Surf Forecasts:
Pescaderos surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 13s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 18s period, SW swell with 312 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 13s period with SSE 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pescaderos in the next 16 days are 0.7m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) 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 1.7m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pescaderos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright crew, Rusty here. Let's break this down for the next couple of weeks.
To be honest, it's a pretty flat spell ahead. We're in for a long, quiet period with nothing really worth paddling out for. The swell is tiny and the conditions are just messy, so you'll be working hard for scraps. The only real chance of something decent comes right at the tail end, and that's a long way off.
The first half of the forecast is a real grind. From the 25th of August right through to about the 9th of September, we're looking at a lot of days with small, weak swell and mixed-up winds. The combined swell energy is mostly weak, sitting in the low hundreds, which tells you it's pretty unimpressive. There's a little pulse around the 29th of August Saturday, with a 2ft swell from the SW and a long 17-second period, but the wind is cross-shore and the overall energy only hits 641 (moderate at best). It's just not enough to get excited about. Thursday morning the 27th of August has glassy conditions with a 3ft swell, but the period is a short 8 seconds, so it's going to be weak and crumbly. The water temp is sitting at 70°F which is a massive 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year – very unusual.
The only spot on the menu is Pescaderos. It's a beginner-friendly break, and it's fairly consistent, but with this size swell, it's not going to offer much. The swell direction is all over the shop, from the SW to the SSE, and the wind is mostly cross-shore, so it's not going to be clean. Crowds are sometimes a problem here, but with this quality, I wouldn't worry about it too much.
Now, the best shot we've got is on Wednesday the 9th of September. The afternoon shows a 4ft SSE swell with a 16-second period and the combined energy jumps to 1098 (strong wave energy). That's the biggest pulse of the whole outlook. The wind is light and cross-shore, so it won't be perfect, but it's the only window where the swell is big enough to be half-decent. It's still a week and a half away, so it's a long-range call, but it's the only standout on the board.
For the rest of the time, the swell is below 3ft, and the energy is weak. There are a few clean windows with cross-offshore winds, like the 28th of August Friday afternoon and the 29th of August Saturday afternoon, but the swell is tiny (1ft and 2ft). It's a waiting game, but with the consistency of this spot, it won't stay poor forever.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Wed morning, min 24°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Fri afternoon, min 18°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | WNW 8 | S 12 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 12 | S 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
91 | 133 | 212 | 189 | 126 | 87 | 171 | 82 | 119 | 68 | 312 | 302 | 261 | 255 | 249 | 242 | 215 | 116 | 119 | 106 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross | off |
High Tide | 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 | 11:39AM1.87m | 11:45PM1.70m | 12:07PM1.93m | 00:36AM1.51m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 5:19AM0.53m | 5:49PM0.69m | 5:43AM0.68m | 6:42PM0.65m | |||||||
— | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:27 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 31 | 29 | 33 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 26 | 32 | 32 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 21 |
Feels °C | 31 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 27 | 31 | 32 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | WNW 5 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | S 12 | WNW 6 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | WNW 7 | SSE 12 | S 12 |
55 | 46 | 212 | 189 | 77 | 87 | 171 | 82 | 42 | 25 | 312 | 302 | 261 | 255 | 249 | 242 | 215 | 97 | 119 | 106 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SSE 13 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | SSE 11 | S 10 | WNW 8 | S 10 | W 10 | SW 16 | S 18 | S 17 | S 16 | S 16 | SSE 14 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
91 | 133 | 38 | 38 | 126 | 73 | 63 | 77 | 32 | 68 | 152 | 91 | 127 | 124 | 38 | 40 | 35 | 116 | 73 | 68 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | S 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | S 19 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | W 12 | — | SSE 12 | SW 19 | SW 19 |
10 | 89 | 124 | 85 | 75 | 76 | 73 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | 89 | 14 | 14 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | — | — | — | ESE 2 | — | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 5 |
36 | 54 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 72 | 119 | 193 | 148 | 243 | 206 | 181 | 206 | 161 | 93 | — | 95 | 64 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 0 | 35 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 311 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 41 | 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.











