Surf Forecasts:
Zicatela surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,031 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s period with SW 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s is also forecast. 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 1.4m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Zicatela over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with the lowdown for our local breaks. We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up at Zicatela, so let’s break it down.
The water temp is a warm 88°F, which is a touch toastier than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be in boardies or a spring suit at most.
The main story for the next week is a moderate, long-period SW groundswell. The combined energy is sitting in the moderate range, mostly between 500 and 900, so there’s some good power in the water. The real beauty is how often the mornings are going to be glassed off. Dead calm winds and glassy conditions are on the menu for most mornings.
The absolute standout in the first week is Tuesday morning, September 15th. We’re talking 4ft of clean SW swell, dead calm air, and a glassy finish. It’s going to be a proper session.
Bigger days are coming in the second week. Look at Sunday the 20th: 4ft of clean SW swell with a combined energy jumping up to 1086. Then Monday the 21st bumps up to 4ft of SW swell with an even bigger energy reading of 1135. These are excellent sessions for experienced surfers, lots of push and clean walls.
For the learner crew, the smaller mornings around 2ft on the 13th and 14th are your best bet to get out there in the glassy windows.
The long-period nature of the swell means you’ll get longer waits between sets, but the waves that come through will be packed with energy and shape nicely.
So, the call is clear: the early bird gets the clean wave. Score the Tuesday the 15th morning, and if you’ve got the skills, the big energy mornings on the 20th and 21st are going to be firing.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 32°C on Fri afternoon, min 26°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 32°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 21 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 536 | 459 | 407 | 288 | 212 | 178 | 184 | 248 | 312 | 510 | 735 | 844 | 771 | 595 | 843 | 600 | 561 | 553 | 538 | 344 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | on | glassy |
High Tide | 3:04AM1.03m | 3:25PM0.94m | 3:57AM1.09m | 4:15PM0.92m | 4:46AM1.12m | 5:01PM0.90m | 5:31AM1.13m | 5:44PM0.88m | 6:13AM1.12m | 6:25PM0.84m | 6:55AM1.09m | 7:05PM0.81m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:46PM0.13m | 9:25AM0.15m | 9:35PM0.10m | 10:20AM0.13m | 10:20PM0.07m | 11:09AM0.12m | 11:03PM0.06m | 11:55AM0.12m | 11:43PM0.06m | 12:37PM0.13m | 00:22AM0.08m | 1:18PM0.16m | 1:00AM0.10m | |||||||
 |  | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | 6:32 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:28 | — |
mm | — | 1 | — | 3 | 7 | — | 2 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 32 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 32 | 31 | 28 |
Feels °C | 34 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 35 | 35 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 33 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 536 | 459 | 407 | 288 | 212 | 178 | 175 | 132 | 312 | 510 | 735 | 844 | 771 | 595 | 843 | 600 | 561 | 553 | 538 | 309 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 19 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | SW 19 | SSW 19 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | S 8 | SW 13 | S 8 | S 9 | S 8 | S 9 | SW 21 | SW 21 |
| kJ | 96 | 35 | 51 | 33 | 32 | 24 | 184 | 248 | 50 | 76 | 55 | 54 | 68 | 175 | 69 | 73 | 52 | 54 | 368 | 344 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WSW 4 | SW 16 | S 8 | S 9 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | W 13 | SW 12 | S 8 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 23 | SW 21 | S 8 | S 8 |
| kJ | 12 | 11 | 80 | 154 | 6 | 68 | 35 | 38 | 73 | 69 | 72 | 13 | 72 | 69 | 42 | 48 | 257 | 224 | 36 | 35 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 7 | W 3 | W 4 | WSW 3 | — | — | SW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 7 | — |
| kJ | 30 | 6 | 7 | 3 | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 192 | 2 | 0 | 201 | 0 | 0 | 178 | 0 | 0 | 178 | 0 | 0 | 178 | 0 | 0 | 1040 | 0 | 0 | 1338 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Oaxaca | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Mexico | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Zicatela surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest