Tamarindo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Tamarindo over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the first week is pretty average. The beginning of the run, from Tuesday 14 July through the weekend, has a few ridable waves but nothing to get excited about. The swell is small, mostly around 1 ft to 2 ft, and the wind is mostly cross-off or cross-shore, so it’s not clean enough to make those small waves fun. The combined swell energy is generally weak to moderate (148-442), and nothing really stands out. You’ll see some glassy offshore mornings on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the wave size is just too tiny to call it good. The river mouth setup here with an optimum swell from the WNW means we need the right direction and we’re not getting it yet. For a crowd that’s often present, it’s probably not worth fighting for scraps.

The water temperature is about average for the time of year – no major anomaly to mention.

Now, Sunday 19 July afternoon shows a spike in quality with a moderate offshore wind and clean conditions, but the swell is only 3 ft with a short 12 second period, so it’s still pretty weak in the water (combined energy 442).

Monday 20 July and Tuesday 21 July look similar – marginal at best, with afternoon storms popping up. Quite a flat spell from Thursday 23 July morning through the weekend, with combined energy dropping as low as 95 and 131. Honestly, not much happening.

Then things get interesting. The real standout arrives on Friday 24 July morning. The wind is offshore from the ENE at 12 mph, the swell jumps to 3 ft from the SSW with a short 8 second period – so it’s a windswell, but with that clean offshore wind, it’ll be a fun little peaky wave for beginners and longboarders. Combined energy is moderate at 251. This is your best early bet.

But hold on, the second week is where it gets good. The absolute best window is from Sunday 26 July through Tuesday 28 July. The swell builds to 3 ft-4 ft from the SW, with periods climbing to 17-19 seconds – that’s proper long-period groundswell. The combined energy jumps into strong territory (693-849). The wind is offshore or light cross-off, keeping things super clean. Early mornings look glassy or with a gentle offshore breeze. For a spot that’s exposed to WNW and picks up SW groundswell well, this is the time to be in the water. The wave size is still beginner-friendly under 5 ft, but the quality and consistency make it a true winner.

Wednesday 29 July morning also looks very good with 4 ft SW swell and clean offshore wind.

Summary: Forget this first week. Aim for the early morning sessions from Sunday 26 July to Wednesday 29 July for the cleanest, best-shaped waves of the forecast. Get on it.

Rusty.

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