
Surf Forecasts:
Pescaderos surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 7s period, WNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, WNW swell with 311 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 14s 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 Sunday (Jul 12) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pescaderos in the next 16 days are 1.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy 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 15) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pescaderos over the next 16 days.
Alright, this is Rusty, your local surf reporter, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Pescaderos. Let’s be straight with you: the next 16 days are a bit of a grind, with a lot of “meh” before we might see a little spark.
We’re starting off quiet. The first few days, from right now through the middle of next week, are pretty flat with weak, mostly onshore or cross-shore wind. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 64°F, but that’s about the only thing that’s comfortable. There’s a gap of about 5 days where the surf is really just poor, with combined swell energy sitting between 94 and 280 (weak to moderate but messy), and those scores are zeros. The wind is light, but it’s from the wrong direction, so it’s all small wind ripples and cross-chop.
Come Thursday the 16th, we finally see a tiny pulse of WNW swell, around 4 ft, but the period is short at 9 seconds so it’s not going to do much. The combined energy jumps to 402 (moderate), but the wind is still cross-shore, and conditions are only “marginal.” This is not a standout.
The real, *only* highlight I can see is way down the line, around the 25th and 26th of July. We’ve got a very long-period groundswell moving in, with a 21-second period on the 25th. That’s the kind of pulse that brings real energy, with a combined energy of 569 (moderate-to-strong). Swell size is small, around 2 ft, but with that period, it’ll have some push. The optimum swell direction for Pescaderos is WSW, and this swell is swinging from SSW to SW, which is a decent match. The wind on the 25th afternoon is cross-offshore from the W at 9 mph, so it’ll be clean. That’s the best on offer – a promising, clean, long-period swell. It’s a weekend, so expect crowds at Pescaderos, as it’s “sometimes” busy.
Before that, the 24th has a very long-period 24-second swell, but it’s tiny at 1 ft, and the wind is cross-on, so it’s more of a hint than a wave.
Overall, there’s a long stretch of nothing. If you’re a beginner, that 5 ft WNW swell on the 15th might be a bit much, but it’s short period and messy anyway. The long-period stuff on the 25th and 26th will be better for experienced surfers, and it’s a point break or reef setup that will handle the period well. For now, keep your board waxed for the last week of the month.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Tue morning, min 17°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Wed afternoon, min 23°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sat 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WNW 9 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 17 | WNW 17 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
118 | 152 | 163 | 136 | 104 | 139 | 141 | 68 | 43 | 51 | 109 | 114 | 167 | 190 | 238 | 206 | 271 | 173 | 97 | 96 | 194 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross | on |
High Tide | 7:29PM2.37m | 9:53AM1.46m | 8:23PM2.47m | 10:38AM1.52m | 9:15PM2.51m | 11:20AM1.58m | 10:06PM2.48m | 12:03PM1.64m | 10:56PM2.37m | 12:45PM1.70m | 11:46PM2.18m | 1:27PM1.75m | 00:38AM1.94m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:08AM-0.01m | 1:54PM1.11m | 3:56AM-0.12m | 2:53PM1.07m | 4:42AM-0.16m | 3:49PM1.03m | 5:26AM-0.12m | 4:46PM0.99m | 6:08AM-0.01m | 5:45PM0.97m | 6:48AM0.15m | 6:48PM0.96m | 7:27AM0.35m | ||||||||
— | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | |
8:13 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:10 | — | 8:09 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 27 |
Feels °C | 23 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 4 | WNW 4 | SSW 12 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 |
42 | 152 | 163 | 136 | 104 | 139 | 141 | 9 | 6 | 51 | 109 | 77 | 67 | 90 | 238 | 206 | 271 | 173 | 94 | 68 | 44 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | W 8 | WNW 9 | S 15 | W 4 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SSW 13 | NW 9 | NW 8 | SSW 13 | W 13 | WNW 13 | W 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | WNW 18 | WNW 17 | WNW 17 | SW 18 |
118 | 36 | 27 | 67 | 8 | 34 | 31 | 68 | 19 | 17 | 56 | 32 | 35 | 14 | 89 | 87 | 92 | 104 | 97 | 96 | 194 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 18 | S 18 | WNW 9 | NW 9 | W 16 | SW 19 | NW 9 | S 12 | SW 18 | WNW 14 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 21 | WNW 20 | WNW 19 | WNW 19 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 17 | WNW 16 |
21 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 22 | 20 | 59 | 21 | 26 | 49 | 41 | 14 | 11 | 44 | 75 | 72 | 69 | 54 | 54 | 77 | 146 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 | W 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 43 | 17 | 126 | 114 | 167 | 190 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 150 | 0 | 52 | 1 | 1 | 263 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 45 | 41 | 1 | 149 |
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.











