Costa Banderas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s break it down in feet and miles per hour.

We’re looking at a run of small but steady swell. Not a massive, heart-thumping stretch, but there are a few windows where it all syncs up for clean, fun waves. Most of it is just small, rideable stuff, but a couple sessions stand out big time.

Only one spot in the picture: Costa Banderas. Things kick off Friday morning, August 14th. The water temp is about normal for this time of year. That morning, we see a clean 2ft SSW swell, with an 18-second period. That’s real groundswell, with decent energy behind it (394). The wind is light cross-off from the east at 3 mph, so it’ll be clean. It’s a reef, so that long-period energy will wrap in and give you some proper lines.

Saturday morning, August 15th, is the absolute standout of the whole forecast. The swell bumps to 3ft from the SW, still a long 16-second period. The wind goes dead glassy from the east at 3 mph. You can’t ask for better. The combined energy is solid (371). This is the morning to chase. It’s not big, so it’s good for everyone, and the reef will handle that long period perfectly.

Sunday the 16th through Monday the 17th, the swell drops back to 2ft with a shorter 14-second period. Winds stay light and clean, mostly cross-off, so it’s still fun, just a step down from the weekend. Energy sits around 211-224.

Tuesday morning the 18th has another glassy window with a 2ft swell, but the energy has dropped to 145. Clean, but small.

Then we hit a dry spell. From Wednesday the 19th through the end of the week, the swell shrinks to 1ft - 2ft, with thunderstorms and messy afternoon winds. Afternoons get onshore or strong, so it’s a washout. The energy drops to double digits (85, 95). That’s about a 7-day gap where the surf is either too small or blown out.

Things start to build again slowly after the 21st. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd have a tiny bump to 2ft, but it’s still small and afternoons are messy. The real return starts Monday, August 24th, with a 2ft short-period swell, and then Tuesday the 25th kicks off a new little run. Tuesday morning has 3ft from the SW at a 12-second period, clean with cross-off winds from the NE at 6 mph and decent energy (275). Wednesday the 26th looks similar. The last real highlight is Friday morning, August 28th. You’ve got 2ft from the SW at 14 seconds, but the energy jumps to 304, and the wind is glassy from the ENE at 3 mph. That’s another little gem to end the run.

So, the clear winner is Saturday morning, August 15th. That glassy 3ft SW swell at Costa Banderas is as good as it gets in this window. The backup is Friday morning, August 28th, with that glassy 304-energy wave. Everything else is small but clean, or blown out. Crowds can show up “sometimes” here, so those glassy mornings will likely draw a few more people, but for waves that clean, it’s worth it.

Rusty.

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