Surf Forecasts:
Ixtapa Island surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 17 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 16s period, SSW swell with 822 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Ixtapa Island this week:
The surf forecast for Ixtapa Island over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Ixtapa Island in the next 16 days are 1.3m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ixtapa Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, listen up, this is Rusty.
First up, Ixtapa Island. It’s a reef break, and it’s inconsistent, so it takes a bit of luck to get it right. But when it’s on, it’s a gem. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.
The pattern starts Monday the 17th of August. Monday morning we’ve got a clean 4ft SSW groundswell with a long 14 second period, and a light north wind making it cross-off. The combined energy is moderate, sitting at 677. It’s a decent start, but the afternoon turns onshore, so don’t waste the morning.
Tuesday the 18th is where it gets interesting. Tuesday morning is glassy, with a 4ft SSW groundswell, 14 seconds, and no wind. That’s clean, clean, clean. Combined energy is 615. This is a standout morning. The afternoon gets messy again.
Wednesday the 19th is another glassy morning, though the swell drops a touch to 3ft. Still, with a 14 second period and that glassy surface, it’s a great little session. Again, the afternoons are a write-off with the cross-onshore wind.
Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st both offer small, clean, glassy mornings, but the swell is dropping to 2ft or 3ft. Perfect for a longboard or a funboard, but nothing to get the heart racing.
Then we hit a gap. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd have some surf, but the wind and conditions are messy. There’s a risk of thunderstorms, and the afternoons are onshore or cross-on. It’s not worth paddling out for.
Monday the 24th of August brings a return of the glassy morning, with a 2ft SW groundswell but a very long 17 second period. The energy is 655 – moderate. It’s a long period swell, so it might be a bit straight at this reef, but it’ll still be clean.
The second week is a waiting game. The mornings from Tuesday the 25th to Thursday the 27th are all glassy, but the swell is small, around 2ft. The long period (15-18 seconds) keeps it interesting, but the power is low. The best of the bunch is Friday the 28th of August. Friday morning has a clean 4ft SW groundswell, a 16 second period, and a cross-off wind. The energy jumps to 870, which is good, solid moderate energy.
Now, the real highlight is at the end of the forecast. Sunday the 30th of August. Sunday morning is glassy, with a 5ft SSW groundswell, 15 second period. That’s a solid, heavy wave for this spot. The energy is strong at 1201. This is for experienced surfers only – over 5ft on a reef with a long period is not for beginners. It’s a standout, but it’s a long way off, so keep an eye on the charts.
Monday the 31st of August is also excellent. A 4ft groundswell, 14 seconds, with a clean offshore wind from the northeast. The energy is strong at 1056. Another top morning for the experienced crew.
Then Tuesday the 1st of September wraps it up with a clean 3ft SW groundswell, but with a very long 18 second period. Offshore wind and glassy. The energy is still strong at 1067. That’s a clean, powerful little wave to finish the run.
So, the true standouts are Tuesday the 18th of August for a clean, fun morning, and the stretch from Sunday the 30th of August to Tuesday the 1st of September for the bigger, more powerful, clean conditions for the experienced surfers.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 31°C on Mon afternoon, min 25°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 25°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSE 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
606 | 711 | 291 | 561 | 600 | 649 | 437 | 431 | 342 | 229 | 222 | 178 | 229 | 211 | 272 | 282 | 294 | 301 | 323 | 347 | 327 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 6:54PM0.48m | 8:08AM0.71m | 7:21PM0.49m | 8:34AM0.75m | 7:42PM0.50m | 8:59AM0.77m | 7:58PM0.50m | 9:23AM0.76m | 8:06PM0.50m | 9:44AM0.75m | 8:08PM0.52m | 10:03AM0.72m | 8:08PM0.54m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:11PM0.37m | 00:56AM0.21m | 2:37PM0.35m | 1:21AM0.15m | 2:58PM0.33m | 1:44AM0.11m | 3:16PM0.34m | 2:05AM0.07m | 3:29PM0.35m | 2:24AM0.05m | 3:37PM0.37m | 2:42AM0.04m | 3:43PM0.40m | 2:58AM0.04m | |||||||
6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | |
— | 7:10 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:08 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 26 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 3 |
Temp °C | 30 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 |
Feels °C | 34 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 36 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | S 9 | S 10 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | S 11 |
606 | 711 | 261 | 561 | 600 | 649 | 437 | 431 | 342 | 229 | 129 | 138 | 154 | 175 | 190 | 184 | 263 | 301 | 282 | 240 | 229 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | S 8 | SW 17 | S 8 | S 8 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
33 | 30 | 291 | 44 | 42 | 70 | 72 | 96 | 86 | 106 | 222 | 178 | 229 | 211 | 272 | 282 | 294 | 290 | 290 | 347 | 192 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | S 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | W 4 | W 5 | W 5 | W 4 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 19 | W 3 | SSW 17 | SW 18 | SE 10 | SW 19 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 |
25 | 23 | 44 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 31 | 34 | 90 | 1 | 30 | 111 | 60 | 96 | 186 | 323 | 258 | 327 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | W 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 3 | WNW 4 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 10 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 508 | 0 | 0 | 533 | 0 | 0 | 529 | 0 | 0 | 529 | 0 | 0 | 529 | 0 | 0 | 508 | 0 | 0 | 508 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Guerrero | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 Ixtapa Island Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Ixtapa Island provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Ixtapa Island can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Ixtapa Island 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 (Ixtapa Island) 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 Ixtapa Island 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.
Ixtapa Island is 9 km (6 miles) from Zihuatanejo. If you plan a holiday in Guerrero, look for hotels and other accommodation in Zihuatanejo. Zihuatanejo has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











