Surf Forecasts:
Las Machas surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 14s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s period, SW swell with 578 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 5PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 14s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Las Machas this week:
The surf forecast for Las Machas over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 5PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 3s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Las Machas in the next 16 days are 1.4m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (-04) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 5PM (Sat 18th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Las Machas over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cooking at Las Machas.
We’ve got a solid run of surf stretching out over the next two weeks. It kicks off straight away, so no waiting around. The water’s sitting at 64°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, but nothing crazy.
The weekend is a nice little warm-up. Saturday afternoon will have you grinning with 3 ft of SSW swell and glassy conditions. The energy is moderate (639), and the 14-second period means there’s some proper push behind it. Sunday morning gets a bit cleaner with a 4 ft WSW swell and light offshore breeze, but the tide might be a factor. Sunday afternoon is the real sweet spot though – glassy again with 5 ft of SW swell and a solid 12-second period (851). That’s the pick of the first few days.
Monday and Tuesday are still fun, but the wind gets a little cross-onshore, so it’s a bit bumpy. Still, Tuesday morning is glassy again with a 4 ft WSW swell and a long 12-second period (526). It’s a sandbar, so those longer period swells can be a bit straight, but with the light wind, it’s worth a paddle.
Now, the real standout is shaping up for the 28th of July. That Tuesday is a beauty. Morning glass with 7 ft of SW groundswell and a 15-second period. The energy is strong (1828), and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. That’s a big, powerful swell with a long period – it’s going to be proper. The afternoon is even better on paper: 8 ft, same 15-second period, and glassy as a mirror (2223 energy). This is expert territory, no doubt. The 29th of July also holds strong with 7 ft on Wednesday morning, still glassy, but the swell period drops a bit to 13 seconds.
Beyond that, the last few days of July and into August settle down into the 3 ft to 5 ft range with a mix of SW and SSW swells. The wind is mostly onshore or light, so it’s a bit more of a grovel. The 27th of July morning is a nice glassy day with 3 ft of WSW swell and a long 15-second period (963), but it’s not the same beast as the 28th.
So, to boil it down: the first weekend is fun and clean, but the 28th of July is the one to circle on your calendar. That’s the big, glassy, powerful day for the experienced crew. The 29th of July morning is also a cracker. Get on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sun morning, min 16°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue afternoon, min 15°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 330 | 277 | 538 | 578 | 464 | 329 | 307 | 443 | 341 | 336 | 323 | 300 | 258 | 258 | 416 | 478 | 449 | 412 | 335 | 298 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 00:45AM0.87m | 12:47PM1.12m | 1:43AM0.90m | 1:34PM0.99m | 2:43AM0.93m | 2:25PM0.86m | 3:46AM0.96m | 3:24PM0.76m | 4:49AM1.00m | 4:32PM0.68m | 5:48AM1.05m | 5:42PM0.64m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:46PM0.13m | 6:24AM0.28m | 7:28PM0.16m | 7:27AM0.36m | 8:10PM0.20m | 8:40AM0.42m | 8:55PM0.24m | 10:04AM0.46m | 9:41PM0.27m | 11:31AM0.45m | 10:32PM0.29m | 12:45PM0.41m | 11:24PM0.30m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — |
 | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:23 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 10 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 |
| kJ | 286 | 234 | 538 | 578 | 464 | 329 | 307 | 443 | 341 | 336 | 323 | 300 | 258 | 258 | 416 | 478 | 449 | 412 | 335 | 298 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 5 | SW 24 | SW 22 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 20 | SW 18 |
| kJ | 330 | 277 | 371 | 164 | 269 | 210 | 226 | 183 | 176 | 183 | 135 | 135 | 103 | 11 | 197 | 227 | 224 | 303 | 306 | 201 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 15 | WSW 13 | SSW 15 | S 15 | S 9 | W 16 | W 22 | W 21 | W 21 | W 20 | W 20 | W 20 | SW 26 | SSW 10 | SW 15 | W 18 | SW 14 | W 17 | SW 13 | WSW 12 |
| kJ | 21 | 69 | 123 | 109 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 105 | 33 | 57 | 25 | 49 | 52 | 80 | 55 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 121 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 46 | 8 | 0 | 46 | 138 | 0 | 46 | 27 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Atacama | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Chile | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Las Machas surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Las Machas Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Las Machas provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Las Machas can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Las Machas 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 (Las Machas) 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 Las Machas 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.
Las Machas is 12 km (7 miles) from the city of Arica. If you plan a holiday in Atacama, look for hotels and other accommodation in Arica. Arica has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
Nearest