 167 | 149 | 45 | 499 | 47 | 133 | 135 | 41 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | SW 6 | W 15 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | W 10 | W 9 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 11 | W 9 | W 9 | SSW 11 |
| kJ | 31 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 84 | 112 | 112 | 246 | 326 | 257 | 144 | 176 | 57 | 25 | 23 | 41 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 6 | — | — | SW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 8 | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
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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