
Surf Forecasts:
Ixtapa surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 15 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 16s period, SSW swell with 969 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s 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 (Sep 12) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Ixtapa in the next 16 days are 1.4m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 8s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ixtapa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let me break down what’s coming up for Ixtapa over the next couple of weeks.
Right now, we’ve got a solid run of surf ahead. The first decent window kicks off this Friday morning (September 11th) with a clean, glassy setup. We’re looking at 4ft swell from the SSW with a long 15-second period – proper groundswell energy, with 816 in combined energy. Water temp is sitting at 89°, which is much warmer than usual for the time of year, so you might want to leave the wetsuit at home. That Friday morning is a standout for me: glassy conditions, decent shape, and it’s a beginner-friendly break, so it’s a good time to get out.
Saturday morning (September 12th) is also glassy, with 3ft swell from the SW and a 14-second period. It’s smaller but still very clean. The afternoon gets a bit cross-on and choppy, so aim for early.
The real highlight of the whole forecast though, is Sunday morning, September 20th. That’s the one to circle on your calendar. We’ve got 4ft swell from the SW, 19-second period – that’s very long-period groundswell – and combined energy is a strong 1092. Winds are glassy, totally calm, and conditions are rated excellent for experienced surfers. The swell direction matches the optimum from the south, so Ixtapa’s exposed setup should handle it well. It’s not so big that beginners can’t have a go, but the long period means it’ll be better shaped and more powerful at the point – keep that in mind. Inconsistent? Not really – fairly consistent here. Crowds can show up sometimes, so expect company on that Sunday morning.
Before that, we’ve got some other good mornings. Tuesday 15th morning has 4ft from the SW with clean offshore wind from the N, and 880 energy – nice. Wednesday 16th morning is glassy, 4ft from the SSW, 910 energy. Thursday 17th morning is glassy again, 4ft from the SSW. Friday 18th morning has a bit of offshore breeze, 3ft from the SW but a very long 20-second period – surprisingly clean for the size. And Saturday 19th morning is dead glassy with 3ft from the SW, 18-second period.
After the 20th, the surf keeps coming but it’s a bit more mixed. Monday 21st morning has 4ft from the SW but cross-shore wind, so not as clean. Tuesday 22nd morning is better with cross-offshore breeze and 4ft from the SW. Wednesday 23rd to Friday 25th mornings all have glassy or clean conditions with 3ft to 4ft swell from the SW – small but fun. The second week tails off a bit with smaller swell, around 2ft on Saturday 26th morning, but clean cross-offshore wind and a long 18-second period.
Bottom line: Friday 11th and Sunday 20th mornings are the two best bets. The near-term Friday glass is a sure thing, and the distant Sunday glass is the big energy standout – promising but you know how long-range forecasts can shift. No major gaps of dead days here – there’s surf most mornings through the whole 16 days. If you’re a beginner, stick to the sub-5ft mornings; if you’re experienced, the Sunday 20th is your session.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 30°C on Fri morning, min 27°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Mon night. Warm (max 31°C on Tue afternoon, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 20 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
720 | 536 | 407 | 401 | 272 | 212 | 178 | 236 | 293 | 444 | 316 | 760 | 663 | 771 | 788 | 778 | 584 | 561 | 638 | 487 | 469 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:23AM0.55m | 10:24PM0.53m | 9:31AM0.52m | 10:56PM0.45m | 7:42AM0.56m | 8:08PM0.39m | 7:09AM0.64m | 7:04PM0.40m | 7:19AM0.71m | 7:05PM0.42m | 7:39AM0.76m | 7:17PM0.44m | 8:01AM0.78m | 7:31PM0.46m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:21PM0.34m | 4:05AM0.40m | 4:18PM0.34m | 00:55AM0.45m | 3:24PM0.34m | 11:29PM0.37m | 2:35PM0.32m | 11:58PM0.29m | 2:26PM0.29m | 00:25AM0.22m | 2:31PM0.28m | 00:50AM0.16m | 2:39PM0.28m | 1:12AM0.12m | |||||||
6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | 6:52 | — | — | 6:51 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:49 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 10 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 29 |
Feels °C | 35 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 34 | 35 | 35 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
720 | 536 | 407 | 401 | 272 | 212 | 178 | 172 | 293 | 444 | 316 | 760 | 663 | 771 | 788 | 778 | 584 | 561 | 638 | 487 | 362 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | S 8 | W 5 | W 5 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 12 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 21 | SW 20 |
96 | 39 | 42 | 21 | 12 | 14 | 38 | 57 | 126 | 59 | 56 | 208 | 178 | 170 | 96 | 57 | 58 | 55 | 56 | 365 | 469 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | W 13 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | S 8 | S 8 | W 6 | SW 19 | S 8 | SW 12 | SSW 15 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 22 | SW 21 | S 9 | S 8 |
15 | 30 | 14 | 80 | 34 | 33 | 15 | 236 | 51 | 71 | 146 | 57 | 39 | 56 | 37 | 68 | 30 | 233 | 224 | 55 | 37 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 4 | — | W 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 7 | W 6 | W 6 | WSW 6 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 6 | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 13 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 529 | 21 | 0 | 537 | 0 | 7 | 281 | 0 | 0 | 534 | 0 | 0 | 216 | 0 | 0 | 537 | 0 | 0 | 530 | 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.










