Playa Santa Teresa - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (December - February)

This is the sweet spot for Playa Santa Teresa. The North Pacific high-pressure system strengthens, funnelling consistent, dry offshore winds from the N-NNE quadrant across the Nicoya Peninsula. Swell from SSW and SW arrives with long, clean periods averaging 12-13 seconds, producing fun 1.0-1.5m waves with occasional bigger pulses. The result is clean, hollow, and rippable surf — classic Costa Rican dry-season perfection.

Fair Surf Season (March, April, November)

During these transition months, the trade winds begin to weaken or re-establish. March and April still see a solid SSW swell (up to 78% in March), with wave heights climbing slightly to 1.2-1.3m and periods remaining long (13-14s). However, the offshore wind window narrows — especially in April, when ideal conditions drop to 48%. November sees a similar pattern as the rainy season retreats: swell picks back up from SSW and SW, and the offshore flow returns with 51% favourable wind, making for good but less consistent surf.

Low Surf Season (May - October)

The Northern Hemisphere summer brings the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) overhead, shifting winds to a southerly onshore flow. While this is the largest swell season in terms of raw power — average heights reach 1.4-1.5m and periods stay above 13s — the quality is severely compromised. S, SSW, and SW winds blow directly onshore, ruining shape and creating messy, choppy conditions. Ideal wind percentages drop to 31-42%, making clean sessions hit-or-miss. Only occasionally, when a strong high-pressure ridge pushes down from the north, can you score a few early-morning windows of offshore flow.

March: Bigger Swell Arrives as Winds Lighten

March sees a jump in average swell height to 1.2m, driven almost entirely by a dominant SSW pulse (78.9% of total). Periods extend to 13.6s, signalling more powerful, long-range southern hemi energy. However, ideal wind percentages taper to 52%, meaning the morning offshore window (often from NE to NNE) is your best bet. By midday, winds tend to swing more onshore from SSW and SW, degrading wave quality. Still, the punchy, long-period sets from SSW can produce firing 1-1.5m conditions when the wind cooperates.