Lima and South Peru · Wednesday, Sep 23

Pico Alto

Updated Tue, Sep 22, 7:10 PM GMT-5

When to go

6:00 AM–8:00 AM

Looks good · Low confidence

3.9–4.0 ft · Offshore waves · not face height

Wind: 1.7 kt · direction unavailable

Forecast details

Light wind should keep the water smoother.

Other wind windows

Plan around the wind

The best available upcoming daylight wind sample to compare with the wave evidence. This compares wind only; wave size, tide suitability, and hazards can change your choice.

7:00 AM–9:00 AM · America/Lima
Light wind · up to 3.7 kt · reported gusts up to 10.7 kt
Offshore waves: 3.9–4.0 ft across the period. Surf height unavailable. Tide data available; check the local tide response.
Wind source time: Sep 22, 6:30 PM GMT-5. This is not the model run issue time.

How these periods are chosen

The planner prefers three consecutive hourly samples covering two daylight hours, but retains shorter one- or two-sample evidence when that is all the forecast provides. Light wind means at most 6 kt. Moderate offshore means at most 12 kt from land toward the sea when shore orientation is verified. Strong wind or known gusts of 20 kt or more remain visible as cautions instead of making the entire comparison disappear. These are comparison labels, not locally tested surf-quality or safety ratings. Missing gusts remain unknown. Terrain shelter, currents, closures, and your ability are not assessed.

Forecast confidence

Returned marine grid point is 6.2 km from the mapped spot. Provider grid resolution is not established for this response.
Reference model hour: 13 hours from now; historical residuals do not measure forecast lead-time error.
No accepted local model for these inputs: missing history, unsupported direction/period/height, or failed historical validation.
A mapped coordinate does not establish nearshore grid resolution or terrain/shelter accuracy.

Wind SE 1.7 kt

Tide 1.5 ft falling

Wave, wind and tide details

Offshore model swellSW 2.6 ft @ 9sValid 2026-09-23 08:00 · America/LimaMarine grid -12.3750, -76.8750 · offshore model, not a local measurement

Offshore model sea4.0 ft @ 9.7sSignificant wave height including wind waves and swell; not breaking surfValid 2026-09-23 08:00 · America/Lima

Model windSE 1.7 ktcross-shoreValid 2026-09-23 08:00 · America/Lima1.0 kt offshore component

Tide1.5 ftfallingDHN Callao · 46.7 km from Pico Alto · predicted height relative to NMBSORetrieved Sep 22, 7:11 PM GMT-5 · provider issue time unavailable36% of adjacent local low–high range · descriptive, not a safety rating

Surf height unavailable. Coastal and offshore waves are not breaking-wave heights.

Surf and wind

Recommended window: No recommended window

Breaking surf is not reliably resolved. Hourly offshore swell and wind inputs are listed below.

