
Surf Forecasts:
Pescaderos surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 21s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 19s period, SSW swell with 480 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 15s 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m 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 19s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pescaderos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let me take a look at what we’ve got here for the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, it’s a quiet stretch for Pescaderos. The surf is small and mostly marginal, with a lot of days where the conditions just don’t come together for a proper session. The best bet is to keep your expectations low and pick your moments carefully.
The water is sitting at 68°, which is *much warmer* than normal for this time of year – a solid 5° above average, so you’ll be comfortable in a spring suit or even just boardies if you’re tough.
The first real chance to get wet comes Tuesday morning, the 21st of July. We’ve got a small 2 ft swell from the SW, with a 14-second period and light cross-shore wind. The combined energy is moderate (384). The waves will be small and cleanish, but the report calls it marginal. It’s a beginner spot, and with crowds only sometimes, it might be okay for a slow paddle.
Wednesday morning, the 22nd, is similar: 2 ft from the SSW, a 14-second period, and a light cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is a bit lower (274), but the wind keeps it clean. Still, it’s only marginal.
Thursday afternoon, the 23rd, sees a jump in size – 6 ft from the WNW, but with a very short period of just 6 seconds. That’s windswell, and it will be bumpy and weak. The energy is moderate (504), but the quality is poor. Not worth the paddle.
The following week, the 24th through the 28th of July, has persistent small swell (1 ft to 3 ft) with very long periods (17 to 24 seconds). These are groundswells, and at Pescaderos – a fairly exposed beach break – long-period swells can be a bit too straight and hard to catch. The wind stays light and cross-shore, but the waves are tiny and the reports are all marginal. The combined energy is moderate to strong (482 to 841), so there’s energy in the water, but the height just isn’t there.
The 30th of July Thursday afternoon and the 31st of July Friday morning might offer a tiny bump: 2 ft to 3 ft from the SSE, with 14-15 second periods and light winds. But again, it’s small and marginal.
From the 2nd of August onward, it really drops off. The combined energy falls to weak (84 to 129), with messy, short-period windswell and poor conditions. The 5th of August Wednesday afternoon has a 5 ft swell from the WNW, but with a 7-second period, it’s really just windswell and not worth the hassle.
Overall, there’s no standout day here. The best I can say is the Tuesday morning of the 21st of July or the Wednesday morning of the 22nd of July might offer a few clean, small waves for a beginner to practice. Don’t expect anything exciting.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Thu afternoon, min 21°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Wed afternoon, calm by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Sun afternoon, min 22°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 13 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | SSW 24 | SW 24 | SW 21 | SSW 21 | SSW 21 | SSW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 19 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
186 | 249 | 160 | 218 | 215 | 138 | 137 | 220 | 230 | 368 | 141 | 368 | 404 | 288 | 480 | 384 | 327 | 319 | 408 | 289 | 465 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross | off | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | off |
High Tide | 4:27PM1.87m | 6:26AM1.22m | 5:17PM1.89m | 8:06AM1.27m | 6:06PM1.92m | 9:02AM1.34m | 6:53PM1.97m | 9:37AM1.39m | 7:36PM2.03m | 10:04AM1.43m | 8:16PM2.10m | 10:30AM1.46m | 8:53PM2.15m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:19AM0.96m | 00:07AM0.71m | 10:07AM1.11m | 1:11AM0.58m | 11:12AM1.20m | 1:59AM0.47m | 12:20PM1.24m | 2:39AM0.37m | 1:15PM1.23m | 3:14AM0.29m | 2:00PM1.20m | 3:47AM0.23m | 2:39PM1.15m | 4:18AM0.20m | |||||||
6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | |
— | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:05 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 26 | 23 | 29 | 31 | 25 | 30 | 32 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 24 | 29 | 30 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 24 |
Feels °C | 26 | 24 | 24 | 28 | 27 | 21 | 29 | 30 | 24 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 13 | S 12 | S 11 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 19 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | SSW 19 | WNW 9 |
186 | 249 | 75 | 218 | 215 | 138 | 137 | 110 | 65 | 147 | 115 | 143 | 112 | 87 | 480 | 109 | 79 | 181 | 202 | 289 | 397 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSE 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 24 | S 13 | SW 21 | SSW 21 | SSW 21 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SW 16 | SSW 17 |
73 | 142 | 160 | 40 | 22 | 116 | 104 | 69 | 68 | 368 | 119 | 368 | 404 | 288 | 113 | 384 | 327 | 319 | 408 | 127 | 373 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | WNW 13 | S 15 | WNW 13 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 26 | SSW 26 | S 14 | SW 24 | S 12 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 |
125 | 34 | 112 | 16 | 15 | 58 | 13 | 105 | 66 | 60 | 141 | 103 | 63 | 106 | 103 | 101 | 89 | 47 | 55 | 69 | 35 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 4 | W 4 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | WNW 9 |
— | — | 13 | 48 | 161 | 222 | 95 | 220 | 230 | — | 107 | 138 | — | — | 67 | — | — | — | — | 184 | 465 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 223 | 305 | 0 | 35 | 77 | 0 | 1 | 77 | 0 | 143 | 1 | 0 | 149 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 24 | 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.










