
Surf Forecasts:
Costa Banderas surf forecast from 29 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with 419 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Costa Banderas this week:
The surf forecast for Costa Banderas over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Costa Banderas in the next 16 days are 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Costa Banderas over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty.
Right off the bat, the next couple of days are looking small but workable at Costa Banderas. We’ve got a 3ft swell rolling in from the SSW with a long 16-second period on Wednesday morning. That’s a groundswell with some real push behind it, even if the height is modest. The combined energy is moderate at 563, so there’s definitely some grunt in the water. The water temperature is sitting at 89°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so the boardies are all you need. Wednesday morning has a light cross-onshore breeze which is a bit of a nuisance, but by the afternoon the wind swings cross-offshore and the waves clean right up. Expect good surf conditions for a small wave session.
Thursday morning is the pick of the next few days. Clean, glassy conditions with a cross-offshore breeze and the swell holding at 3ft, still from the SSW with 14 seconds between sets. The energy has dropped a bit to 389, but it’s still moderate and the surf is clean and fun. After Thursday, the swell fades quickly. Friday drops to 2ft, and by Saturday morning we’re down to 2ft but with glassy winds, so the longboard will still have a good time if you’re keen. Not much punch left though, energy falls to around 159 by Saturday.
Then from Sunday the 30th right through until Wednesday the 6th of August, we hit a real flat spell. The swell barely scrapes 2ft and most of the time the energy is under 100 – weak stuff. The combined energy hangs around 59 to 96. Not worth paddling out unless you’re desperate for a splash. Winds are mostly light and occasionally clean, but there’s nothing to ride.
It’s not until Thursday the 6th of August that we see a flicker of hope. A small 2ft SSW swell sneaks back in with a 13-second period and combined energy of 103, and the morning has a light cross-offshore breeze making for clean but very ordinary conditions. That little pulse fades again through the next few days.
Now, the real standout pops up on Tuesday the 11th of August. Tuesday afternoon, we get a 2ft SW swell with a long 18-second period and combined energy jumps to 325 – that’s moderate energy, but those long-period waves will have some real shape and power for the size. The wind is cross-offshore from the WNW at a gentle 9 mph, so the face should be clean and inviting. Expect good surf conditions, especially for a reef break like Costa Banderas. The direction is SSW, but the optimum is WNW, so it’s not a perfect match, but on a small, long-period groundswell like this the reef will still offer some nice lines. Wednesday morning is marginal with cross-shore winds, so Tuesday afternoon is definitely the session to aim for if you can.
After that, things trail off again. The last day of the forecast, Thursday the 13th of August, has glassy morning conditions but the wave height and energy remain small. Not enough to get excited about.
So, to wrap it up: Wednesday morning (July 29) and Thursday morning (July 30) are your best bets this week for clean, small but fun waves. The real highlight is Tuesday the 11th of August afternoon, when a nice long-period swell shows up with good wind – that’s the one to circle on the calendar. It’s a long way off, but it looks promising.
This is Rusty, signing out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 30°C on Wed afternoon, min 26°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 30°C on Sat morning, min 27°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
430 | 419 | 275 | 264 | 261 | 175 | 158 | 114 | 95 | 133 | 99 | 65 | 87 | 85 | 59 | 40 | 39 | 37 | 36 | 56 | 54 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 10:16AM1.20m | 9:08PM1.49m | 10:36AM1.23m | 9:38PM1.48m | 10:56AM1.25m | 10:09PM1.43m | 11:16AM1.28m | 10:42PM1.35m | 11:37AM1.30m | 11:19PM1.23m | 12:02PM1.31m | 00:03AM1.08m | 12:31PM1.31m | 1:12AM0.92m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:14PM0.72m | 4:03AM0.12m | 3:44PM0.68m | 4:26AM0.17m | 4:15PM0.64m | 4:48AM0.24m | 4:50PM0.61m | 5:10AM0.34m | 5:30PM0.59m | 5:32AM0.45m | 6:18PM0.58m | 5:52AM0.58m | 7:23PM0.59m | ||||||||
6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
— | 7:40 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 |
Feels °C | 32 | 34 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 34 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | W 8 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
430 | 419 | 275 | 264 | 261 | 175 | 158 | 114 | 95 | 133 | 99 | 65 | 87 | 33 | 59 | 40 | 39 | 37 | 36 | 56 | 54 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 13 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | W 5 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
133 | 65 | 133 | 123 | 128 | 75 | 43 | 44 | 39 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 85 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 35 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 12 | NW 4 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | SW 20 | WNW 3 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 4 |
— | 50 | 3 | 2 | — | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 31 | 12 | 24 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WNW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 5 | — |
— | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 942 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 496 | 6 | 8 | 304 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nayarit | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Mexico | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Costa Banderas Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Costa Banderas provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Costa Banderas can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Costa Banderas 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 (Costa Banderas) 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 Costa Banderas 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.
Costa Banderas is 27 km (17 miles) from Puerto Vallarta. If you plan a holiday in Nayarit, look for hotels and other accommodation in Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










