
Surf Forecasts:
Costa Banderas surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 21 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SW swell with 354 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 16 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 16s 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 Wednesday (Sep 16) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 11s. 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 0.8m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 21) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 17) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Mon 21st Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Costa Banderas over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right now, Costa Banderas is barely showing its cards. The swell is small, the periods are long, but there's a couple of windows that'll get you wet without much fuss. The water's about average for this time of year, nothing crazy, just what you'd expect.
Things start off Wednesday the 16th with a clean, glassy morning. We're looking at a little 3ft southwest swell, and with that 16-second period, it's got some age on it. The light ENE cross-off wind will have the face tidy. It's not big, but it's the cleanest it'll look for a couple of days. That afternoon, the wind clocks northwest and it gets choppy; surf quality drops right off.
Thursday and Friday the 17th and 18th drop a touch, down to 2ft or so. It's rideable but weak, and the long period means the sets are few and far between. The mornings hold that clean cross-off, but it's really marginal. You'll be fighting for a couple of soft ones, and that's about it.
The energy picks up a bit into the 21st and 22nd, with the swell pushing back up to 3ft. That long-period southwest groundswell has some push, but it's a beach break and with that period, it can close out straight. The standout is the morning of the 22nd – a risk of thunderstorms, but dead calm, glassy conditions with a 16-second, 3ft southwest swell. That's about as good as it gets in this stretch, but it's still not breaking any records.
After that, it's a slow bleed. The swell stays small, around 2ft to 2ft, and the quality fades. The winds get a bit more onshore in the afternoons, and the period shortens up. By the late part of the month and into October 1st, it's a lot of work for a marginal wave. The energy's there in the water, but it's spread thin, and the consistency is just not on your side.
The energy in the water fluctuates a bit, but it stays in that moderate range overall—figures around 153 to 383 on the combined energy scale. It's not flat, but it's far from a swell magnet. Honestly, if you're not tied to a specific spot, the mornings are your friend. The afternoon sea breeze is going to mess things up most days. It's a game of patience, and this isn't the week to expect a hero session.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Thu afternoon, min 27°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 30°C on Sat morning, min 26°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SSW 13 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
206 | 258 | 212 | 186 | 183 | 134 | 137 | 133 | 184 | 170 | 197 | 197 | 252 | 222 | 227 | 287 | 350 | 342 | 254 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 11:41PM0.98m | 10:51AM1.34m | 00:07AM0.84m | 10:52AM1.28m | 10:39AM1.21m | 10:03AM1.16m | 9:08AM1.13m | 5:41PM1.06m | 8:31AM1.15m | 6:35PM1.18m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 4:23AM0.71m | 6:05PM0.51m | 3:57AM0.75m | 6:53PM0.61m | 00:40AM0.59m | 1:01AM0.48m | 1:57PM0.97m | 1:20AM0.39m | 1:38PM0.87m | 1:38AM0.32m | |||||||||
— | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | |
— | — | 7:04 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 6 | — | 1 | 3 |
Temp °C | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 32 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 35 | 33 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
206 | 258 | 212 | 186 | 183 | 134 | 118 | 114 | 84 | 170 | 197 | 197 | 252 | 222 | 227 | 287 | 350 | 342 | 254 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | NW 4 | NW 4 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WNW 8 | SSW 11 | WNW 7 | W 4 | W 4 |
14 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 117 | 137 | 133 | 184 | 65 | 59 | 57 | 37 | 36 | 13 | 25 | 9 | 5 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 6 | W 6 | SW 24 | SW 22 | SW 21 | W 6 | NW 4 | NW 4 | NW 4 | NW 5 | NW 5 | W 6 | WNW 7 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | WNW 7 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 |
4 | 3 | 22 | 74 | 71 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 65 | 27 | 11 | 24 | 12 | 22 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WNW 6 | — | — | NW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
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.










