
Surf Forecasts:
Zicatela surf forecast from 8 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 8 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 8 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SSW swell with 1,214 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 8 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s 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 Wednesday (Jul 08) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 12s. 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 1.6m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 12) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Wed 8th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Wed 8th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Wed 8th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Zicatela over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Zicatela. We’ve got a solid run of surf ahead, but it’s not all for the faint of heart. The water is sitting at 88°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be sweating in your wettie.
The big story is Wednesday morning, July 8th. That’s your standout. We’re looking at a clean 6ft SSW groundswell with a long 16-second period. The combined energy is pumping at 1441 (strong wave energy), and with glassy conditions and zero wind, it’s going to be absolutely pristine. This is proper, powerful surf for experienced surfers only—anything over 5ft is pushing it for beginners, and this is well into that territory. The crowd factor is a “sometimes” thing, so you might have some company, but with waves this good, it’s worth it.
Thursday morning, July 9th, drops a touch to a still-fun 4ft SSW swell, same long period, and again glassy with calm wind. The energy is still solid at 887 (moderate wave energy). It’s a step down in size but still very, very good.
Friday morning, July 10th, holds at 4ft SSW, 15 seconds, with a slight breeze that’s almost offshore. The energy is 817 (moderate). It’s clean, but watch the afternoon—a risk of thunderstorms and a cross-onshore breeze will mess it up.
Saturday and Sunday mornings, July 11th and 12th, are both glassy with 4ft and 4ft SSW swells, respectively. The energy stays in the 650-955 range (moderate). These are great morning windows, but the afternoons get sketchy with wind or storms.
There’s a bit of a gap in quality from Monday, July 13th, through to Thursday, July 17th. The swell dips to 3ft and below, and while the mornings are often glassy, the energy drops to 257-636 (weak to moderate). It’s still surfable, but not the same punch.
Now, look ahead to Saturday, July 18th. A new pulse of 2ft SW swell with a very long 18-second period hits. The energy is 769 (moderate). That’s a long-period groundswell, which means it’s going to be super clean and lined up, but it might be a bit too straight for the beach break—it’ll be better on the point or reef. Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th see the swell build back to 4ft SW, with energy climbing to 882 (moderate). The mornings are glassy again.
The real long-range promise is Tuesday, July 21st. The morning looks glassy with a 4ft SW swell, 16-second period, and energy of 932 (moderate). That’s a serious contender for the second week. It’s a bit far out, so take it with a grain of salt, but if it holds, it’ll be another cracker.
Overall, the best of the best is that Wednesday, July 8th, morning session. After that, the mornings are your friend—always glassy or near-glass, with clean, long-period groundswell. The afternoons are mostly a write-off with onshore wind or storms. Don’t bother with the gear if you’re a beginner; this is for the crew who can handle a solid, powerful wave.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 32°C on Fri morning, min 26°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Warm (max 32°C on Sat morning, min 25°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 8 | SW 18 | SW 18 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1393 | 1094 | 1067 | 815 | 683 | 674 | 665 | 683 | 805 | 773 | 859 | 661 | 594 | 405 | 487 | 347 | 282 | 273 | 257 | 319 | 252 | |
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 | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:18PM0.78m | 9:18AM1.08m | 9:06PM0.75m | 10:11AM1.12m | 10:01PM0.72m | 11:08AM1.16m | 11:02PM0.72m | 12:08PM1.18m | 00:09AM0.73m | 1:09PM1.19m | 1:17AM0.77m | 2:08PM1.20m | 2:26AM0.83m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:45PM0.29m | 2:26AM0.09m | 3:42PM0.28m | 3:12AM0.06m | 4:42PM0.27m | 4:06AM0.03m | 5:45PM0.25m | 5:07AM0.02m | 6:47PM0.22m | 6:12AM0.01m | 7:48PM0.18m | 7:21AM0.01m | 8:45PM0.13m | ||||||||
6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 7:04 | — | — | 7:04 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:02 | — | |
mm | — | — | 4 | — | — | 7 | — | 3 | 7 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | 2 | 3 |
Temp °C | 31 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 31 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 34 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 |
1393 | 1094 | 1067 | 815 | 683 | 674 | 665 | 683 | 805 | 773 | 859 | 661 | 594 | 405 | 487 | 347 | 282 | 107 | 257 | 160 | 153 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SW 12 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 14 |
17 | 152 | 72 | 66 | 58 | 85 | 77 | 70 | 69 | 67 | 78 | 55 | 51 | 149 | 37 | 92 | 84 | 273 | 189 | 265 | 206 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | S 12 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SSW 20 | SSW 20 | SE 9 | SE 7 | SW 21 | SW 23 | ESE 7 | S 8 | SW 21 | SSW 18 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSW 17 | SW 18 | SW 18 |
31 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 75 | 37 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 21 | 5 | 35 | 117 | 63 | 184 | 184 | 190 | 319 | 252 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 178 | 0 | 0 | 178 | 0 | 0 | 178 | 0 | 0 | 178 | 0 | 0 | 659 | 0 | 0 | 1023 | 181 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.










