
Surf Forecasts:
Pescaderos surf forecast from 19 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), 20s period, SSW swell with 485 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 17s period with SW 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 19) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 12s. 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 20s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-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 (Sun 19th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 21s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 20s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pescaderos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've been staring at the charts for your local stretch. The honest truth is, right now we're in a bit of a flat spell. The first real surf worth paddling out for doesn't show up until the 19th of July, and even then, it's a slow burner. We've got a few days of tiny, messy swell before things finally start to get interesting around the 24th of July. The real standout action is tucked away in the second week, so don't get too excited just yet.
The first few days are a tough watch. Sunday the 19th of July, you've got a 2ft swell from the SW with a 17-second period at Pescaderos. The combined energy is moderate (326), but it's a cross-on wind and the setup is marginal. By Monday the 20th, it's still small, around 2ft to 2ft, and the wind is a bit messy. Hard to get excited about anything here. This quiet run stretches through until the 23rd of July.
Now, come Friday the 24th of July, you start to see a pulse. The swell holds around 2ft, but the period jumps to 24 seconds—that's a proper long-period groundswell. The combined energy is moderate (539), but with light cross winds, it's still a bit tricky to get the tide right. The best bet this week is actually Saturday the 26th of July. The afternoon session at Pescaderos shows a 2ft SW swell with an 18-second period and clean, cross-off winds. The combined energy is strong (698), and the report says "expect very good surf conditions." That's your window for a smooth, clean wave.
But the real headline grabber is Tuesday the 28th of July. You're looking at a pulse of 8ft swell from the WNW, but here's the catch—the period is a short 7 seconds. That's a lot of water moving fast, but it's windswell, not groundswell. The combined energy is very strong (1089), and the afternoon winds are clean and light. This is a big, powerful, and likely crumbly wave. For a beginner, that 8ft is too much, but for an expert, it's a freight train. The direction is WNW, which is a bit off the optimum for Pescaderos, but with that much energy, it'll still be a spectacle. The 5ft on the morning of the 29th of July is a better option for a strong intermediate, still with a short period (8 seconds) and clean conditions.
The very end of the window, Thursday the 30th of July, offers a total change of pace. A tiny 2ft SSE groundswell (16 seconds) with glassy conditions. The combined energy is moderate (399), and the report says "expect good surf conditions." It's a small day, but if you want a longboard or a fish, those glassy conditions at Pescaderos will be a dream.
So, for the best on offer, I'd put Saturday the 26th of July afternoon as the one for smooth, clean, long-period lines. But for the big, powerful, and messy session, Tuesday the 28th of July afternoon is the one for the experts. The water is about 67°F here, which is much warmer than you'd expect for this time of year.
Stay patient, and I'll see you out there.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Mon afternoon, min 20°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Wed afternoon, min 22°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 17 | SW 17 | S 12 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 13 | SSW 24 | SW 24 | SW 21 | SSW 21 | SSW 21 | SSW 20 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
238 | 238 | 180 | 125 | 166 | 104 | 166 | 252 | 259 | 218 | 215 | 213 | 121 | 101 | 130 | 368 | 141 | 368 | 404 | 288 | 485 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:53PM1.83m | 2:44AM1.43m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:04AM0.57m | 9:18PM0.91m | 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 | |||||||
6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 8:09 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 31 | 27 |
Feels °C | 25 | 26 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 27 | 28 | 23 | 28 | 30 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 29 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 14 | WNW 5 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | S 13 | WNW 7 | S 12 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 |
238 | 141 | 180 | 125 | 116 | 104 | 17 | 252 | 259 | 218 | 215 | 213 | 121 | 101 | 130 | 63 | 103 | 157 | 138 | 146 | 195 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | S 10 | SSW 16 | S 9 | S 16 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SW 19 | S 13 | SSE 14 | SSW 13 | S 12 | SW 24 | SW 21 | SSW 21 | SSW 21 | SSW 20 |
69 | 238 | 125 | 118 | 166 | 49 | 166 | 26 | 77 | 22 | 12 | 58 | 81 | 61 | 67 | 108 | 141 | 368 | 404 | 288 | 485 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | WNW 15 | WNW 15 | WNW 4 | WNW 14 | SSW 16 | S 10 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | SW 20 | SSW 7 | SW 18 | SSE 11 | SW 18 | SSW 24 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 11 | SW 20 |
19 | 91 | 73 | 6 | 69 | 104 | 47 | 34 | 34 | 16 | 15 | 5 | 13 | 23 | 48 | 368 | 43 | 10 | 68 | 2 | 388 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | — | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 |
— | 18 | 22 | 7 | 18 | 30 | — | 42 | 44 | 26 | 117 | 95 | 26 | 91 | 104 | — | 60 | 84 | 47 | 65 | 90 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 149 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 35 | 0 | 143 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 150 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 35 | 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.










