Costa Banderas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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.

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