
Surf Forecasts:
Pescaderos surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s period, S swell with 510 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period with WNW 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 16s. 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 1.1m 15s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Thu 16th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sun 19th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pescaderos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Pescaderos.
Honestly, mate, the next 16 days are a bit of a flat spell. We’ve got a long stretch of marginal surf and mostly small, weak energy. The swell is tiny, the periods are all over the place, and the conditions are just never quite coming together for a proper session. There’s no standout, no day that’s screaming at you to drop everything and paddle out. The water is sitting at 66°, which is a solid 4° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a big anomaly, so at least you won’t be cold waiting for a wave.
The opening days, from the 16th through the 18th, are flat and poor. Swell is around 1 ft to 4 ft, with periods so short or so long they don’t offer much. The wind is light, but cross to cross-onshore, and the combined energy is weak, sitting between 241 and 384. Not worth a paddle.
The 19th of July through the 22nd show a slight pulse, but the size is still tiny – 2 ft to 3 ft. The 20th morning has a brief moment of glassy conditions with a 3 ft S swell at 13 seconds and moderate energy (466), but it’s gone by the afternoon. The 21st has a 3 ft SSW swell at 15 seconds (526 energy), but the wind is onshore, and it’s marked as marginal. Poor form.
The 23rd and 24th are more of the same – small S to SSE swells, 3 ft to 4 ft, with periods in the 14-16 second range. The energy ticks up to 810 on the 24th morning, but the wind is cross-shore, and the waves are still just too small and weak to excite. The 25th and 26th have a very long-period SSW swell (21 seconds, 844 energy), but that’s breaking straight as a die at a beach break – not the right setup for that kind of groundswell.
The 28th afternoon is the closest thing to a bright spot. A 3 ft SSW swell at 17 seconds, with clean conditions thanks to a cross-offshore wind at 9 mph. The combined energy is 486, which is moderate. It’s the best of a flat bunch, but it’s still only a 3 ft wave. The 29th morning is glassy, but the swell is already dropping.
The very end of the window, the 30th and 31st, sees a shift to a short-period WNW swell (7 seconds) on the 30th afternoon, reaching 5 ft but with a weak, sloppy feel. The 31st is back to tiny SSW leftovers.
In short, there’s nothing here that’s worth chasing. The swell is too small, the quality is too poor, and the wind never really locks in. If you’re desperate for a splash, the 28th afternoon is your best bet, but it’s far from a classic. The setup is more interesting for a kite than a surfboard on most of these days.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu morning, min 19°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Mon afternoon, min 20°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 | WNW 9 | WNW 18 | WNW 17 | WNW 17 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | SW 17 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
193 | 180 | 189 | 125 | 97 | 96 | 194 | 157 | 142 | 238 | 411 | 366 | 316 | 236 | 121 | 405 | 252 | 150 | 183 | 183 | 145 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:45PM1.70m | 11:46PM2.18m | 1:27PM1.75m | 00:38AM1.94m | 2:10PM1.80m | 1:34AM1.67m | 2:53PM1.83m | 2:44AM1.43m | 3:39PM1.86m | 4:21AM1.26m | 4:27PM1.87m | 6:26AM1.22m | 5:17PM1.89m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:45PM0.97m | 6:48AM0.15m | 6:48PM0.96m | 7:27AM0.35m | 7:58PM0.95m | 8:04AM0.57m | 9:18PM0.91m | 8:40AM0.77m | 10:46PM0.83m | 9:19AM0.96m | 00:07AM0.71m | 10:07AM1.11m | 1:11AM0.58m | ||||||||
5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
— | 8:10 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 21 | 25 | 29 | 26 |
Feels °C | 27 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 23 | 26 | 28 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 7 | WNW 5 | S 13 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 14 |
193 | 180 | 189 | 125 | 90 | 63 | 44 | 37 | 28 | 171 | 411 | 366 | 316 | 236 | 112 | 405 | 252 | 150 | 183 | 183 | 145 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | WNW 18 | WNW 17 | WNW 17 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | WNW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 14 | S 17 | SSW 10 | SSW 8 | SW 7 | SSE 14 | SSW 14 |
89 | 87 | 127 | 104 | 97 | 96 | 194 | 144 | 142 | 238 | 235 | 127 | 124 | 121 | 121 | 86 | 105 | 44 | 25 | 116 | 138 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 20 | WNW 19 | WNW 19 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 17 | WNW 16 | SW 18 | SW 16 | WNW 7 | W 7 | WNW 15 | WNW 9 | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | S 16 | SSE 15 | SW 7 | SW 19 |
75 | 72 | 69 | 54 | 54 | 77 | 146 | 157 | 64 | 38 | 24 | 73 | 26 | 41 | 40 | 35 | 17 | 77 | 42 | 11 | 58 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WNW 5 | — | NW 2 | WNW 8 | — | WNW 7 | — | — | WNW 7 | WNW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 3 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 |
— | — | 46 | — | 1 | 55 | — | 30 | — | — | 26 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 49 | 104 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 35 | 35 | 0 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 1 | 171 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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.










