
Surf Forecasts:
Tivives surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 17s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 17s period, SSW swell with 172 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 13s 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 Saturday (Aug 01) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tivives in the next 16 days are 0.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 2s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tivives over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right from the start, I gotta tell you, the surf around here is going to be a bit of a grind. It’s not going to be flat, but it’s going to take some patience. Tivives (Puntarenas) is the only spot on the menu, and it’s looking inconsistent, which is a bummer. The water’s about 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – you’ll feel that.
The first few days are all about small, weak surf. Friday the 31st kicks off with storms and a light cross-onshore breeze – messy, don’t get too excited. The swell is a weak 2 ft from the SSW with a 13-second period, and the combined energy is only 169. It’s just not doing anything. Saturday morning looks cleaner with a light offshore but the swell is still tiny at 2 ft. The afternoons are getting wrecked by the sea breeze and storm risk, so the mornings are your only window, but even then, it’s pretty ordinary.
We muddle through the start of next week in a similar fashion. Sunday and Monday mornings have some glassy moments, but the swell drops to a pathetic 1 ft to 2 ft. It’s ankle-biters. The pattern keeps repeating: clean morning, stormy afternoon. It feels like a long stretch of nothing, really.
But hold on. Around Tuesday the 5th and Wednesday the 6th, the energy starts to change. It’s still small, but those long-period pulses are starting to show up in the forecast. Then, things start to get properly interesting. On Thursday morning the 7th, a new SSW groundswell fills in with a 17-second period, and while the height is still modest, the energy jumps to 300. This is the first time the ocean actually feels alive.
The real standout, though, is the Saturday the 9th and the following Friday the 15th. Saturday the 9th has glassy conditions in the morning, a 2 ft SSW swell with a long 16-second period, and a solid energy reading of 313. That’s the kind of clean, lined-up surf that Tivives can actually turn on. The Friday the 15th morning is similar – glassy, a 2 ft SSW swell with a 17-second period, and energy at 339. These are the mornings worth setting the alarm for. The combination of clean, offshore air with a proper groundswell makes for the best waves of the window. The long period should help it line up over the reef, which is a good thing here.
Keep an eye on the long period stuff, though. Swells over 15 seconds are powerful, but at a beach break they can be a bit too straight. This looks like it’s heading for the reef, so it should be okay. Just remember, these are still small waves, but they’ll be clean and make you feel like you’re in the right place rather than just paddling around. The rest of the time is a mix of small, cross-on slop and stormy afternoons. It’s a lot of waiting for a couple of good sessions.
That’s the story. It’s not a classic run, but there are a couple of moments that will make it worthwhile for those who are patient.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 31°C on Fri afternoon, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Mon afternoon, min 26°C on Mon afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 14 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
139 | 131 | 131 | 131 | 57 | 31 | 63 | 54 | 70 | 60 | 83 | 103 | 99 | 68 | 64 | 63 | 64 | 64 | 82 | 70 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:15PM2.63m | 4:44AM2.66m | 4:51PM2.62m | 5:18AM2.71m | 5:28PM2.59m | 5:53AM2.73m | 6:06PM2.53m | 6:29AM2.73m | 6:47PM2.45m | 7:11AM2.70m | 7:33PM2.35m | 7:58AM2.64m | 8:28PM2.26m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:29PM0.30m | 10:48AM0.48m | 11:02PM0.31m | 11:25AM0.46m | 11:36PM0.34m | 12:04PM0.45m | 00:11AM0.39m | 12:45PM0.47m | 00:51AM0.46m | 1:31PM0.50m | 1:36AM0.54m | 2:24PM0.55m | 2:30AM0.62m | |||||||
— | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | |
6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | |
mm | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
Temp °C | 31 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 26 |
Feels °C | 34 | 32 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 7 | S 6 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | S 8 | S 8 |
139 | 131 | 131 | 131 | 57 | 22 | 21 | 40 | 57 | 60 | 83 | 103 | 99 | 68 | 64 | 63 | 64 | 62 | 57 | 41 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | S 6 | SW 11 | S 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | S 13 | S 14 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 |
17 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 31 | 63 | 46 | 70 | 25 | 27 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 36 | 49 | 64 | 43 | 70 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 11 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 11 |
13 | 12 | 12 | 41 | 25 | 25 | 55 | 54 | 12 | 24 | 17 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 82 | 37 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 2 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 133 | 0 | 0 | 96 | 0 | 1 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 96 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 133 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Golfo de Nicoya | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Costa Rica | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











