Surf Forecasts:
Ixtapa surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 17s period, SSW swell with 481 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 13s period with SSW 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Ixtapa in the next 16 days are 0.9m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ixtapa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it's Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming our way for Ixtapa. We've got a solid stretch of surf on the horizon, but it's a tale of two halves: plenty of clean, fun waves for the next week or so, followed by a bit of a stormy and messy period, before we finish up with some real quality.
The first real action kicks off this Thursday morning, the 20th of August. We're looking at a small but clean 3ft SSW swell. The wind is light and offshore from the north, so it'll be glassy and clean. The energy is pretty weak (313), but it's a start. The afternoons get chopped up by onshore wind, so morning sessions are the go.
Friday morning, the 21st, is a repeat of the clean conditions with that same 3ft SSW swell, and the offshore wind holds. Saturday morning, the 22nd, is where it starts to get interesting. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the SSW, but the real story is the glassy conditions with a light NNE breeze. The energy is building (551), and it's going to be a fun, clean paddle out. Saturday morning is a standout.
Sunday the 23rd through Tuesday the 25th keep the trend going with small, clean swells in the mornings. Sunday morning serves up a 2ft SW swell, but the period jumps to 18 seconds! That's a beautiful, long-period groundswell, and with glassy conditions, it's going to be offering up some clean, lined-up waves. The energy is moderate (755). Monday morning brings a 2ft SW swell with a 17-second period, still glassy, and Tuesday morning is a touch smaller at 2ft SW but with a 16-second period and glassy. These are all prime morning sessions.
We hit a bit of a hiccup later in the week. Thursday the 27th morning is still good with a 2ft SW, 18-second swell and glassy conditions, but the real standout is looming. Friday morning, the 28th of August, is the one to circle. The swell jumps to 5ft from the SSW, with a 17-second period and glassy conditions. The energy is going to be strong (1390), and the report says it's excellent for experienced surfers. That's a legitimate wave. The afternoon gets a bit messy with cross-on wind, but that morning is the best of the first week.
The weekend of the 29th and 30th of August is a write-off. The swell is up to 6ft, which is a proper size, but the wind swings around to the southeast and howls, making it a lumpy, cross-onshore mess. The energy is high (1627), but the quality is zero. This would be a better setup for kite surfing than a clean paddle session.
We then get a bit of a clean-up on Monday the 31st of August. The swell drops to 4ft from the SSW, and with offshore/glassy wind from the northwest, it's going to be a fun morning. Tuesday, the 1st of September, is similar with a 3ft SSW swell and glassy conditions.
Then, we get another promising window. Wednesday morning, the 2nd of September, has a 3ft SW swell with a 16-second period and offshore wind. Thursday morning, the 3rd, builds to 4ft SW with a 17-second period, glassy, and moderate energy (934). And the real kicker comes on Friday morning, the 4th of September. We're looking at a 5ft SSW swell, a 16-second period, and glassy conditions, with strong energy (1078). It's another excellent session for experienced surfers. That's the other big standout, but it's over a week away, so lock it in with a bit of caution.
So, to sum it up: the best bets are the glassy mornings from now through the 28th, with Saturday the 22nd, Sunday the 23rd, and Friday the 28th being the absolute standouts. The 29th and 30th are a washout, but then it cleans up again, with Friday the 4th of September looking like a cracker. Ixtapa is a beginner-friendly spot, but when the swell hits 5ft, it's going to be a bit more challenging for the groms. The water temp is about average for this time of year.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 41mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 32°C on Thu afternoon, min 25°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Mon night. Warm (max 31°C on Tue morning, min 26°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
347 | 229 | 222 | 170 | 229 | 211 | 330 | 282 | 290 | 352 | 327 | 352 | 408 | 298 | 475 | 400 | 208 | 258 | 302 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy |
High Tide | 8:59AM0.77m | 7:58PM0.50m | 9:23AM0.76m | 8:06PM0.50m | 9:44AM0.75m | 8:08PM0.52m | 10:03AM0.72m | 8:08PM0.54m | 10:19AM0.68m | 8:12PM0.56m | 10:31AM0.65m | 8:21PM0.58m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:46PM0.42m | 3:14AM0.05m | 3:47PM0.44m | |||||||
— | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
— | — | 7:08 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:05 | — | |
mm | 31 | 3 | — | 2 | — | — | 5 | — | — | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | — | 4 | — | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 29 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 29 |
Feels °C | 35 | 33 | 35 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 34 | 34 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SSE 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
347 | 229 | 222 | 120 | 122 | 120 | 330 | 170 | 240 | 186 | 142 | 352 | 265 | 189 | 475 | 400 | 208 | 258 | 302 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 14 | S 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 10 | SSW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 |
63 | 81 | 81 | 170 | 229 | 211 | 127 | 282 | 290 | 352 | 286 | 148 | 408 | 298 | 178 | 127 | 81 | 79 | 70 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | W 4 | SSW 18 | SW 19 | SW 22 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 18 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 |
2 | 3 | 33 | 91 | 18 | 60 | 80 | 99 | 96 | 186 | 327 | 258 | 138 | 94 | 68 | 67 | 47 | 48 | 54 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | — | WSW 4 | WNW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 3 | — | WSW 4 | W 4 | — | WSW 4 | — | — | — | W 6 |
5 | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 5 | 7 | — | 8 | — | — | — | 19 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 530 | 0 | 0 | 246 | 0 | 0 | 534 | 0 | 0 | 204 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 530 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Guerrero | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Mexico | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











