Surf Forecasts:
Jalama surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 13s period, S swell with 1,141 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 16s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Jalama this week:
The surf forecast for Jalama over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 3s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Jalama in the next 16 days are 1.8m 13s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 5AM. 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 3s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Jalama over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it's Rusty here. Let's take a good look at what we've got on the table for Jalama. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but there's something brewing for the patient ones.
Right from the get-go, we're in a tricky spot. For the first week and a bit, it’s mostly marginal. Friday morning the 4th kicks off with some waist-high-ish surf, around 4ft, coming from the SSW with a nice long 17-second period – that's proper groundswell energy. The water temp is bang on average for this time of year at 64°F. But the problem is that wind. It's blowing cross-shore from the WNW at 9 mph, putting a bit of a crinkle on the face. Nothing terrible, but not clean enough to get excited about. The combined energy is a beastly 1117 (moderate), but that doesn't matter when the surface is messy. The rest of that first weekend and most of the following week are filled with cross and cross-on winds, lumpy conditions, and inconsistent size. There's a real dry spell from about the 11th of September right through to the 17th where the scores are just flat. Gaps of several days where I wouldn't bother paddling out.
Now, let's talk about the standout, and it's a long-range promise. We're looking at Friday the 18th of September. The morning shows a solid 12ft swell from the NW, with a period of 9 seconds. The energy reading is off the charts at 2083 (very strong). The wind is looking light and cross-shore from the WNW at 9 mph. Now, that is a *lot* of water moving around. For most of you, that's going to be too big. This is expert territory only – it'll be heavy, powerful, and take some serious skill. The afternoon backs off a touch to 10ft, but the wind picks up to a fresh 19 mph, making it lumpy. So the call for the real chargers is Friday morning, 18th September. It’s clean-ish, but the size means it’s not for the faint of heart. The Saturday the 19th is still good, with 8ft from the NW and gentle cross-shore breezes. That’s still a punchy wave, but a bit more manageable for strong intermediates.
So, the best of the bunch is undeniably that Friday morning the 18th. It’s the one time the energy and conditions really line up for someone who can handle it. Jalama is an exposed, very consistent spot, but expect it to be *sometimes* crowded, especially with a forecast like that on the horizon. Keep an eye on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri morning, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Wed afternoon, light winds from the N by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSE 13 | SSE 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 11 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 692 | 559 | 620 | 596 | 589 | 531 | 646 | 893 | 915 | 1141 | 1127 | 917 | 759 | 384 | 617 | 407 | 227 | 429 | 573 | 538 | 436 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 3:49PM1.98m | 7:38AM1.36m | 5:12PM2.03m | 8:13AM1.46m | 6:25PM2.10m | 8:44AM1.57m | 7:26PM2.17m | 9:13AM1.67m | 8:20PM2.20m | 9:42AM1.77m | 9:09PM2.17m | 10:11AM1.86m | 9:56PM2.08m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:13AM1.24m | 00:06AM0.39m | 10:28AM1.29m | 1:08AM0.26m | 12:10PM1.23m | 1:57AM0.17m | 1:20PM1.10m | 2:39AM0.12m | 2:16PM0.95m | 3:17AM0.13m | 3:06PM0.80m | 3:51AM0.21m | 3:53PM0.67m | 4:24AM0.33m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | | | | |  | |
 | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | — | 7:23 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:19 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 21 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 15 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 23 | 23 | 18 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 22 |
Feels °C | 20 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 11 | SSW 16 | NW 10 | SSE 13 | SSE 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 12 | SW 11 | SW 9 |
| kJ | 322 | 355 | 326 | 596 | 260 | 531 | 646 | 893 | 915 | 1141 | 1127 | 917 | 759 | 350 | 617 | 407 | 227 | 310 | 414 | 538 | 304 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | NW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | NW 10 | WNW 13 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SSW 13 | NW 8 | SW 16 | NW 7 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 692 | 559 | 620 | 212 | 589 | 422 | 334 | 272 | 259 | 25 | 17 | 109 | 88 | 384 | 79 | 165 | 54 | 429 | 573 | 447 | 436 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 11 | NW 9 | NW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 19 | SSW 12 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 | SSW 10 |
| kJ | 103 | 154 | 183 | 158 | 431 | 52 | 40 | 40 | 76 | 31 | 57 | 81 | 49 | 49 | 129 | 148 | 136 | 27 | 15 | 14 | 36 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 3 | NNW 3 | NW 5 | — | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 6 | — | NW 8 | — | NW 7 | — | — | — | SW 4 | — |
| kJ | — | 4 | 4 | 29 | — | 236 | 241 | 235 | 113 | 128 | 101 | 72 | — | 96 | — | 60 | — | — | — | 2 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 61 | 0 | 9 | 61 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 61 | 9 | 61 | 61 | 9 | 36 | 60 | 0 | 16 | 21 | 21 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Jalama Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Jalama provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Jalama can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Jalama 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 (Jalama) 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 Jalama 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.
Jalama is 15 km (9 miles) from Lompoc. If you plan a vacation in Santa Barbara, look for hotels and other accommodation in Lompoc. Lompoc has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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