
Surf Forecasts:
Pescaderos surf forecast from 15 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 19 Sep, 8AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 18s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 20 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 18s period, SW swell with 255 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 15 Sep, 8PM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 20s 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 (Sep 15) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 20s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 16s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pescaderos in the next 16 days are 0.6m 18s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 20) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 20) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Tue 15th Sep) | 1ft (0.3m) 20s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sat 19th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Sun 20th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pescaderos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut to it—this stretch is a quiet one for Pescaderos. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but there’s a big gap of nothing worth paddling out for at the start. From Tuesday the 15th through Thursday the 17th, it’s tiny and poor. Honestly, you’re better off doing anything else. The swell’s there in name only—1 to 3 feet—with weak energy readings mostly under 210, and the wind’s messy, mostly cross or cross-on. Not surf.
Then we get a little flicker on Friday the 18th and into the weekend. The afternoon sessions on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (the 18th, 19th, and 20th) are the only real chances. Swell stays small—2 to 2 feet—but the period stretches out to 18 seconds, which at least gives it some push. That’s long-period groundswell, and for a beach break like this, it might break a bit straight, but the light offshores and clean conditions make it worth a look. The energy starts building too: 214, 326, 386—moderate, nothing crazy. Still, it’s marginal. You’re chasing ankle-to-knee high waves at best.
After that, Monday the 21st holds a similar small, clean-ish afternoon, but then it fades again. From Tuesday the 22nd through Monday the 28th, it’s back to poor surf, small chop, and light cross-shore winds. Nothing doing. The energy drops, periods shorten, and the wave comment just says “poor” over and over. There’s a gap of about a week where you won’t find much.
Then, right at the tail end, Tuesday the 29th and Wednesday the 30th show a little bump. On the 30th, the morning swell picks up to 5 feet from the WNW with a short 8-second period—that’s windswell, messy and weak, but the energy reading jumps to 387. It’s still marginal, and the light cross-shore wind keeps it from being clean. Not worth getting excited about.
So, here’s the bottom line: the best on offer is the Saturday afternoon the 19th—2 feet from the SW, 18-second period, clean with a light offshore. That’s your standout, but it’s still small. Sunday afternoon the 20th is a close second. After that, it’s slim pickings. For a beginner, anything over 5 feet is a no-go anyway, but we won’t even get close. This isn’t a stretch for experts either—there’s just not enough juice.
Water temp is 71°—that’s 8° warmer than normal for this time of year, which is very unusual. You won’t need a thick suit, that’s for sure. Crowds are “sometimes” at Pescaderos, so you might have some company on those clean afternoons, but nothing crazy.
Bottom line: don’t hold your breath for the first week. The second week has a couple of small windows, but nothing to write home about. Keep an eye on the 19th and 20th—that’s your best bet. Otherwise, it’s a quiet stretch. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a lot of waiting.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 17°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat afternoon, min 18°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
129 | 94 | 64 | 88 | 63 | 64 | 45 | 123 | 121 | 133 | 133 | 130 | 154 | 197 | 155 | 252 | 252 | 241 | 227 | 222 | 216 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 12:31PM1.92m | 2:21AM1.29m | 1:08PM1.84m | 5:08AM1.24m | 3:16PM1.70m | 8:18AM1.41m | 4:47PM1.71m | 8:18AM1.46m | 5:56PM1.77m | 8:29AM1.52m | 6:48PM1.84m | ||||||||||
Low Tide | 7:53PM0.61m | 6:19AM1.13m | 9:08PM0.66m | 5:56AM1.24m | 10:39PM0.66m | 11:58PM0.61m | 10:39AM1.39m | 00:51AM0.53m | 12:12PM1.32m | 1:30AM0.46m | 1:02PM1.21m | 2:01AM0.41m | |||||||||
6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | |
— | 7:06 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:58 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 23 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 25 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 21 |
Feels °C | 22 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 5 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | WNW 7 | SW 17 | W 9 |
129 | 94 | 64 | 30 | 63 | 21 | 8 | 123 | 121 | 133 | 133 | 59 | 154 | 197 | 155 | 252 | 252 | 241 | 71 | 222 | 78 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 18 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | SW 17 | S 12 | SW 16 |
65 | 62 | 39 | 88 | 55 | 64 | 31 | 72 | 64 | 69 | 61 | 130 | 34 | 33 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 11 | 227 | 25 | 216 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | S 20 | S 19 | S 18 | SSE 9 | S 16 | S 16 | S 8 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 |
14 | 31 | 29 | 55 | 8 | 46 | 45 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 20 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 29 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 25 | 28 | 24 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 3 | SSE 3 | — | — | W 8 | — | — | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | W 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | W 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | — | W 7 | WNW 9 |
2 | 1 | — | — | 29 | — | — | 18 | 24 | 12 | 29 | 48 | 77 | 89 | 124 | 102 | 150 | 111 | — | 45 | 62 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 344 | 1 | 150 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 149 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 143 | 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.










