Surf Forecasts:
Pescaderos surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 16s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, WNW swell with 287 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 13s period with S 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 (Aug 23) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 18s. 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 1.4m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pescaderos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's get into it. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at the forecast for Pescaderos.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is mostly a write-off. We’ve got a long, slow grind of small, gutless swell and barely any proper wind. The first real chance to get excited doesn't show up until late in the window.
For the first few days, from Sunday the 23rd through the end of August, it’s tiny. We’re talking knee-high dribble, mostly around 1 ft to 2 ft of weak, short-period swell. The combined energy is nothing to write home about, sitting in the weak range (160-398). The wind is mostly light and cross, which keeps the surface clean-ish, but the waves are just too small to care about. The water temp is a very unusual 69°, which is over 5° warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s wild.
We get a little bump on the 29th with a 5 ft swell in the morning, but the period is a measly 9 seconds, so it’s a messy, weak windswell. The energy is moderate (590), but it’s still not worth paddling out for.
The surf stays weak and inconsistent through the end of the month. There’s a solid 7 ft on the afternoon of the 30th, but it’s a 6-second windswell – that’s just a washing machine, not a wave. The combined energy jumps to 508, but it’s all muscle and no grace.
Finally, things start to look up. Monday, the 31st of August, we get a better setup. The afternoon shows 4 ft of cross-offshore wind and clean conditions. The energy is moderate (336). It’s the first time the forecast says "expect good surf conditions," and I’d agree. It’s a small, fun option.
The real standout, though, is Wednesday, September 2nd. The afternoon kicks up to 6 ft of WNW swell. The wind is clean cross-offshore, and the combined energy is strong (401). That’s the best looking day in the whole forecast right there. It’s a bit much for beginners, but it’s a proper session for the experienced crew.
The following week gets even more interesting. Thursday the 3rd shows a 7 ft swell in the afternoon, but it’s another 6-second windswell, so it’s a mushy, crumbly wave. The energy is strong (692), but it’s not going to be well-shaped.
Then, Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of September are the real prizes. Friday afternoon sees 3 ft of SSW swell with a 16-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is very strong (918) and the forecast says "expect very good surf conditions." Saturday afternoon is similar, with 3 ft of SSE swell, a 16-second period, and strong energy (745). Both days have clean, cross-offshore winds. The long period means better shape and more power, but it also means the sets will be more spaced out. For a spot like Pescaderos, which is a beginner break and fairly consistent, these long-period swells can be a bit tricky if the sandbars aren’t right, but the conditions are too good to ignore.
The last day in the forecast, Monday the 7th, holds a 3 ft S swell with a 14-second period and clean wind. The energy is moderate (538). It’s a solid option, but it’s not the highlight of the period.
So, to sum it up: the first eight days are a total bust. The best surf on offer is the afternoon of Wednesday, September 2nd, and then the standout sessions are the afternoons of Friday, September 4th and Saturday, September 5th. Those are the ones to circle on your calendar.
Keep it salty,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 35°C on Tue afternoon, min 25°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Wed morning, min 25°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | S 11 | S 10 | WNW 8 | SW 16 | SW 18 | WNW 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
89 | 79 | 112 | 109 | 98 | 135 | 130 | 91 | 89 | 145 | 140 | 145 | 128 | 114 | 78 | 140 | 69 | 246 | 287 | 171 | 166 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 9:13AM1.44m | 7:17PM1.97m | 9:31AM1.49m | 7:57PM2.04m | 9:50AM1.54m | 8:34PM2.09m | 10:09AM1.59m | 9:10PM2.11m | 10:30AM1.66m | 9:45PM2.07m | 10:51AM1.73m | 10:22PM1.99m | 11:14AM1.81m | 11:01PM1.86m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:10PM1.24m | 2:46AM0.33m | 1:52PM1.16m | 3:15AM0.27m | 2:29PM1.07m | 3:42AM0.25m | 3:05PM0.98m | 4:07AM0.27m | 3:43PM0.89m | 4:32AM0.32m | 4:22PM0.81m | 4:56AM0.41m | 5:03PM0.74m | ||||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | |
— | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 33 | 35 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 27 |
Feels °C | 29 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 31 | 32 | 26 | 31 | 31 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 26 | 30 | 28 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | W 5 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
39 | 57 | 112 | 15 | 98 | 135 | 130 | 54 | 86 | 145 | 140 | 53 | 116 | 114 | 78 | 50 | 47 | 246 | 197 | 171 | 166 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 10 | SW 16 | S 18 | S 17 | S 16 | S 16 |
89 | 79 | 65 | 109 | 28 | 55 | 55 | 91 | 89 | 122 | 85 | 145 | 128 | 73 | 65 | 31 | 69 | 152 | 91 | 127 | 124 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | WNW 9 | S 15 | S 14 | S 14 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | W 15 | W 14 | W 13 | WNW 8 | SW 14 | W 11 | W 11 | SW 16 | S 19 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 |
32 | 8 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 37 | 55 | 47 | 54 | 22 | 38 | 67 | 66 | 27 | 15 | 15 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 7 | WNW 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 |
— | 39 | 29 | 18 | 21 | 42 | 35 | 98 | 90 | 94 | 132 | 110 | — | 153 | 139 | 140 | 154 | 143 | 287 | 263 | 201 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 35 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 45 | 24 | 0 | 41 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 87 | 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.











