
Surf Forecasts:
Ixtapa surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 21s period, SSW swell with 2,092 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Ixtapa this week:
The surf forecast for Ixtapa over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Ixtapa in the next 16 days are 1.5m 21s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 12AM. 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+) | 3AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 21s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ixtapa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me break this down for ya. We’re looking at Ixtapa. The water temp is running a touch warmer than normal for the time of year, about 89°, so it’s a bit toastier than average, not crazy though.
First proper wave action kicks off Friday morning, July 17th. Not huge—3 ft from the SSW—but the wind is glassy out of the ENE at 3 mph. That makes for clean little rollers. Combined energy is moderate (352), nothing to write home about but for a beginner-friendly spot, it’s a nice little warm-up. Crowds are possible here sometimes, but this early in the forecast it shouldn’t be a zoo.
Saturday morning, July 18th, drops to 2 ft but the period jumps to 19 seconds—that’s long-period groundswell. Wind is cross-off from the north at 3 mph, giving clean waves. Energy is moderate (433). This is a point-break sort of setup, so that long period won’t break too straight; it’ll wrap in nicely. Worth a paddle even though it’s small.
Now, Sunday morning, July 19th, is where it gets tasty. 3 ft from the SW, period 17 seconds—still nice and long. Wind is cross-off again out of the NW at 3 mph. Combined energy jumps to nearly 1000 (998). Getting into moderate-strong territory. The surf is gonna have some push but stay clean. This is one of the better windows.
But the standout so far? Monday morning, July 20th. 4 ft, SW swell, 16-second period, glassy as glass from the ENE at 3 mph. The combined energy is over 1000 (1054)—moderate-strong. Excellent conditions for experienced surfers. That 4 ft is still fine for strong beginners, but the power is real. Clean faces, good shape.
Tuesday morning, July 21st, still solid: 4 ft, cross-off from the WNW, clean. Energy dropping a bit (673). Still good.
Wednesday through Thursday mornings are smaller and less consistent, but Thursday morning, July 23rd, gives us 3 ft with glassy wind from the ENE. Clean but small. Energy moderate (430).
Then we get a real beauty: Friday morning, July 24th. Only 2 ft but the period is 24 seconds—very, very long-period groundswell. Glassy wind from the north. Energy is moderate-strong (772). This is a reef or point break kind of wave. Could be clean and lined up even if it's small.
Saturday morning, July 25th, is the big standout in the second week. 4 ft from the SW, 21-second period, glassy wind from the ESE. Combined energy is very strong (1258). This is excellent for experienced surfers. Clean, powerful, long-period swell. If you can get out, this is the one to aim for.
Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th mornings keep the size coming—5 ft and 6 ft respectively—but the wind gets a bit cross or glassy with some risk of thunderstorms. Still, the energy is very strong (1930 and 2662). These are expert-level waves. Over 5 ft, so not for beginners at all.
Tuesday morning, July 28th: 7 ft, glassy calm, from the SSW. Excellent for experts. Energy is through the roof (2512). This is big and clean.
The rest of the period into early August sees the swell backing down to 3 ft–4 ft, with glassy mornings and cleaner conditions, but the energy drops. Still fun for the beginner-to-intermediate crew.
Overall, the best windows are Monday the 20th morning and Saturday the 25th morning. Both offer clean, glassy conditions with solid long-period SW swell. The 25th has more power; the 20th is a bit more manageable for strong intermediates. For pure size and clean conditions, Tuesday the 28th morning is pure expert territory.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Warm (max 31°C on Sat afternoon, min 26°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 55mm), heaviest during Wed morning. Warm (max 30°C on Mon afternoon, min 24°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 12 | S 12 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | SSW 24 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
152 | 243 | 173 | 181 | 454 | 580 | 648 | 669 | 813 | 793 | 733 | 543 | 471 | 404 | 331 | 288 | 200 | 173 | 143 | 371 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:42PM0.60m | 5:47AM0.43m | 5:47PM0.58m | 7:26AM0.54m | 6:34PM0.57m | 8:14AM0.63m | 7:11PM0.55m | 8:52AM0.69m | 7:40PM0.53m | 9:25AM0.73m | 8:00PM0.52m | 9:55AM0.73m | 8:11PM0.50m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:30AM0.37m | 10:42AM0.37m | 00:45AM0.29m | 12:46PM0.39m | 1:12AM0.22m | 2:00PM0.39m | 1:40AM0.17m | 2:51PM0.39m | 2:05AM0.12m | 3:29PM0.40m | 2:27AM0.09m | 3:57PM0.41m | 2:47AM0.07m | |||||||
— | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | |
7:23 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | 7 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 1 | — | 6 | — | — | 9 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 30 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 24 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 28 |
Feels °C | 35 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 26 | 33 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 13 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 10 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | SSW 13 |
152 | 235 | 99 | 139 | 280 | 580 | 648 | 669 | 813 | 793 | 733 | 543 | 471 | 404 | 331 | 288 | 98 | 173 | 143 | 242 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 13 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | W 5 | WSW 5 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 9 |
106 | 243 | 159 | 181 | 454 | 335 | 243 | 143 | 180 | 177 | 212 | 78 | 54 | 28 | 18 | 18 | 200 | 138 | 138 | 118 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SSE 7 | WSW 9 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | W 8 | WSW 8 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | SSE 12 | S 7 | S 12 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 24 |
32 | 63 | 173 | 20 | 50 | 74 | 98 | 84 | 59 | 52 | 24 | 89 | 85 | 85 | 49 | 17 | 100 | 52 | 55 | 371 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 8 | WNW 3 | W 4 | W 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | 4 | 6 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 376 | 0 | 0 | 529 | 0 | 0 | 696 | 0 | 0 | 529 | 39 | 16 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 529 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Guerrero | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Mexico | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Ixtapa Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Ixtapa provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Ixtapa can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Ixtapa 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) 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 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 is 7 km (4 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.










