
Surf Forecasts:
Costa Banderas surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SSW swell with 963 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 18s 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 Sunday (Jul 26) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 13s. 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 1.3m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Costa Banderas over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a decent little window coming up at Costa Banderas, but don’t go planning your whole month around it just yet.
The action kicks off on Sunday morning, the 26th of July. We’re looking at a clean 3-foot SW groundswell rolling in with a period of 18 seconds. That kind of period is serious, it’s a long-period groundswell, so think proper lines and plenty of energy between sets, which makes the paddle out a bit easier. The water temperature here is sitting at 89°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a nice bonus in the tropics. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the ENE, so the face should be pretty smooth. The combined swell energy is moderate at 487, so there’s some grunt there. For the experienced surfer, that’s a solid early morning option.
Sunday afternoon takes a turn though. The wind swings to the WSW and goes cross-on, and while the swell stays the same, the conditions get messy. Not your best bet unless you like fighting chop.
Monday the 27th is where things pick up. The morning sees the swell bumping to 4 feet from the SW, period still a strong 17 seconds, with light ENE cross-off winds. Clean, building energy – the combined energy climbs to 661. Then Monday afternoon, it gets even better. The swell hits 4 feet from the SSW, period 16 seconds, and the wind from the W at 9 mph holds cross-off. The combined energy jumps to 732 and it’s looking very good. That afternoon session is the standout for the first half of the week.
Tuesday the 28th keeps it alive. Morning brings 4 feet of SW swell, 17 seconds, light ENE breeze, and the combined energy peaks at 943 – that’s the highest in the whole run. That is strong wave energy, it’s going to feel punchy out there. The break is a reef, so it should handle that power. Afternoon fades a bit with a cross-shore wind and a drop in quality.
Wednesday the 29th offers a clean 3-foot SSW swell in the morning and a very good afternoon with WNW wind holding cross-off. Not as big as Monday or Tuesday, but still tidy.
Now, from Thursday the 30th onward, the consistency starts to fade. The swell drops and the winds get tricky. We get a couple of glassy moments early on Friday the 31st of July and again on Saturday the 1st of August, but the swell is down to 3 feet and 2 feet respectively. The energy levels are dropping – 429 and 279. It’s still surfable for the patient surfer, especially in the glassy conditions, but the juice is going out of it.
From Sunday the 2nd of August all the way through to Monday the 10th of August, it’s a long stretch of small, weak surf. Swell heights stay below 2 feet, periods drop, and the combined energy mostly sits under 200, sometimes under 100. That’s weak energy. There are a few clean mornings here and there, but with waves that small, it’s really only for the longboard or the foamie. For several days in a row there’s nothing really worth recommending.
The best call? Get on it Sunday morning the 26th for that clean, long-period groundswell, and definitely don’t miss Monday the 27th afternoon or Tuesday the 28th morning – that Tuesday morning with 943 combined energy and clean conditions is the standout of the whole outlook.
Keep your eyes on the sky too – there’s risk of thunderstorms on some of the better mornings, so don’t get caught out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 30°C on Sun afternoon, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Thu night. Warm (max 30°C on Wed afternoon, min 25°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WSW 12 | SSW 13 | W 10 | W 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
465 | 449 | 607 | 753 | 875 | 854 | 671 | 458 | 441 | 430 | 419 | 275 | 264 | 261 | 228 | 158 | 174 | 177 | 134 | 134 | 92 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:23AM1.12m | 7:28PM1.36m | 9:38AM1.15m | 8:04PM1.43m | 9:57AM1.18m | 8:37PM1.47m | 10:16AM1.20m | 9:08PM1.49m | 10:36AM1.23m | 9:38PM1.48m | 10:56AM1.25m | 10:09PM1.43m | 11:16AM1.28m | 10:42PM1.35m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:54PM0.89m | 2:49AM0.16m | 2:20PM0.83m | 3:15AM0.12m | 2:47PM0.77m | 3:39AM0.10m | 3:14PM0.72m | 4:03AM0.12m | 3:44PM0.68m | 4:26AM0.17m | 4:15PM0.64m | 4:48AM0.24m | 4:50PM0.61m | ||||||||
6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | 7:42 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:39 | — | |
mm | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | — | 14 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 6 | — | — | 8 | — | — | 5 | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 |
Feels °C | 33 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 34 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | W 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
465 | 449 | 607 | 753 | 875 | 854 | 671 | 458 | 441 | 430 | 419 | 242 | 225 | 238 | 228 | 147 | 174 | 177 | 128 | 128 | 92 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 |
11 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 121 | 233 | 180 | 182 | 183 | 167 | 275 | 264 | 261 | 175 | 158 | 114 | 95 | 134 | 134 | 91 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SW 13 | NW 11 | SW 13 | W 11 | W 11 | W 8 | W 9 | — | — | — | W 10 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | — | SW 16 | SW 20 | SW 20 | SSW 11 |
12 | 28 | 5 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | — | — | — | 2 | 10 | — | 12 | 6 | — | 40 | 15 | 15 | 23 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nayarit | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Mexico | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.










