Surf Forecasts:
Salsa Brava surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, ENE swell with 541 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period with ENE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Salsa Brava this week:
The surf forecast for Salsa Brava over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 8s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Salsa Brava in the next 16 days are 1.7m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (EST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Sun 9th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Salsa Brava over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next 16 days for Salsa Brava. This is a heavy, advanced reef break, and it’s not messing around. It’s a consistent spot that needs a specific northeast swell to really shine, and we’ve got some of that coming.
The outlook starts off pretty grim. The first couple of days, Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th of August, are all about poor surf. The wind is cross-on or onshore, and the wave quality is just not there. We’re looking at a weak, messy 4ft to 5ft, with combined energy readings in the low hundreds (162 to 378). It’s just not worth paddling out for the hassle.
Things start to look a little more promising from Thursday the 6th, but it’s still marginal. The swell picks up but the wind is still a problem. The real turning point is Friday morning the 7th. We get a window of glassy conditions with a 6ft groundswell from the ENE. The energy is building (450) and the wind is dead calm. That’s the kind of morning that makes you cancel your plans.
Saturday the 8th is another standout. The morning has a light offshore cross-off wind, and the swell holds at 5ft to 6ft. The afternoon turns glassy again. These are the sessions where the reef starts to line up properly. The combined energy is up around 486, and it’s clean.
Now, if you’ve got the experience, the real heavyweight is coming. Thursday the 13th of August. The morning is glassy, and the swell is a solid 7ft from the ENE with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy breaks through 1000 (1010). That’s a serious amount of power. The data says “excellent for experienced surfers,” and that’s exactly right. This is not a beginner wave. 7ft on a reef with that energy is a proper, heavy, freight-train wave. Friday the 14th hits similar heights (8ft) with even more energy (1154), but the wind is a little more cross-on, so that Thursday morning window is the pick.
The swell stays big for the weekend, with Sunday the 16th seeing the biggest numbers—8ft with a period of 11 seconds and combined energy of 1421. That’s expert territory only. The wind is light but cross-on, so it won’t be as clean as the 13th. Everything after that weekend slowly winds down.
The best of the whole period is Thursday morning, August 13th. That’s the one. 7ft, groundswell, glassy, and that reef breaking in perfect shape. It’s a big, expert wave, but for the crew that can handle it, that’s a day to remember.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Warm (max 29°C on Mon morning, min 26°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 41mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Warm (max 27°C on Thu afternoon, min 24°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 162 | 197 | 264 | 320 | 378 | 362 | 346 | 330 | 430 | 530 | 470 | 371 | 450 | 354 | 330 | 450 | 486 | 486 | 533 | 450 | 331 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:02AM0.31m | 5:06PM0.39m | 4:50AM0.27m | 5:30PM0.42m | 5:40AM0.23m | 6:02PM0.46m | 6:35AM0.19m | 6:42PM0.49m | 7:38AM0.16m | 7:29PM0.51m | 8:59AM0.14m | 8:22PM0.52m | 10:30AM0.14m | 9:22PM0.52m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:25AM0.16m | 00:02AM0.18m | 10:41AM0.16m | 00:56AM0.13m | 11:00AM0.15m | 1:47AM0.09m | 11:23AM0.14m | 2:39AM0.06m | 11:52AM0.12m | 3:34AM0.04m | 12:31PM0.12m | 4:31AM0.04m | 1:19PM0.12m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  | |  | | | | |  | | | | | |  |  | |  | |
 | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:51 | — |
mm | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 |
Feels °C | 32 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
| kJ | 162 | 197 | 264 | 320 | 378 | 362 | 346 | 330 | 430 | 530 | 470 | 371 | 450 | 354 | 330 | 450 | 486 | 486 | 533 | 450 | 331 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 29 | 29 | 1 | 29 | 29 | 4 | 29 | 29 | 1 | 4 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Limon | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Salsa Brava Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Salsa Brava provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Salsa Brava can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Salsa Brava 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 (Salsa Brava) 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 Salsa Brava 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.
Salsa Brava is 36 km (22 miles) from the city of Changuinola. If you plan a holiday in Limon, look for hotels and other accommodation in Changuinola. Changuinola has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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