Surf Forecasts:
Playa Santa Teresa surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 16s 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★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 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 (Sep 05) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. 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 1.7m 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 0.7m 7s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
| 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
Alright, let’s get into it. Rusty here, lookin’ at the next couple of weeks for Playa Santa Teresa.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a wait. Friday afternoon on the 4th is a write-off – the swell’s there at 5ft from the SW, but the wind is cross-on, it’s choppy, and the energy is strong at 1580, but it’s just messy. Not worth paddlin’ out. The real start of the action hits you Saturday morning, the 5th. That’s the standout of the first week. We’re lookin’ at a clean 6ft SW groundswell, period a long 16 seconds, and the wind is glassy – dead calm. The water temp is 87°, which is over two degrees warmer than usual for this time of year, so it’s noticeably warm. The combined energy is pumping at 1472, but that clean glass makes it special. This is a session for the experienced surfer; that size and power is a bit much for beginners.
The swell hangs around through the rest of the weekend and into Monday, but the wind gets tricky. Sunday morning (6th) is another glassy gem, though the swell drops a touch to 5ft SW with 14-second period and energy at 891. It’s still very good, but that Saturday morning is the one. Then we hit a lull. From Tuesday the 8th through to the end of the first week, the swell drops off into the 2ft to 3ft range. There are some clean, cross-off windows on Tuesday morning (8th) and Wednesday morning (9th), but the waves are small. Thursday morning (10th) sees a pulse back up to 4ft SW with 17-second period and energy at 1008, and it’s glassy again – excellent for experienced surfers. That’s a solid call for a mid-week session.
The second week brings smaller, cleaner conditions. The first week’s energy fades, but there are still fun windows. The best of the second week looks like Saturday morning (12th) with 3ft SW and glassy conditions, or Monday morning (14th) with a very long period of 19 seconds on a small 2ft SW – that’s a clean, glassy morning for loggers. A standout for the long-range is the 5th of September already behind us, but looking forward, Thursday the 17th morning has 3ft SW, glassy, calm wind. The real kicker comes on Friday the 18th morning: a glassy 2ft SW with a super long 21-second period, energy at 592. That’s a promising, clean session on the cards, but two weeks out, keep an eye on it.
Playa Santa Teresa is a consistent spot, exposed to the WNW swell window, so when it goes quiet, it doesn’t usually stay that way long. There’s plenty to work with. Crowds can be a thing here, so for those clean morning windows, get out early.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 54mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Fri afternoon, min 26°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Wed afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 27°C on Mon afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1542 | 1210 | 1420 | 1284 | 868 | 833 | 667 | 514 | 422 | 352 | 249 | 246 | 227 | 302 | 427 | 322 | 871 | 974 | 728 | 719 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 7:58PM2.09m | 8:25AM2.32m | 9:08PM2.02m | 9:37AM2.25m | 10:28PM2.03m | 10:55AM2.25m | 11:44PM2.15m | 12:07PM2.32m | 00:49AM2.32m | 1:09PM2.43m | 1:43AM2.50m | 2:02PM2.53m | 2:30AM2.65m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:02AM0.59m | 2:57PM0.54m | 3:14AM0.67m | 4:12PM0.57m | 4:35AM0.68m | 5:26PM0.51m | 5:52AM0.60m | 6:31PM0.40m | 6:57AM0.46m | 7:26PM0.28m | 7:53AM0.32m | 8:14PM0.18m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — |
 | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — |
mm | 3 | 10 | — | 2 | 11 | — | 1 | 23 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | — | 5 | 2 |
Temp °C | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 31 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 7 | WSW 6 | W 11 | W 11 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 1542 | 1210 | 1420 | 1284 | 868 | 833 | 667 | 514 | 422 | 114 | 72 | 189 | 146 | 302 | 427 | 215 | 871 | 974 | 728 | 719 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | SSW 11 | WNW 9 | W 9 | S 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | S 7 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | W 11 | SSW 12 | SW 16 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
| kJ | 13 | 41 | 27 | 13 | 33 | 45 | 60 | 66 | 42 | 352 | 249 | 205 | 202 | 82 | 94 | 322 | 40 | 50 | 48 | 68 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | W 10 | SSW 11 | W 11 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WSW 7 | SW 19 | S 6 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 12 | WNW 10 | W 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 |
| kJ | 25 | 29 | 25 | 2 | 14 | 13 | 22 | 10 | 33 | 95 | 27 | 246 | 227 | 112 | 35 | 54 | 34 | 34 | 20 | 20 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 85 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 141 | 0 | 0 | 132 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 55 | 2 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 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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