Surf Forecasts:
Zancudo surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 15s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 11s period, S swell with 313 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 15s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Zancudo this week:
The surf forecast for Zancudo over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Zancudo in the next 16 days are 1.1m 11s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 3AM. 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+) | 12PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Zancudo over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let's talk about the surf here at Zancudo.
It's a pretty quiet outlook overall, with the water temp sitting at 87°F which is much warmer than normal for the time of year. We've got a very long period groundswell arriving from the SSW, but the size is small. The wave energy is moderate, around (197) on Tuesday morning, and it just doesn't have the juice for anything exciting. That long period (15 seconds and more) will produce some nice, lined-up waves at this point break, but they're going to be tiny. The glassy conditions early on Tuesday are a bonus, making it super clean for the size on offer.
The best window comes on Thursday, August 20th morning. We see a slight bump in swell to 2ft from the S, with the wind going totally calm and glassy. That's about as good as it gets for this run. The energy picks up a little (164), and with no wind to mess it up, those small waves will be your best chance for a long, cruisy session. It's not going to blow you away, but for a bit of a glide, that's the pick.
After that, we see the swell slowly building into the following week. Friday morning the 21st offers 4ft from the S, but the period drops to 11 seconds and the wind stays calm. It’s surfable but still very ordinary. By the time we hit the 30th and 31st, the swell is a bit more consistent at 3ft to 3ft, but the afternoons keep getting chopped up by onshore winds.
There's a small, clean swell showing for the morning of Sunday, August 30th (3ft from the SSW, period 15 seconds, glassy wind) and Monday, August 31st (3ft from the SSW, period 15 seconds, glassy). The energy is solid for the size (311 and 394), so those mornings will offer the most fun waves of the entire outlook. But keep an eye on the sky—afternoons are consistently ruined by those risk of thunderstorms and onshore winds.
Then it all fades out again going into the first week of September. There's a small spike in period (17 seconds) on Wednesday the 2nd, but the swell is back down to 1ft. It's a long period groundswell, which is good for this point, but it's just too small to get excited about.
Overall, it's a run of small, clean mornings with the best of it on the last two days of August. Don't expect any power. This is a session for a log or a longboard, not a shortboard.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Wed afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Tue morning, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 25°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 | S 8 | SSW 16 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | S 9 | SW 18 | SSW 17 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 120 | 86 | 144 | 85 | 82 | 80 | 92 | 236 | 274 | 307 | 295 | 231 | 161 | 122 | 88 | 81 | 69 | 84 | 63 | 78 | 108 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | cross |
High Tide | 6:44PM2.60m | 7:03AM2.73m | 7:30PM2.40m | 7:48AM2.53m | 8:21PM2.22m | 8:40AM2.37m | 9:24PM2.09m | 9:44AM2.26m | 10:39PM2.05m | 10:56AM2.24m | 11:51PM2.11m | 12:01PM2.31m | 00:49AM2.24m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:39PM0.45m | 00:48AM0.59m | 1:23PM0.61m | 1:32AM0.78m | 2:13PM0.77m | 2:23AM0.95m | 3:13PM0.89m | 3:25AM1.07m | 4:23PM0.94m | 4:38AM1.12m | 5:32PM0.90m | 5:49AM1.07m | 6:31PM0.80m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — |
 | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — |
mm | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 6 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | 3 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 38 |
Temp °C | 29 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 28 | 24 |
Feels °C | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 34 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 9 |
| kJ | 74 | 72 | 74 | 73 | 76 | 76 | 92 | 236 | 274 | 307 | 295 | 231 | 161 | 122 | 88 | 81 | 60 | 60 | 62 | 65 | 38 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | SSW 17 |
| kJ | 120 | 86 | 144 | 85 | 82 | 80 | 55 | 18 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 51 | 49 | 73 | 40 | 63 | 35 | 57 | 30 | 78 | 108 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | WSW 6 | — | S 14 | SSW 13 | S 18 | S 16 | — | SW 15 | S 21 | S 21 | SSW 20 | SSW 20 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 3 | 12 | 3 | 3 | — | 4 | 17 | 6 | 5 | — | 8 | 9 | 9 | 39 | 38 | 74 | 69 | 84 | 63 | 29 | 28 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 141 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 137 | 17 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Golfo Dulce | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Zancudo Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Zancudo provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Zancudo can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Zancudo 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 (Zancudo) 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 Zancudo 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Golfo Dulce? If you are looking for accommodation near Zancudo, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Golfo Dulce, consider staying in Golfito which is 14 km (9 miles) away. Other places in and around Golfo Dulce where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Puerto Armuelles which is 39 km (24 miles) away, La Concepcion, Pedregal and David.
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