Playa Nosara • Statistics for September

September: Hurricane Fuel and Onshore Headaches

September is the climatological peak of the East Pacific hurricane season, and Playa Nosara feels it. The average swell height is 1.5m and the period is a solid 13.1 seconds, but the direction tilts more toward the SW: SSW contributes 66.7% and SW contributes 28.8% - a combined 95.5% from the optimal window. The SW component carries more 1.5-2m energy and even a small 1.9% slice above 2.5m. These are often long-period, powerful swells generated by tropical cyclones and monsoon troughs offshore.

The issue is wind. Ideal surfing wind drops to just 38%, the lowest of the year. Onshore SSW, SW and WSW winds are common, often blowing 10-20kph, and the occasional 20-30kph pulse can leave the surface lumpy and closed out. When a hurricane or tropical storm sits far enough offshore, the long-period SW swell can still be outstanding, but you will need to pick your windows carefully and watch the local wind patterns closely.

September is also the wettest month, with 8.75mm/day of rainfall, water temperatures of 28.9°C and air temperatures down to 26.7°C. For experienced surfers chasing XXL, this is a month with real potential; for everyone else, expect challenging, stormy surf and tricky winds.