
Surf Forecasts:
Tarantulas surf forecast from 30 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, NW swell with 1,134 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Tarantulas this week:
The surf forecast for Tarantulas over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 30) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 1.7m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tarantulas in the next 16 days are 2.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) 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 0.3m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 06) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tarantulas over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
We’ve got a run of surf coming up at Tarantulas, but it’s a proper mixed bag, so patience is key. The action kicks off on Thursday, July 30th, with a solid 6 ft NW swell rolling in, but don’t get too excited just yet. The wind is a messy cross-on from the WNW at 9 mph, and the waves are choppy. The combined energy reads 1195 (moderate), but the quality is just not there. It’s a frustrating start.
Friday, July 31st, is more of the same: 6 ft NW swell, but cross-winds at 12 mph keep things chopped. The afternoon actually drops to a score of zero, which is rough. Saturday, August 1st, pushes a little more size with 7 ft to 8 ft NW swell, and the morning has lighter cross-winds. The afternoon sees a shift to a cross-off breeze from the NNW at 18 mph, which cleans things up a bit – but those aren’t ideal offshore winds for this spot.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Sunday, August 2nd, and Monday, August 3rd, bring some real power. Sunday morning hits 8 ft from the NW with a period of 9 seconds and combined energy of 1268 (moderate). The wind is still cross, but it’s manageable. The standout though is Monday morning, August 3rd. The swell holds at 8 ft, the period stretches to 10 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 2157 (strong). The wind is a light cross-on from the WNW at only 6 mph, so there’s just small wind ripples. This is the best window of the whole forecast. The waves will have proper shape, but at 8 ft, this is for experts only. Beginners, stay on the beach for this one.
After Monday, it trails off. Tuesday, August 4th, has 6 ft swell, but it’s smaller and weaker. By Wednesday, August 5th, the swell drops to 4 ft, and the wind finally goes light onshore from the SW at 3 mph in the morning. That’s a rare moment of glassy conditions, but the waves are small. The rest of the week into the second week is a slow fade. From Thursday, August 6th, through to Friday, August 14th, we’re looking at a lot of days with poor surf. The swell drops down to 2 ft to 3 ft, the period gets long (15 to 19 seconds), and the wind is consistently cross or cross-on. That long-period stuff is tricky at a beach and reef setup like Tarantulas – it can break too straight. The energy readings are mostly in the 300 to 800 range (weak to moderate), so the juice just isn’t there.
The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing wild.
The main takeaway: if you’re an expert, Monday morning, August 3rd, is your best bet. Big, powerful NW swell, decent period, and near glassy conditions. That’s the one to circle. The rest of the run is mostly marginal or poor, with a few small windows on Wednesday, August 5th, and Monday, August 10th, where the swell bumps back to 5 ft, but the wind is still not perfect.
Stay tuned, folks. It’s a waiting game, but that one morning looks like a proper session.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun morning, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
424 | 418 | 655 | 434 | 388 | 742 | 589 | 624 | 1134 | 993 | 904 | 1069 | 910 | 932 | 665 | 597 | 546 | 416 | 266 | 230 | 235 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:57AM1.55m | 10:44PM2.07m | 12:23PM1.60m | 11:19PM1.96m | 12:49PM1.66m | 11:58PM1.81m | 1:17PM1.72m | 00:42AM1.62m | 1:48PM1.79m | 1:40AM1.43m | 2:26PM1.85m | 3:05AM1.26m | 3:14PM1.92m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:40PM1.06m | 5:50AM0.29m | 5:23PM1.03m | 6:16AM0.38m | 6:10PM1.00m | 6:41AM0.51m | 7:05PM0.96m | 7:05AM0.65m | 8:11PM0.90m | 7:32AM0.80m | 9:31PM0.82m | 8:03AM0.94m | 11:01PM0.68m | ||||||||
6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | |
— | 8:05 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 21 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 16 | 23 | 23 | 16 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 17 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 19 | 18 | 12 | 19 | 17 | 12 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | SSW 15 | S 14 | NW 8 | S 12 | S 11 | S 13 | S 12 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 13 | NW 9 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 10 |
418 | 392 | 338 | 434 | 297 | 85 | 215 | 187 | 77 | 46 | 69 | 854 | 910 | 769 | 665 | 597 | 546 | 416 | 266 | 230 | 235 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | S 13 | SW 14 | S 13 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | S 12 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
424 | 249 | 157 | 413 | 103 | 125 | 58 | 70 | 91 | 91 | 44 | 67 | 44 | 41 | 37 | 80 | 77 | 99 | 72 | 71 | 97 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 14 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | — | SW 14 | SW 20 | SW 19 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 9 | S 12 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 11 | S 13 | SW 11 | SSW 20 |
326 | 106 | 104 | 104 | — | 100 | 15 | 15 | 32 | 29 | 16 | 25 | 41 | 66 | 89 | 36 | 36 | 9 | 30 | 19 | 37 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 8 | NW 8 | — | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | — | NW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 |
— | 418 | 655 | — | 388 | 742 | 589 | 624 | 1134 | 993 | 904 | 1069 | — | 932 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 15 | 8 | 61 | 15 | 8 | 36 | 36 | 61 | 36 | 15 | 95 | 61 | 15 | 8 | 61 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 208 | 178 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Santa Barbara | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Tarantulas Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Tarantulas provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Tarantulas can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Tarantulas 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 (Tarantulas) 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 Tarantulas 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.
Tarantulas is 16 km (10 miles) from Lompoc. If you plan a vacation in Santa Barbara, look for hotels and other accommodation in Lompoc. Lompoc has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











