
Surf Forecasts:
Ixtapa surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 12 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 12 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 14s period, SSW swell with 602 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 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 Sunday (Jul 12) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 16s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s is also forecast. 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 1.2m 14s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 12) at 9AM. 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 Monday (Jul 13) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ixtapa over the next 16 days.
Alright, let’s get into it. I’m Rusty, and here’s how things are shaping up for Ixtapa.
The surf window is a bit of a slow burner to start, but there’s definitely some good stuff on the horizon if you’re patient. The first few days are pretty lackluster, and you won’t want to paddle out on Saturday or Sunday – the wind’s messy and the wave quality is poor. From Monday the 13th though, the mornings are where it’s at.
Monday 13th July morning is a real highlight to kick things off. Ixtapa cleans right up with glassy conditions and a light NE breeze at 3 mph. You’ve got a clean 3 ft swell from the SSW at a long 13 seconds. The water is sitting at 88°, which is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year – a nice bonus. The combined energy is moderate (521), but it’ll feel better than that thanks to the period. This is a good morning for beginners getting into it, as it’s not too big.
Tuesday 14th July morning is another glassy beauty. NNE offshore wind at 3 mph, 3 ft of SSW groundswell at 13 seconds, and clean conditions. Wave energy is moderate (603). The swell is small, but for a longboard or a funboard, this is a dream. The crowd factor can be ‘sometimes’ busy, so getting in early will pay off.
Wednesday 15th July morning keeps the glassy run going. A northerly offshore at 3 mph, 4 ft of S swell, but the period drops to 8 seconds. It’s still fun and clean, though not as powerful. Energy is moderate (492).
Thursday 16th July morning has light easterly wind at 3 mph, glassy again, with 4 ft from the SSW at 10 seconds. A solid moderate energy reading (488). Good for a smooth session.
Friday 17th July morning is a standout for the first week. Light N wind at 3 mph, cross-offshore, so the surface is clean. Swell is 4 ft from the SSW at a juicy 13 seconds. Energy is moderate (678). This feels like the best of the bunch in the first half of the forecast – solid size, clean, and good power behind it. Perfect for a step-up from the smaller days.
There’s a bit of a lull after that. Afternoons are generally not worth it, and the weekend of the 18th-19th has storms and onshore wind. But then Sunday afternoon of 19th July flips the script: glassy, calm wind, 4 ft from the SW at a very long 17 seconds. The combined energy hits strong (1050). This is an excellent session for experienced surfers – that long period will make for powerful, well-shaped lines at point breaks or reefs. Not ideal for beginners.
Saturday 25th July morning is a long-range promise that’s worth circling on the calendar. Glassy with a NE wind at 3 mph, 4 ft from the SW, but the period is a massive 21 seconds and the combined energy is very strong (1615). This is a standout for the second week – serious groundswell energy. It’s rated excellent for experienced surfers. The long period means it’ll be best at a reef or point break, not a beach.
Sunday 26th July morning keeps the energy ramping up with a clean cross-offshore breeze from the E at 9 mph. Swell is 5 ft from the SW at 19 seconds, and energy is very strong at 2486. This is big, powerful, and only for experts. The afternoons blow out.
Best bets: If you’re looking for the two standouts, I’d lock in Monday 13th July morning for clean, small, fun waves, and Saturday 25th July morning for the serious, long-period groundswell that’ll have the reefs firing.
Stay safe out there, and don’t sleep on those glassy mornings.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Warm (max 31°C on Sat afternoon, min 26°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Tue night. Warm (max 30°C on Tue afternoon, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sat 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSE 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 11 | SW 16 | S 8 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 17 | SW 19 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
926 | 434 | 602 | 602 | 487 | 342 | 368 | 331 | 269 | 495 | 236 | 187 | 264 | 208 | 240 | 174 | 171 | 447 | 210 | 243 | 219 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | on | glassy | cross |
High Tide | 7:39PM0.58m | 11:25AM0.76m | 8:16PM0.60m | 12:10PM0.74m | 8:52PM0.60m | 1:02PM0.70m | 9:24PM0.58m | 2:03PM0.66m | 9:13PM0.53m | 3:18PM0.62m | 4:42PM0.60m | 5:47AM0.43m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 4:18PM0.52m | 3:25AM-0.08m | 4:48PM0.54m | 4:07AM-0.08m | 5:26PM0.55m | 4:51AM-0.04m | 6:19PM0.55m | 5:37AM0.04m | 8:37PM0.53m | 6:29AM0.15m | 7:47AM0.28m | 00:30AM0.37m | 10:42AM0.37m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | |
7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:23 | — | 7:23 | |
mm | — | 4 | 5 | — | 5 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 5 | — | 1 | 4 | — | 1 | 5 | — | — | 7 | 2 |
Temp °C | 31 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
Feels °C | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSE 11 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 9 |
926 | 434 | 602 | 602 | 487 | 342 | 368 | 331 | 269 | 495 | 213 | 187 | 144 | 177 | 240 | 169 | 73 | 447 | 210 | 152 | 79 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | SSW 16 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 19 | S 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 15 | SSW 12 | SW 15 | SSW 9 | SW 10 | S 12 |
67 | 188 | 57 | 57 | 39 | 94 | 54 | 54 | 125 | 212 | 236 | 176 | 198 | 184 | 157 | 174 | 104 | 104 | 90 | 92 | 103 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 22 | S 9 | W 5 | W 5 | SW 21 | SSE 9 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 14 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SSW 15 | SW 17 | SW 19 |
18 | 63 | 7 | 7 | 117 | 8 | 303 | 184 | 209 | 375 | 197 | 129 | 264 | 208 | 91 | 150 | 171 | 127 | 85 | 243 | 219 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | W 4 | — | — | — | SSE 6 | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
11 | 9 | — | — | — | 77 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 537 | 0 | 39 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 509 | 0 | 0 | 534 | 0 | 0 | 509 | 0 | 0 | 509 | 0 | 0 | 534 | 0 | 7 |
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.











