Surf Forecasts:
Tivives surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 12s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 11s period, S swell with 307 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Tivives this week:
The surf forecast for Tivives over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tivives in the next 16 days are 1.1m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tivives over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.
We’re looking at a pretty quiet and inconsistent stretch overall, with a few windows that are worth paying attention to. The water is sitting at 87°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so the first dip will feel nice.
The first real standout is Friday morning, the 21st of August. We’ve got a clean 4ft swell from the south with a nice 11-second period, and the wind is glassy out of the WNW. That’s going to produce some clean, lined-up waves at Tivives. The combined energy is moderate (344), so there’s enough push for a fun session.
Saturday morning the 22nd is also a good call, with 3ft of south swell, a 10-second period, and glassy conditions again. The energy is a notch lower (284), but still worth the paddle.
After that, we hit a flat spell. The swell drops to tiny 1ft to 2ft from Sunday afternoon through most of the following week, with only a few glassy mornings that are barely surfable. It’s a real lull.
Things start to look more promising again on Saturday the 29th of August. The combined energy jumps to 499 with 3ft of south-southwest swell, a long 16-second period, and glassy conditions. That’s a solid groundswell pulse. Sunday the 30th is similar, with 4ft and 549 energy, and Monday the 31st holds 3ft with 396 energy. These are the best days of the whole run, but because it’s more than a week out, treat it as promising rather than locked in.
Tivives is a fairly exposed spot, and the optimum swell direction is out of the SW, so these south and south-southwest swells will wrap in nicely. The long period (over 15 seconds) means the waves will have plenty of shape and energy, though it can make the sets a bit more spaced out. That’s fine for a reef or point setup.
One thing to note: the afternoons in this forecast are almost always ruined by onshore winds or storms. Stick to the mornings.
Crowds at Tivives are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have some company, but it’s nothing wild.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 14 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
138 | 151 | 164 | 123 | 94 | 99 | 94 | 240 | 307 | 297 | 307 | 284 | 218 | 158 | 120 | 106 | 86 | 127 | 82 | 120 | 107 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 7:00PM2.46m | 7:20AM2.60m | 7:45PM2.27m | 8:04AM2.42m | 8:35PM2.10m | 8:56AM2.27m | 9:35PM1.97m | 9:57AM2.17m | 10:47PM1.92m | 11:06AM2.14m | 11:59PM1.96m | 12:12PM2.20m | 00:58AM2.08m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:56PM0.40m | 1:04AM0.51m | 1:41PM0.55m | 1:48AM0.69m | 2:30PM0.70m | 2:37AM0.85m | 3:28PM0.82m | 3:36AM0.96m | 4:36PM0.87m | 4:46AM1.01m | 5:45PM0.84m | 5:56AM0.98m | 6:43PM0.76m | ||||||||
5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | |
— | 5:54 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | |
mm | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | — | — | 9 | 1 | — | 7 | 3 |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 29 | 34 | 33 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 |
80 | 98 | 76 | 96 | 94 | 99 | 94 | 240 | 307 | 297 | 307 | 284 | 218 | 158 | 120 | 106 | 81 | 81 | 58 | 57 | 56 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SW 20 | SW 17 | S 22 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 |
138 | 129 | 164 | 123 | 84 | 80 | 53 | 19 | 15 | 47 | 9 | 52 | 48 | 73 | 37 | 78 | 59 | 127 | 82 | 120 | 107 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | SW 16 | S 12 | S 11 | — | S 21 | SW 14 | SW 18 | — | — | SW 15 | SW 21 | SW 21 | SSW 20 | SSW 20 | SSW 20 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
8 | 151 | 11 | 2 | — | 9 | 47 | 12 | — | — | 35 | 18 | 18 | 38 | 38 | 75 | 86 | 34 | 30 | 29 | 28 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 6 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 133 | 0 | 0 | 117 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Golfo de Nicoya | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Tivives Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Tivives provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Tivives can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Tivives 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 (Tivives) 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 Tivives 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.
Tivives is 15 km (9 miles) from Esparza. If you plan a holiday in Golfo de Nicoya, look for hotels and other accommodation in Esparza. Esparza has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











