- Home
- ...North America
Costa Rica- Esterillos
Conditions at Esterillos in August
August: Firing SSW Swell with a Soggy Onshore Bias
August sits at the heart of the rainy season, but it also produces some of the most powerful swells of the year for Esterillos. The average swell height is 4.5-5ft (1.4m), the period is 13.2s, and the SSW direction contributes 90.2% of all wave energy. The height distribution is stacked: 63.4% in the 3-5ft (1-1.5m) range, 23.5% at 5-6.5ft (1.5-2m), and a sprinkle of 6.5-8ft (2-2.5m). This is a classic southern-hemisphere groundswell setup, with waves arriving from storms in the South Pacific.
Unfortunately, onshore flow remains the norm. Ideal surf wind is only 28%, and the wind rose is crowded with SW (11.0%), S (10.2%), SSE (10.2%), SSW (10.3%), WSW (10.0%), W (9.9%) and SE (9.6%). Offshore contributions from NW (6.1%) and NNW (2.7%) are at a premium. When a northerly surge or a brief clearing wind lines up with that SSW energy, however, Esterillos can be absolutely firing. Air temp averages 25.8°C, rain is 7.86mm/day, and water temp is 29.1°C.
Average Spot conditions at Esterillos in August
Swell history for August
Wind history for August
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Esterillos during August. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Esterillos for your next trip in August.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Esterillos for August. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Esterillos.