Pescaderos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. This 16-day window for Pescaderos is not looking like a classic. It’s a real mixed bag, and if you're chasing waves, you're going to have to pick your moments carefully. There are long flat spells, and the standout days are a while off yet.

Right off the bat, the water is a big talking point. When we do get waves early on, it's a toasty 71°F, which is a massive 7°F warmer than normal for this time of year. That's not just a little notable, that's very unusual, so ditch the wetsuit and dig out the boardshorts.

The first week is grim. From Saturday the 15th through to Friday the 22nd, we are looking at tiny, weak surf. We're talking chest-high at best on the sets, with the odd day of clean conditions, but with weak energy readings mostly in the low-to-mid 200s and 300s. It's just not doing anything for me. The swell is coming in from the SSW, but it's small and unorganized. You might get a couple of so-so waves on Monday morning, the 17th, as the wind goes light cross-off, but it's marginal. Then it gets messier again with that short-period WNW junk showing up mid-week. Save your energy. There’s nothing here worth getting excited about.

Now, the second week gets a bit more interesting, but patience is key. That run of lackluster surf continues into the 23rd and 24th. The morning of Sunday the 23rd sees a small bump in energy (450), but the quality is still poor. There is a cleaner, long-period SW groundswell on Sunday afternoon, but it's tiny at 1ft. Not enough to surf, just a tease.

The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Tuesday the 25th of August. The energy jumps way up to a strong 1166, and we get the biggest swell of the period so far at 4ft from the SSE. It's still not perfect—the wind is cross-on—but it's the first day with real push. It's not going to be a classic, but it's surfable. This energy sticks around for a couple of days, but the wind starts to chop things up a bit more by Thursday afternoon.

The true standout, the one you should circle on your calendar, is Friday the 28th of August. This is the day that looks the best. We're looking at a solid 6ft of WNW swell with a short, punchy 6-second period. The energy is solid at 673. Most importantly, the wind goes light cross-off and the report says to expect very good surf conditions. This is a bigger swell, so it's not one for the beginners—it might be over 5ft—but for the rest of us, this will be the most fun we've had all window. The only issue is that short period, so it might be a bit sectiony, but with clean conditions, I’ll take it.

After that, the surf fades back down again for the last couple of days as we head towards the end of the month. The conditions look cleaner, but the size just isn't there to match that Friday.

So, my call is this: the next week is mostly a write-off. Paddling around on a longboard is about all you'll be doing. The real action is on Friday the 28th. That’s a solid 2 weeks away, so don't hold your breath just yet, but it's worth waiting for. Forecasts can change, and with a lackluster start like this, things can only get better. Keep an eye on that Friday; it looks like the real deal.

Rusty, out.

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