
Surf Forecasts:
Pescaderos surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, WNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s period, SSW swell with 326 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pescaderos in the next 16 days are 0.9m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) 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 15) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pescaderos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Pescaderos. It’s a bit of a slow burner to start, with only small, ordinary waves on offer through the first several days. The water is sitting at 65° – a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, which is a nice bonus if you’re getting in.
Wednesday 15th July kicks things off with just 1 ft of swell from the SW. That’s a very long period groundswell at 17 seconds, but with those tiny heights and a light cross breeze, it’s pretty flat and messy. Not one to get excited about, and the afternoon is only slightly cleaner.
Thursday 16th sees a pulse of 4 ft from the WNW, but the period drops to 9 seconds, so it’s weak and short period. The wind stays light but cross-shore, making for pretty ordinary conditions. The combined energy is moderate (361). It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.
Friday 17th and Saturday 18th stay small, with the swell dropping back to 1 ft to 2 ft. The energy is weak to moderate (167 to 373). The waves are just too small to get the heart pumping, and the wind is mostly cross-shore.
Sunday 19th through to Tuesday 21st – the swell stays in the 2 ft to 3 ft range, mostly from the SSW. The combined energy hangs around moderate (327 to 462). The best of this stretch is the Tuesday 21st afternoon, when the wind turns cross-offshore and the conditions clean up. The wave state is described as “clean,” and the 3 ft SSW swell at 15 seconds has some decent energy (367). It’s a small wave, but it’ll be the best-looking session of the first week.
Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd – more of the same small stuff, but on Thursday 23rd afternoon, the wind goes glassy light, with 3 ft from the SSE at 14 seconds. That’s a window of perfection for a log or a funboard.
Now, the standout window comes in the second week. Friday 24th July – the morning shows 4 ft from the SSE with a 15-second period and strong wave energy (1239). The wind is onshore, making it a bit bumpy. But the Friday afternoon is where it’s at: 4 ft from the S, 15 seconds, glassy conditions. The energy is strong (850) and the forecast points to “very good surf conditions.” This is the best on offer. If you can get out on the afternoon of the 24th, do it.
Saturday 25th – the swell builds a touch to 5 ft from the S, still at 14 seconds, with strong energy (1102 in the morning). The wind is light cross-shore, so it’ll be a bit bumpy but still punchy. Keep in mind, these conditions are more suited to intermediate and above.
After that, things taper off again. Sunday 26th through to Thursday 30th – the swell drops back to 2 ft to 3 ft, mostly from the SSW, with periods dropping from 19 seconds to 15 seconds. The energy is moderate (216 to 622). The wind is mostly light cross-shore, with a few cross-off moments on the Monday 27th afternoon that will clean things up for a small-wave session.
Overall, the first week is a grind for small waves. The real highlight is the Friday 24th July afternoon – glassy, 4 ft, long period groundswell from the S. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. For the rest, it’s a log or funboard kind of stretch.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 31°C on Wed afternoon, min 18°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Mon afternoon, min 18°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 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) | SW 17 | SW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 18 | WNW 17 | WNW 17 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | SSE 13 | SW 17 | S 13 | S 12 | S 14 | S 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
107 | 93 | 99 | 197 | 189 | 202 | 127 | 97 | 96 | 194 | 157 | 142 | 232 | 238 | 225 | 240 | 140 | 151 | 154 | 318 | 152 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 12:03PM1.64m | 10:56PM2.37m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:46PM0.99m | 6:08AM-0.01m | 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 | ||||||||
5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
— | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:08 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 30 | 27 |
Feels °C | 29 | 30 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 24 | 29 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | SW 16 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | WNW 5 | SSE 13 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 |
12 | 93 | 99 | 197 | 189 | 202 | 127 | 70 | 51 | 194 | 144 | 18 | 232 | 136 | 225 | 240 | 85 | 151 | 91 | 318 | 152 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | WNW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 19 | WNW 18 | WNW 17 | WNW 17 | WNW 8 | W 7 | WNW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 14 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | WNW 13 | S 16 |
107 | 35 | 90 | 89 | 87 | 92 | 104 | 97 | 96 | 33 | 26 | 142 | 188 | 238 | 127 | 119 | 140 | 124 | 154 | 34 | 77 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 13 | S 12 | WNW 13 | WNW 20 | WNW 19 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SE 4 | SW 17 | WNW 16 | SW 18 | SSE 11 | W 6 | S 11 | WNW 15 | W 5 | SW 16 | WNW 14 | S 16 | SSE 12 | SSW 9 |
35 | 11 | 35 | 75 | 72 | 54 | 54 | 5 | 77 | 146 | 157 | 70 | 22 | 88 | 73 | 12 | 124 | 40 | 82 | 15 | 28 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 5 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | — | — | WNW 9 | ESE 4 | — | — | — | WNW 7 | — | — | W 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 |
14 | 60 | 74 | — | — | 190 | 1 | — | — | — | 21 | — | — | 13 | 37 | 14 | 28 | 61 | 27 | 60 | 115 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 149 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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.










