
Surf Forecasts:
Zicatela surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 15s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 1,275 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 15s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Zicatela this week:
The surf forecast for Zicatela over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Zicatela in the next 16 days are 1.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Zicatela over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead for Puerto Escondido, and it’s all about Zicatela. This is an exposed, heavy beach break that needs a big, clean SW groundswell to handle its famous power. The water is sitting at 87°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.
The first call is a ripper. Saturday morning, September 5th, and it’s glassy. No wind, just a calm, clear morning. The swell is a solid 6ft, hammering in from the SW with a deep 16-second period. That’s groundswell with serious energy – the combined energy reading is a massive 1646. This is a serious, powerful day for experienced surfers only. The offshore direction is NE, so it’s not blowing over the break, but the glassy conditions will make it look perfect. This is a standout.
The pattern holds into Sunday morning, September 6th. The swell drops a touch to 5ft from the SSW, still a long 15-second period, and the energy is still strong at 1025. It’s glassy again with a light SE breeze. Another excellent window for the crew that knows Zicatela’s power.
Monday morning, September 7th, is a little smaller at 4ft, but still glassy. The wind is light ESE, keeping it clean. The energy is moderate at 701. This is a very good, manageable morning.
We hit a bit of a lull mid-week. Tuesday morning the 8th has clean, cross-offshore wind, but the swell drops to 2ft. The energy is weak at 633. It’s a fun wave, but not the Zicatela we came for. Wednesday morning the 9th is similar – glassy, but only 3ft and moderate energy (606).
Then we get a reset. Thursday morning, September 10th, the swell jumps back to 5ft from the SW, period 16 seconds, and energy is back up to 1166. It’s glassy. This is another top-tier morning for the experienced crew.
From Friday the 11th through the weekend, the swell slowly backs off from 4ft to 3ft. The mornings are glassy, and the energy is moderate. It’s consistent, clean, and fun, but not as heavy.
The middle of the next week, Monday the 14th, is quiet with small 2ft swell. But we see the pulse building again. Tuesday morning the 15th shows 4ft, and by Wednesday morning, September 16th, we’re back to 5ft from the SSW with a 16-second period and energy of 1051. Glassy conditions again. This is a promising, clean session for the experienced surfer.
The trend continues into Thursday the 17th with 4ft and glassy conditions, and Friday the 18th with 3ft. The last weekend of the window, Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th, shows a fresh 3ft to 3ft SW groundswell with a very long 19-second period and clean, cross-offshore winds. The energy on Sunday is strong at 1012, but that long period may make the wave break a little too straight for the beach break. Still, it’s clean.
The real standout is Saturday morning, September 5th. That 6ft, 16-second SW groundswell with glassy conditions and energy at 1646 is the best on offer. Thursday morning, September 10th, is a close second. If you’re an expert, those are your windows.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Sun night. Warm (max 31°C on Sat morning, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 31°C on Tue morning, min 26°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1591 | 1322 | 987 | 911 | 899 | 691 | 612 | 486 | 362 | 312 | 261 | 381 | 381 | 553 | 772 | 1129 | 813 | 906 | 733 | 543 | 529 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross |
High Tide | 8:32PM0.80m | 9:26AM1.11m | 9:29PM0.79m | 10:24AM1.07m | 10:34PM0.80m | 11:25AM1.03m | 11:45PM0.83m | 12:29PM1.00m | 00:57AM0.89m | 1:31PM0.97m | 2:04AM0.96m | 2:30PM0.95m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 2:57PM0.20m | 2:38AM0.02m | 3:52PM0.22m | 3:37AM0.06m | 4:51PM0.23m | 4:43AM0.11m | 5:54PM0.23m | 5:57AM0.15m | 6:55PM0.21m | 7:12AM0.17m | 7:53PM0.17m | 8:22AM0.16m | 8:46PM0.13m | ||||||||
6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:34 | — | — | 6:32 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | 7 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 5 | 6 | — | 1 | 8 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 5 |
Temp °C | 31 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 28 |
Feels °C | 33 | 34 | 32 | 34 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 35 | 35 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 |
1591 | 1322 | 987 | 911 | 899 | 691 | 612 | 486 | 362 | 299 | 261 | 196 | 381 | 553 | 772 | 1129 | 813 | 906 | 733 | 543 | 529 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 11 | W 10 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | WNW 10 | SSW 11 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SW 19 | SSE 10 |
45 | 60 | 38 | 76 | 108 | 77 | 39 | 51 | 35 | 312 | 238 | 381 | 196 | 152 | 213 | 20 | 91 | 10 | 8 | 96 | 21 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 11 | W 11 | SSW 20 | SSW 20 | S 7 | W 10 | W 10 | SSW 18 | S 7 | S 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | S 7 | W 10 | SSE 7 | W 10 | W 10 | SSW 19 | W 9 | W 9 |
10 | 21 | 21 | 38 | 40 | 39 | 50 | 49 | 209 | 22 | 21 | 26 | 29 | 32 | 51 | 17 | 18 | 8 | 37 | 7 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 6 | — | — | SSE 4 | SE 6 | — | — | WNW 10 | — | — | — | — | SSE 7 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | 10 | 64 | — | — | 83 | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 1040 | 0 | 0 | 709 | 0 | 0 | 210 | 0 | 0 | 1045 | 0 | 0 | 178 | 2 | 0 | 178 | 0 | 0 | 192 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Oaxaca | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Mexico | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Zicatela Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Zicatela provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Zicatela can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Zicatela 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 (Zicatela) 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 Zicatela 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Oaxaca? If you are looking for accommodation near Zicatela, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Oaxaca, consider staying in Puerto Escondido which is 1 km (1 miles) away. Other places in and around Oaxaca where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Nopala which is 31 km (19 miles) away and Miahuatlan de Porfirio Diaz, 73 km (45 miles) away.










