
Surf Forecasts:
Punta Mala surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s period, SW swell with 565 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Punta Mala this week:
The surf forecast for Punta Mala over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Punta Mala in the next 16 days are 1.1m 15s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (-05) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Punta Mala over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at Punta Mala.
To be honest, looking at the whole 16-day window, there’s no real standout session. The pattern is pretty consistent: we’ve got a long period, mostly SW groundswell running, but the wind is a persistent cross-onshore or onshore, and the wave heights are small. The water is a whopping 5° warmer than usual for this time of year, coming in at 79°, which is very unusual and feels like bathwater.
The first few days are a write-off. Tuesday the 4th through to Thursday the 7th is all small, weak surf with combined energy hanging around 123 to 592 (weak to moderate). The wind is just enough to mess up the face. It’s poor surf conditions, flat and choppy for the most part.
Friday the 8th sees a tiny bump in energy, but the wind switches to a stronger cross-on, making it messy. The surf is still only 3ft to 4ft and the wave comment is still mostly poor or marginal. The best chance of anything rideable in the first week lands on the morning of Saturday the 8th. The swell is 4ft from the SW with a 14-second period, and the wind is just a light cross-shore, not onshore. That’s the cleanest window we’ll see for a while. The combined energy is moderate at 470. It’s not going to be pumping, but it’ll be the least bumpy option.
Sunday the 9th through to Wednesday the 12th is disappointing again. The swell drops back to 2ft – 3ft, and the wind is either cross-onshore or onshore. The energy is up and down, but the quality is low.
Now, looking further out, things get a little more interesting for the second week. Thursday the 13th morning is a bit cleaner with a light cross-on and a 2ft, 16-second swell from the WSW, but it’s still marginal. The real sniff of something better comes on Thursday the 13th afternoon and into Friday the 14th. The swell picks up to 4ft – 4ft from the WSW, with a very long period of 17 to 19 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 828 and 916 (strong). The caveat is that the wind goes directly onshore, but the power is there. For a point break like Punta Mala, that long period groundswell should wrap in nicely, but the onshore wind will chop it up. It’s a tease.
Saturday the 15th is similar, with 4ft from the WSW and a 15-second period, but the wind is light cross-onshore, so it might be a bit cleaner than the day before. The energy is still strong at 706. This is probably the best call of the whole run, but it’s still not a guarantee of perfection. The crowds are “sometimes” there, so you might have some company.
The window closes out with a few more marginal days of 3ft to 4ft swells and light winds, but nothing to get excited about.
Overall, it’s a rough fortnight. The waves are small, the wind is wrong, and the water is weirdly warm. If you’re desperate, aim for the morning of Saturday the 8th for the cleanest conditions, or the Saturday the 15th for the most size and power, but don’t expect a classic.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed morning, min 23°C on Tue afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Fri afternoon, min 22°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 12 | SW 14 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
56 | 64 | 120 | 90 | 147 | 205 | 199 | 293 | 361 | 421 | 472 | 459 | 336 | 208 | 170 | 130 | 107 | 258 | 167 | 307 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 7:37PM2.56m | 7:56AM2.78m | 8:27PM2.47m | 8:44AM2.70m | 9:26PM2.37m | 9:41AM2.63m | 10:38PM2.32m | 10:50AM2.57m | 11:57PM2.35m | 12:06PM2.59m | 1:14AM2.48m | 1:20PM2.68m | 2:19AM2.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:40AM0.62m | 2:20PM0.57m | 2:27AM0.76m | 3:15PM0.62m | 3:25AM0.90m | 4:23PM0.64m | 4:40AM0.99m | 5:40PM0.61m | 6:05AM0.99m | 6:55PM0.50m | 7:22AM0.87m | 8:00PM0.35m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
Feels °C | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SSW 6 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
56 | 53 | 41 | 90 | 147 | 205 | 199 | 244 | 361 | 421 | 472 | 459 | 336 | 208 | 170 | 130 | 68 | 258 | 167 | 224 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SW 14 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 11 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 12 | SW 12 | NW 9 | NW 9 | W 9 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 20 | SW 11 | SW 18 |
20 | 64 | 120 | 75 | 61 | 127 | 154 | 293 | 172 | 167 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 49 | 42 | 93 | 107 | 239 | 42 | 307 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SSW 8 | SW 20 | SW 8 | SW 18 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 10 | W 8 | NW 10 | W 9 | — | W 24 | SW 22 | SW 22 | SW 22 | SW 21 | — | SW 19 | — |
33 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 54 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | 11 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 70 | — | 59 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | SW 5 | — | SSW 5 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SW 5 | — | — | — | — | SSW 4 | SW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SW 5 |
34 | 35 | — | 19 | 43 | 43 | 13 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 39 | 30 | 26 | 28 | 27 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1070 | 45 | 45 | 979 | 383 | 69 | 74 | 0 | 67 | 866 | 45 | 69 | 74 | 45 | 383 | 866 | 45 | 69 | 1006 | 45 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Manabi | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ecuador | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Punta Mala Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Punta Mala provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Punta Mala can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Punta Mala 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 (Punta Mala) 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 Punta Mala 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.
Punta Mala is 37 km (23 miles) from Jipijapa. If you plan a holiday in Manabi, look for hotels and other accommodation in Jipijapa. Jipijapa has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











