Ixtapa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and listen up. I’ve been lookin’ at the charts for our neck of the woods, and Ixtapa's got a bit of a mixed bag for the next couple of weeks. The water temp is sitting at 88°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

The good news is we’ve got a solid, long-period SSW groundswell running through much of the period. The bad news is that the wind is going to be a fickle friend, switching on and off a lot. You’ll have to pick your sessions carefully.

The real standout opens the show. Wednesday morning, the 19th of August, is looking prime. We’ve got a clean 3ft SSW swell with a 15-second period, and the wind is glassy… dead calm. The wave energy is moderate (516), and it’s gonna be clean as a whistle. This is the pick of the first week for sure. Crowds are possible in Ixtapa though, so get out there early.

Thursday and Friday mornings are okay, with smaller 3ft SSW swell and clean conditions thanks to some light offshore or cross-offshore winds from the north. The energy dips a bit (341 and 390), but it’s still surfable for the beginner to intermediate crew. The afternoon winds swing onshore though, so the mornings are your window.

Saturday morning, the 22nd, is another glassy winner with a 3ft SSW swell, and the energy is back up to a moderate 505. Then Sunday morning, the 23rd, is a real gem. The swell is only 2ft, but the period stretches out to 18 seconds, and it’s dead glass again. The energy reading is a strong 754, which tells you there’s some serious push behind that small wave. For a longboard or a funboard, that’s a dream session.

Looking further out, things start to get interesting. The 28th of August, Friday afternoon, sees a jump in swell size to 5ft from the SSW, with an 18-second period. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the northwest, and the energy is a hefty 1663. This is where it gets juicy for the experienced crew. Swell over 5ft starts to push out the beginners.

Then the 30th of August, Sunday, is looking like a potential banger. Morning has a 6ft SSW swell with offshore winds, and the afternoon is 5ft with glassy conditions. Both sessions have excellent surf conditions flagged for experienced surfers. The energy is strong (1186 and 1074). This is a proper swell, but at this size, you’ll want to know what you’re doing. The period is 15 seconds, which is classic groundswell, so it’ll be powerful and clean.

The first few days of September are a bit more mixed up, with the swell rolling through but the wind being a bit more inconsistent. The 3rd of September, Thursday morning, has a 4ft SSW swell with a 15-second period and a clean cross-offshore breeze. It’s a good option if you’re hanging around.

So, to wrap it up: the absolute best on offer is Wednesday morning, the 19th of August, for pure, clean, small-wave fun. For the bigger, more powerful stuff, keep your eyes on the 28th of August afternoon and the 30th of August. There are gaps in the middle of the second week where the afternoons are a write-off, but the mornings consistently offer something. Just remember, the long-range standouts are promising but a little less certain.

Rusty.

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