Tamarindo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. It’s been a bit quiet, but we’ve got some good stuff lining up.

We’re looking at a longer-term window here, and after a slow start, Tamarindo (Costa Rica) is going to turn it on. The water temp is sitting right around average for this time of year, so nothing wild there, just your usual warm bath.

The first proper swell we see rolls in on the morning of the 25th of July. Saturday morning brings a clean 3ft swell from the SW with a long 21-second period, and the combined energy is a solid 807. That’s groundswell, packing some punch. The wind is light and cross-offshore, keeping those lines tidy. But the real standout is Saturday afternoon. The wind drops to glassy, the swell stays at 3ft from the SW, and the energy climbs to 876. That’s a session to circle on the calendar. That afternoon window is the pick of the whole forecast for clean, long-running waves.

Now, hold on to your boards, because the 26th of July (Sunday) afternoon is where things get serious. The swell bumps up to 4ft from the SW, still with a long 18-second period, and the energy jumps to 1099. The wind is glassy. The report says it’s excellent for experienced surfers, and that’s because 4ft on a long-period groundswell at a rivermouth like Tamarindo can produce some proper, powerful walls. It’s not a beginner wave that day.

The first few days of the week are a real tease. From the 20th to the 24th of July, we’ve got small, weak energy (dipping into the 100-300 range) with short periods. It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about. The wind is mostly cross-off, keeping it clean, but the swell is just too small and weak to do much.

Then we hit the prime window. The 27th of July (Monday morning) is a barnstormer: 5ft from the SW, 19-second period, and a massive 1695 combined energy. The wind is clean cross-offshore. That’s expert territory. The swell is solid, the period is very long, and the energy is strong. This is the kind of day where the river mouth will be stacking up. The 28th of July (Tuesday) holds, with 4.5ft in the morning and 6ft by the afternoon, both glassy and clean. The energy stays over 1600. That Tuesday afternoon, with 6ft, glassy wind, and 1735 energy, is another absolute standout for the experienced crew.

The 29th of July (Wednesday) morning is still excellent, with 5ft and glassy conditions, but the wind swings onshore in the afternoon, making things choppy. From the 30th of July onwards, the swell starts to fade. The energy drops back into the 400-700 range, and the winds become more cross-onshore or onshore, making it a bit of a bumpy ride. Still surfable, but the magic is gone.

The 1st of August has a small 3ft morning with clean offshore wind, and the 2nd of August morning has a clean 2ft from the SW with a 16-second period and 310 energy. A few small clean windows for a fun log session, but nothing compared to that late July blast.

So, to sum it up: the real action is from the 25th of July afternoon through to the 29th of July morning. The absolute best on offer is that glassy Saturday afternoon (25th) and the big, powerful Tuesday afternoon (28th) for the experts. The period here is very long, so the waves will have plenty of energy and shape, but that means longer lulls between sets. Get ready to paddle hard.

Stay stoked.

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