Surf Forecasts:
Pescaderos surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SSW swell with 326 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Pescaderos this week:
The surf forecast for Pescaderos over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pescaderos in the next 16 days are 0.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pescaderos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. This 16-day window for Pescaderos is not looking like a classic. It’s a real mixed bag, and if you're chasing waves, you're going to have to pick your moments carefully. There are long flat spells, and the standout days are a while off yet.
Right off the bat, the water is a big talking point. When we do get waves early on, it's a toasty 71°F, which is a massive 7°F warmer than normal for this time of year. That's not just a little notable, that's very unusual, so ditch the wetsuit and dig out the boardshorts.
The first week is grim. From Saturday the 15th through to Friday the 22nd, we are looking at tiny, weak surf. We're talking chest-high at best on the sets, with the odd day of clean conditions, but with weak energy readings mostly in the low-to-mid 200s and 300s. It's just not doing anything for me. The swell is coming in from the SSW, but it's small and unorganized. You might get a couple of so-so waves on Monday morning, the 17th, as the wind goes light cross-off, but it's marginal. Then it gets messier again with that short-period WNW junk showing up mid-week. Save your energy. There’s nothing here worth getting excited about.
Now, the second week gets a bit more interesting, but patience is key. That run of lackluster surf continues into the 23rd and 24th. The morning of Sunday the 23rd sees a small bump in energy (450), but the quality is still poor. There is a cleaner, long-period SW groundswell on Sunday afternoon, but it's tiny at 1ft. Not enough to surf, just a tease.
The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Tuesday the 25th of August. The energy jumps way up to a strong 1166, and we get the biggest swell of the period so far at 4ft from the SSE. It's still not perfect—the wind is cross-on—but it's the first day with real push. It's not going to be a classic, but it's surfable. This energy sticks around for a couple of days, but the wind starts to chop things up a bit more by Thursday afternoon.
The true standout, the one you should circle on your calendar, is Friday the 28th of August. This is the day that looks the best. We're looking at a solid 6ft of WNW swell with a short, punchy 6-second period. The energy is solid at 673. Most importantly, the wind goes light cross-off and the report says to expect very good surf conditions. This is a bigger swell, so it's not one for the beginners—it might be over 5ft—but for the rest of us, this will be the most fun we've had all window. The only issue is that short period, so it might be a bit sectiony, but with clean conditions, I’ll take it.
After that, the surf fades back down again for the last couple of days as we head towards the end of the month. The conditions look cleaner, but the size just isn't there to match that Friday.
So, my call is this: the next week is mostly a write-off. Paddling around on a longboard is about all you'll be doing. The real action is on Friday the 28th. That’s a solid 2 weeks away, so don't hold your breath just yet, but it's worth waiting for. Forecasts can change, and with a lackluster start like this, things can only get better. Keep an eye on that Friday; it looks like the real deal.
Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Mon afternoon, min 19°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Thu afternoon, min 23°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | SSW 16 | WNW 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | WNW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
232 | 229 | 318 | 212 | 191 | 188 | 188 | 186 | 142 | 115 | 153 | 147 | 186 | 164 | 110 | 118 | 120 | 81 | 169 | 153 | 177 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | cross | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 12:29PM1.88m | 00:20AM1.77m | 1:03PM1.89m | 1:15AM1.53m | 1:40PM1.88m | 2:25AM1.33m | 2:22PM1.84m | 4:21AM1.20m | 3:14PM1.80m | 4:21PM1.79m | 8:37AM1.33m | 5:31PM1.81m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 6:28PM0.74m | 6:34AM0.58m | 7:27PM0.75m | 7:02AM0.78m | 8:36PM0.76m | 7:28AM0.97m | 10:00PM0.75m | 7:51AM1.12m | 11:30PM0.69m | 00:43AM0.59m | 10:39AM1.31m | 1:34AM0.49m | |||||||||
6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 24 | 21 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 30 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 29 |
Feels °C | 23 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 28 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 29 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | SSW 13 |
232 | 229 | 318 | 212 | 191 | 188 | 188 | 186 | 140 | 115 | 125 | 147 | 83 | 54 | 102 | 94 | 68 | 81 | 169 | 153 | 34 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 10 | WNW 10 | S 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | S 18 | SW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | WNW 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WSW 18 |
45 | 44 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 44 | 153 | 120 | 186 | 164 | 110 | 118 | 120 | 58 | 59 | 58 | 30 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | S 10 | W 10 | S 10 | W 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 18 | S 10 | S 16 | SW 13 | NW 15 | WNW 14 | S 16 | WNW 13 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | WSW 18 | SSE 10 |
16 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 25 | 2 | 80 | 44 | 9 | 20 | 43 | 31 | 49 | 51 | 79 | 49 | 30 | 10 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | WNW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 | WNW 9 |
12 | 25 | 17 | 15 | 64 | 59 | 65 | 102 | 142 | — | — | — | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | 90 | 177 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 311 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Pescaderos Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Pescaderos provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Pescaderos can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Pescaderos 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 (Pescaderos) 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 Pescaderos 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.
Pescaderos is 1 km (1 miles) from Isla Vista. If you plan a vacation in Santa Barbara, look for hotels and other accommodation in Isla Vista. Isla Vista has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











