
Surf Forecasts:
Costa Banderas surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSW swell with 475 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period with SW 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 Thursday (Sep 03) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy 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 Friday (Sep 04) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 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. I’m lookin’ at Costa Banderas for the next couple of weeks, and honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Don’t expect a lot of power, but there’s some real clean windows for the crew who want long, drawn-out lines.
The water is 89°, which is a solid 4° warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s much warmer than usual, so you’ll be surfing in a bathtub. It’s a reef break, fairly exposed to the swell, and the optimum direction is from the WNW. The swell we’re getting is mostly coming from the SW and SSW, which isn’t a perfect match, but it’s still working.
The best window kicks off right from the start. Thursday morning, September 3rd, is your first real standout. You’ve got a clean 4 ft swell from the SW, with a 10-second period and a light E cross-offshore breeze at 6 mph. The combined energy is 497 (moderate). It’s clean, it’s glassy, and it’s a solid intermediate wave. The crowds here are *sometimes* a problem, but on a Thursday morning with these conditions, you might get a few sets to yourself.
That run of good conditions pushes through the weekend. Friday morning, September 4th, is clean with 3 ft from the SSW, period 16 seconds, and a light NE cross-off at 6 mph. The energy is up to 612 (moderate). Saturday morning, September 5th, is the pick of the bunch for the first week: 3 ft from the SW, 16-second period, and a true offshore wind from the NNE at 9 mph. The energy hits 617 (moderate). It’s a long period swell, so it’ll be better shaped with longer gaps between sets, which is mint for a reef setup. Expect clean, lined-up waves.
Sunday morning, September 6th, is another solid call with 4 ft from the W, 12-second period, and a glassy offshore from the N at only 3 mph. Energy is 607 (moderate). That’s a morning of clean, easy waves.
After that, things get a bit ordinary. The swell drops and the wind turns more cross-shore. There’s a stretch from Monday the 7th through to Tuesday the 15th where the surf is small, inconsistent, and most of the conditions are just average. The combined energy dips into the 200s and 300s (weak to low-moderate). You’ll get a few clean windows, like the morning of Thursday, September 10th, with 3 ft from the SW, 16-second period, and glassy conditions (energy 383, moderate), but it’s not the same as that first weekend. The crowds will be lighter, but the waves are small.
The real dark horse comes at the very end of the forecast. On Thursday, September 17th, the swell goes tiny at 1 ft, but the period jumps to 22 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy is back up to 307 (moderate). It’s a reef break, so that long period will wrap in nicely. The afternoon session on the 17th is clean with a cross-offshore wind from the W at 9 mph. Then Friday morning, September 18th, is glassy with 2 ft from the SW, 20-second period, and energy of 332 (moderate). That Friday morning is a real sleeper – it’s over a week away, so it’s promising but less certain, but the setup is there.
Overall, the first weekend (September 3rd-6th) is the best on offer. If you want clean, fun, intermediate waves, that’s your window. The long-range stuff around September 17th-18th could be a treat for the patient crew who love a slow, powerful reeling reef wave.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 31°C on Fri afternoon, min 26°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 30°C on Sun afternoon, min 26°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 10 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | W 12 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 11 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
226 | 362 | 405 | 464 | 441 | 430 | 358 | 344 | 341 | 341 | 311 | 240 | 231 | 244 | 185 | 141 | 138 | 143 | 130 | 232 | 238 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:01PM1.33m | 12:41PM1.24m | 9:58AM1.12m | 4:11PM1.18m | 8:35AM1.16m | 6:04PM1.28m | 8:34AM1.23m | 7:04PM1.40m | 8:46AM1.30m | 7:51PM1.49m | 9:03AM1.36m | 8:31PM1.53m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 8:46PM0.52m | 11:51PM0.43m | 12:04PM1.11m | 00:53AM0.28m | 1:02PM0.97m | 1:33AM0.16m | 1:36PM0.82m | 2:07AM0.10m | 2:08PM0.67m | 2:37AM0.09m | 2:39PM0.54m | ||||||||||
6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | |
— | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:14 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:10 | — | — | 7:09 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | — | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 34 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 34 | 32 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 33 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | WSW 12 | W 12 | W 11 | W 12 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
226 | 173 | 139 | 464 | 441 | 237 | 274 | 247 | 341 | 341 | 311 | 240 | 231 | 244 | 185 | 141 | 138 | 143 | 100 | 98 | 96 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 17 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 |
112 | 362 | 405 | 148 | 119 | 430 | 358 | 344 | 272 | 268 | 268 | 180 | 180 | 127 | 118 | 68 | 67 | 93 | 130 | 232 | 238 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | W 11 | — | — | — | — | SSW 11 | — | NW 4 | NW 4 | SW 20 | WNW 4 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | W 6 | SW 17 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 15 |
159 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | 3 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 34 | 32 | 49 | 19 | 75 | 61 | 38 | 28 | 104 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 942 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nayarit | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Mexico | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










