Tamarindo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, your local surf reporter. Let's have a look at what's in store for our region over the next couple of weeks.

The pattern is shaping up to be a ripper, with a steady pulse of consistent, quality groundswell from the southwest. We’re starting off a bit modest, but the energy builds into a proper run of excellent waves, especially for the experienced crew. The first few days are a warm-up, but by the weekend and into next week, we’ve got some real standouts.

Alright, let's break it down. The first call is for Tamarindo (river mouth) , and it kicks off on Thursday, 23 July with some small but clean waves. The morning sees a 2ft swell from the southwest with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is moderate (129). The wind is a light cross-offshore, so it’s clean but the waves are just ordinary. The afternoon picks up a bit with a 1ft swell but a very long 26-second period, giving a solid 329 combined energy. The forecast says "expect good surf conditions", so it’s a decent start but nothing to get too excited about.

Friday, 24 July is a step up. The morning has a 3ft SW swell with a 24-second period and a combined energy of 869. The wind is light cross-offshore, and the call is for "very good surf conditions". The afternoon drops back slightly, but the morning is a solid session.

The real fun starts on Saturday, 25 July morning. The swell is 3ft from the SW, period at 21 seconds, and the combined energy is a powerful 925. The wind is light cross-offshore, and the conditions are "very good". This is a great morning for a paddle.

Sunday, 26 July is where things get interesting for the experienced surfers. The afternoon session is a standout: a 4ft SW swell, 18-second period, and a combined energy of 1099, which is strong. The wind is a slight cross-offshore, and the call is "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers". The swell is pumping, but at this size, it’s a bit much for beginners.

Monday, 27 July morning is another cracker for the experienced crew. The swell holds at 4ft from the SW, 19-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 1410, which is very strong. The wind is light cross-offshore, and the conditions are "excellent". This is a top shelf session.

Tuesday, 28 July morning is the absolute peak of this run. We’ve got a 6ft SW swell, 18-second period, and a massive 1766 combined energy. The wind is light offshore, and the conditions are "excellent" for experienced surfers. This is the biggest wave of the forecast, and it’s clean. This is a day for the experts only.

Wednesday, 29 July morning is glassy. A 5ft SW swell, 16-second period, and 1317 combined energy. The wind is glassy, and the conditions are "excellent". This is a special session with perfect, clean conditions. The swell is still big, so it’s still for the experienced.

Thursday, 30 July through to Wednesday, 6 August sees a steady drop in swell size and energy, but it remains surfable. The mornings are generally clean with light offshore winds. The swell direction stays from the SW, but the period drops from 14 seconds to 12 seconds, so the quality fades. There are no real standouts in this second week, but it’s a consistent run of waist to chest-high waves that will be fun for the beginner to intermediate crowd. The combined energy drops from 673 on the 30th down to 71 on the 5th, so it’s a slow fade. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no need for a thick wetsuit.

The very end of the forecast, on Friday, 7 August morning, has a 2ft SW swell with an 18-second period, but the wind is a moderate 25 km/h cross-offshore, which makes it poor for surfing.

The best of the best is the Tuesday, 28 July morning session at Tamarindo river mouth, with that 6ft offshore swell and massive energy. The Wednesday, 29 July morning is a close second for the glassy perfection. For the less experienced, the Friday, 24 July and Saturday, 25 July mornings offer clean, fun waves.

This is a solid run of swell for the region. Crowds are often at Tamarindo, so expect company, but the quality of the waves will be worth it.

Rusty, signing off.

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