
Surf Forecasts:
Costa Banderas surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 13s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period, SSW swell with 304 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 11 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 15s 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 Saturday (Jul 11) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 15s 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 0.9m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 12s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Sat 11th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Costa Banderas over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Costa Banderas is a reef setup, and it loves a good WNW swell direction, but we’re looking at a bit of a slow start this week. The water is sitting at a toasty 88.5°F, which is a good 4.7°F warmer than usual for this time of year, so you’ll be surfing in a warm bath.
This first stretch is a bit of a struggle. The swell is tiny, just 1.3ft to 2.3ft from the SSW, which is way off the preferred direction. The energy is weak to moderate, hovering around the 100 to 200 mark (196). It’s surfable but very ordinary. The best of the early action is Sunday morning, July 12th, with a light offshore breeze and clean 2.0ft waves. It’s not going to get your heart racing, but it’s a paddle.
The mid-week gets even smaller, dropping to 1.0ft and 1.3ft. Wednesday morning, July 15th, is glassy with a long-period 18-second groundswell, but it’s barely a ripple. The break is consistent, so it won’t stay this flat for long, but it's a quiet spell.
Now, hold on. The real story starts on the weekend of July 18th. Saturday morning, the combined energy jumps to 405 (moderate), and the swell bumps up to 1.6ft from the SW. The wind is light and cross-off, keeping things clean. It’s still small, but the energy is building. Sunday morning, July 19th, is a standout early call: glassy conditions, long-period 17-second swell at 2.3ft, and the energy is cranking at 428. That’s a super clean session for the patient surfer.
But the big one is coming. Tuesday, July 21st, is the pick of the entire outlook. The morning brings a solid 5.6ft SSW swell with a 12-second period and 988 energy. By the afternoon, it’s a powerful 7.9ft SW swell with 2040 energy. The wind is cross-off and light. This is proper, clean surf. The wave direction is matching the optimum swell direction, and the reef will handle the long-period groundswell beautifully. This is the day to clear your schedule.
Wednesday, July 22nd, sees the swell surge to 11.5ft and 13.1ft. That’s too big for this break, even for the experts. The energy is 5438, which is extreme. The conditions are clean, but the size is a serious hazard. Only the most experienced chargers should even look at it.
The follow-up on Thursday, July 23rd, is still big and powerful at 8.2ft, but it’s clean and excellent for experienced surfers. The energy is still huge at 1816. The swell direction shifts to WSW, which is a bit off the mark, but the quality is undeniable.
The final run from July 24th to the 25th drops back to a much more manageable 3.6ft to 5.2ft. The energy is still moderate to strong (695 to 315), and the winds stay cross-off. It’s a solid, fun end to the run.
The big winner here is Tuesday, July 21st, with the afternoon pushing into expert territory. The glassy Sunday morning of July 19th is a close second for a clean, long-period session.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri afternoon, min 24°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 30°C on Tue afternoon, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fri 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
188 | 191 | 186 | 186 | 188 | 131 | 134 | 136 | 107 | 102 | 68 | 68 | 111 | 111 | 78 | 129 | 91 | 64 | 62 | 58 | 55 | |
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 | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 5:52PM1.43m | 8:40AM1.15m | 6:48PM1.51m | 9:20AM1.20m | 7:39PM1.59m | 9:56AM1.23m | 8:27PM1.62m | 10:31AM1.25m | 9:12PM1.62m | 11:05AM1.25m | 9:56PM1.55m | 11:38AM1.24m | 10:38PM1.44m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:34AM0.11m | 1:00PM0.91m | 2:20AM-0.01m | 1:52PM0.86m | 3:03AM-0.09m | 2:38PM0.81m | 3:44AM-0.09m | 3:21PM0.77m | 4:23AM-0.04m | 4:03PM0.73m | 4:59AM0.07m | 4:47PM0.72m | 5:31AM0.21m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | |
7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | 7:45 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 7 | — | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Temp °C | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
Feels °C | 33 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 33 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | S 12 |
188 | 191 | 186 | 186 | 188 | 131 | 134 | 136 | 107 | 102 | 68 | 68 | 111 | 62 | 38 | 129 | 91 | 64 | 62 | 48 | 67 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | — | NNW 3 | NW 11 | SW 21 | NW 4 | WNW 4 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 13 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
3 | 11 | 10 | — | 1 | 5 | 18 | 3 | 4 | 96 | 59 | 51 | 68 | 111 | 78 | 38 | 30 | 15 | 13 | 56 | 54 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 11 | — | — | — | NW 11 | SW 20 | NW 11 | SW 21 | SSW 19 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | W 17 | WNW 5 | SSW 16 | W 15 | WNW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 19 |
5 | — | — | — | 4 | 15 | 4 | 18 | 37 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 26 | 5 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 58 | 55 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NW 10 | — | NNW 3 | NW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 5 | — | — | WNW 5 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 17 | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 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.











