Surf Forecasts:
Las Urracas surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 15s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 13s period, WSW swell with 760 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 15s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Las Urracas this week:
The surf forecast for Las Urracas over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Las Urracas in the next 16 days are 1.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (-04) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Las Urracas over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Las Urracas over the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but don’t write it off just yet—there’s some real potential hiding in the first few days. The water temperature is sitting at 65°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s a nice bonus if you’re paddling out.
The best window here is right at the beginning. Sunday the 16th, late afternoon, Las Urracas is firing. We’ve got a clean 2ft SW groundswell with a long 16-second period, and it’s dead glassy—zero wind. That’s as good as it gets for a reef like this. The combined swell energy is moderate (626), so there’s enough push for nice, lined-up waves. This is your standout session: smooth, tidy, and uncrowded usually, though it can get a bit busy sometimes, so get in early.
Monday the 17th morning keeps the magic going. Still glassy, with the swell bumping up to 3ft and a 14-second period. It’s a solid follow-up session, though the energy dips a little (440). The afternoon turns a touch cross-shore, so the morning is the call.
Tuesday the 18th gets a bit messier with a light cross-shore breeze, but the swell builds to 4ft–5ft and the period stays at 14 seconds. The energy jumps up (810) but the wind makes it less than perfect. Not a write-off for the keen, but not a standout.
From Wednesday the 19th through to Thursday the 20th morning, things go downhill with stronger cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions. Swell is still around, but the quality’s gone. Wait it out.
Thursday the 20th afternoon brings a huge relief—the wind drops back to glassy, and we’ve got 3ft SW groundswell at 14 seconds (energy 533). It’s nearly as good as Sunday. Friday the 21st is also a ripper: glassy both morning and afternoon, with clean 2ft–4ft SW swell (energy 325–328). This is another strong window for smooth reef waves.
The weekend of the 22nd–23rd is a mixed bag. Saturday morning has a little cross-shore bump, but Saturday afternoon cleans up nicely with glassy conditions and 4ft SW swell (11-second period, energy 423). Sunday the 23rd holds clean glassy surf in the morning with 3ft SSW swell, though the energy is dropping (246).
From Monday the 24th through Tuesday the 25th, it’s back to cross-onshore winds and poor shape. Swell is small and weak. Not worth the paddle.
Wednesday the 26th morning turns glassy again, with 3ft SSW groundswell at 12 seconds (energy 254)—nice little pick-me-up. Wednesday afternoon stays glassy, dead calm. Good for a sneaky session.
Thursday the 27th has a very long period SW swell at 18 seconds, but with a cross-onshore breeze and only 2ft height, it’s more of a novelty than a proper session. The long period will make it hard to catch on this reef unless you know the takeoff well.
Friday the 28th is forgettable—onshore winds, small swell.
But keep Saturday the 29th morning in mind: glassy again, 3ft SW groundswell (14 seconds, energy 440). It’s another clean, quality window. After that, the wind turns onshore and the swell builds toward the end of the month, but the quality drops as the chop comes in.
The final days—30th and 31st—see a building SW swell up to 5ft–5ft, with energy climbing to 900. But the winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the period drops a bit. This is getting into the too-big-for-beginners zone, but the messy wind means it’s only really for the dedicated crew. If the wind switches, it could be a big finish.
Overall, the standout sessions are Sunday the 16th afternoon, Monday the 17th morning, Thursday the 20th afternoon, and Friday the 21st. Those are your clean, glassy, groundswell gems. After that, it’s a pick-and-choose game with the wind.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 17°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri morning, min 17°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 8 | SW 9 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
365 | 373 | 304 | 412 | 404 | 760 | 613 | 450 | 349 | 445 | 205 | 346 | 288 | 178 | 135 | 152 | 192 | 192 | 133 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 00:15AM1.13m | 12:19PM1.15m | 1:04AM1.13m | 1:03PM1.02m | 1:58AM1.12m | 1:53PM0.91m | 3:00AM1.11m | 2:59PM0.82m | 4:09AM1.12m | 4:24PM0.77m | 5:17AM1.15m | 5:45PM0.77m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:15AM0.42m | 6:42PM0.34m | 7:14AM0.50m | 7:21PM0.40m | 8:24AM0.56m | 8:04PM0.46m | 9:49AM0.59m | 8:57PM0.50m | 11:19AM0.57m | 10:02PM0.52m | 12:30PM0.53m | 11:09PM0.52m | |||||||
— | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | |
6:28 | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SSW 8 | SW 8 | SW 9 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 |
365 | 373 | 304 | 412 | 361 | 760 | 613 | 450 | 349 | 445 | 178 | 182 | 163 | 112 | 135 | 152 | 192 | 192 | 133 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 10 | SW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | SW 14 | SW 20 | SW 18 | WSW 7 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 |
137 | 64 | 50 | 44 | 404 | 15 | 80 | 36 | 218 | 346 | 205 | 346 | 288 | 178 | 134 | 72 | 61 | 47 | 88 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | W 13 | W 13 | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | — | SW 11 | SW 16 | — | — | SW 10 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 18 |
1 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 165 | — | 112 | 161 | — | — | 16 | 17 | 15 | 34 | 47 | 13 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Tarapaca | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Chile | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Las Urracas Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Las Urracas provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Las Urracas can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Las Urracas 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 (Las Urracas) 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 Las Urracas 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 Tarapaca? If you are looking for accommodation near Las Urracas, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Tarapaca, consider staying in Iquique which is 4 km (2 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in Patillos which is 58 km (36 miles) away











