
Surf Forecasts:
Pescaderos surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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★+): Monday 20 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 11s. 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 1.5m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 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 folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Pescaderos.
Honestly, for the next couple of weeks, it’s a pretty quiet stretch. The swell is small and the conditions are messy for most of the first week. We’ve got a long run of marginal surf, with a lot of light cross-shore wind and ripples messing up the surface. The water is sitting at 67°, which is a good 5° warmer than normal – that’s a very noticeable bump, so you might not even need a full spring suit.
The first real spark in the line-up shows up around the morning of Friday, 24th July. The swell is tiny at 2ft from the SSW, but the period jumps to 24 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell. The combined energy reads a solid 855 (moderate), and winds are light cross-shore. It’s still marginal, but for a small wave, that long period will give it some shape. Don’t get too excited though, it’s still a beginner-friendly height.
The pick of the bunch, and the standout in this entire outlook, is the afternoon of Sunday, 26th July. The swell is only 2ft from the SW, but the period is a solid 18 seconds, and the wind turns light cross-offshore. The combined energy is 564 (moderate), and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” That’s your cleanest window for a proper little session. Crowds are possible at Pescaderos, but with such small waves, it won’t be packed.
The next highlight is Wednesday morning, 29th July. The swell is still small at 2ft from the SW, but the wind goes glassy. That’s rare to see, and it’ll make for a perfect, mirror-like surface. The combined energy is 503 (moderate). It’s tiny, but it’ll be clean.
Into the second week, things get a bit more interesting in size, but the quality drops. By Sunday morning, 2nd August, the swell bumps up to 5ft from the WNW, but the period drops to a short 9 seconds. The combined energy is only 348 (moderate). The wind is light cross-shore, but that short period means the waves will be weak and choppy. The afternoon gets even bigger at 6ft from the WNW, but with a period of just 6 seconds, that’s really just windswell. It’s too big for beginners and too messy for experts. Honestly, with that short period and strong cross-shore wind, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
After that, the swell fades again. The best of the later week is Tuesday, 4th August, with a 4ft SSE swell at 16 seconds in the afternoon. That’s a decent long period, and the combined energy hits 660 (moderate), but the wind is light cross-shore, keeping it marginal.
So, to wrap it up: the first week is mostly flat and messy. The real standouts are the Sunday 26th July afternoon and the Wednesday 29th July morning – both tiny but clean. The bigger swell on the 2nd of August is a write-off. Keep your hopes up; it’s a slow stretch, but the glassy mornings are worth the wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Wed afternoon, min 21°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Thu afternoon, min 22°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 11 | SW 16 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | S 13 | SSW 24 | S 13 | SSW 21 | SSW 21 | SSW 21 | SSW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
163 | 122 | 99 | 183 | 252 | 160 | 218 | 183 | 234 | 195 | 232 | 202 | 368 | 281 | 305 | 404 | 288 | 480 | 384 | 327 | 399 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross | off | cross | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 3:39PM1.86m | 4:21AM1.26m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:40AM0.77m | 10:46PM0.83m | 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 | |||||||
6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | |
— | 8:08 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:06 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 28 | 31 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 29 | 32 | 28 |
Feels °C | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 25 | 28 | 31 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | S 13 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 21 | S 12 | SSW 19 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | WNW 8 |
163 | 116 | 99 | 183 | 252 | 160 | 218 | 183 | 234 | 195 | 232 | 202 | 363 | 281 | 206 | 404 | 190 | 480 | 109 | 327 | 94 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 4 | S 10 | SSW 11 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SSE 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WNW 7 | SW 24 | SSW 21 | SSW 13 | SSW 21 | SSW 12 | SW 19 | SSW 11 | SSW 18 |
118 | 122 | 8 | 51 | 93 | 47 | 22 | 71 | 183 | 123 | 70 | 68 | 73 | 141 | 305 | 92 | 288 | 147 | 384 | 69 | 399 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | WNW 14 | S 10 | S 16 | WNW 13 | S 15 | WNW 13 | SSW 8 | SW 7 | SW 6 | SW 26 | SSW 26 | SSW 24 | S 24 | SW 16 | S 11 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SSW 11 |
6 | 69 | 49 | 127 | 34 | 112 | 16 | 22 | 12 | 6 | 105 | 66 | 368 | 44 | 10 | 59 | 214 | 384 | 77 | 9 | 38 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 4 | — | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | W 6 | WNW 6 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 6 |
— | 8 | — | 5 | 21 | 28 | 24 | 108 | 52 | 23 | 98 | 122 | 51 | 86 | 111 | 91 | 78 | 102 | — | 159 | 97 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 311 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 77 | 24 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 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.