Hourly forecast

Hourly surf forecast for Pico Alto
Time	Wind	Tide	Offshore swell
12 AM	E 1.1 ktoffshore	1.5 ftrising	SSW 3.0 ft @ 9s
1 AM	E 1 ktoffshore	2 ftrising	SSW 2.9 ft @ 9s
2 AM	E 0.9 ktoffshore	2 ftrising	SSW 2.8 ft @ 9s
3 AM	E 0.7 ktoffshore	2.5 ftrising	SSW 2.8 ft @ 9s
4 AM	ENE 0.3 ktoffshore	2.5 ftfalling	SSW 2.8 ft @ 9s
5 AM	E 0.1 ktoffshore	2.5 ftfalling	SSW 2.8 ft @ 9s
6 AM	S 0.1 ktcross-shore	2 ftfalling	SSW 2.7 ft @ 9s
7 AM	SE 1.1 ktoffshore	2 ftfalling	SW 2.7 ft @ 9s
8 AM	SE 1.7 ktcross-shore	1.5 ftfalling	SW 2.6 ft @ 9s
9 AM	S 3.7 ktcross-shore	1.5 ftfalling	SW 2.6 ft @ 8s
10 AM	SSW 5.2 ktcross-shore	1 ftnear low	SW 2.6 ft @ 8s
11 AM	SSW 6.8 ktcross-shore	1 ftrising	SSW 2.5 ft @ 9s
Noon	S 6.9 ktcross-shore	1.5 ftrising	SSW 2.5 ft @ 10s
1 PM	S 7.3 ktcross-shore	1.5 ftrising	SSW 2.4 ft @ 11s
2 PM	S 8.1 ktcross-shore	1.5 ftrising	SSW 2.4 ft @ 11s
3 PM	S 8.2 ktcross-shore	2 ftrising	SSW 2.5 ft @ 11s
4 PM	S 6.5 ktcross-shore	2 ftfalling	SSW 2.5 ft @ 11s
5 PM	S 6.5 ktcross-shore	2 ftfalling	SSW 2.5 ft @ 10s
6 PM	S 5.3 ktcross-shore	1.5 ftfalling	SSW 2.6 ft @ 10s
7 PM	S 4.7 ktcross-shore	1.5 ftfalling	S 2.6 ft @ 10s
8 PM	S 2.7 ktcross-shore	1 ftfalling	SSW 2.8 ft @ 10s
9 PM	S 2 ktcross-shore	1 ftfalling	SSW 3.1 ft @ 9s
10 PM	S 1.5 ktcross-shore	Unavailableunavailable	SSW 3.3 ft @ 9s
11 PM	SW 1.2 ktonshore	Unavailableunavailable	SSW 3.5 ft @ 8s

12 AMUnavailable

WindE 1.1 ktoffshoreTide1.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 3.0 ft @ 9s

1 AMUnavailable

WindE 1 ktoffshoreTide2 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.9 ft @ 9s

2 AMUnavailable

WindE 0.9 ktoffshoreTide2 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.8 ft @ 9s

3 AMUnavailable

WindE 0.7 ktoffshoreTide2.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.8 ft @ 9s

4 AMUnavailable

WindENE 0.3 ktoffshoreTide2.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.8 ft @ 9s

5 AMUnavailable

WindE 0.1 ktoffshoreTide2.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.8 ft @ 9s

6 AMUnavailable

WindS 0.1 ktcross-shoreTide2 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.7 ft @ 9s

7 AMUnavailable

WindSE 1.1 ktoffshoreTide2 ftfallingOffshore swellSW 2.7 ft @ 9s

8 AMUnavailable

WindSE 1.7 ktcross-shoreTide1.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSW 2.6 ft @ 9s

9 AMUnavailable

WindS 3.7 ktcross-shoreTide1.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSW 2.6 ft @ 8s

10 AMUnavailable

WindSSW 5.2 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftnear lowOffshore swellSW 2.6 ft @ 8s

11 AMUnavailable

WindSSW 6.8 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.5 ft @ 9s

NoonUnavailable

WindS 6.9 ktcross-shoreTide1.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.5 ft @ 10s

1 PMUnavailable

WindS 7.3 ktcross-shoreTide1.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.4 ft @ 11s

2 PMUnavailable

WindS 8.1 ktcross-shoreTide1.5 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.4 ft @ 11s

3 PMUnavailable

WindS 8.2 ktcross-shoreTide2 ftrisingOffshore swellSSW 2.5 ft @ 11s

4 PMUnavailable

WindS 6.5 ktcross-shoreTide2 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.5 ft @ 11s

5 PMUnavailable

WindS 6.5 ktcross-shoreTide2 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.5 ft @ 10s

6 PMUnavailable

WindS 5.3 ktcross-shoreTide1.5 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.6 ft @ 10s

7 PMUnavailable

WindS 4.7 ktcross-shoreTide1.5 ftfallingOffshore swellS 2.6 ft @ 10s

8 PMUnavailable

WindS 2.7 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 2.8 ft @ 10s

9 PMUnavailable

WindS 2 ktcross-shoreTide1 ftfallingOffshore swellSSW 3.1 ft @ 9s

10 PMUnavailable

WindS 1.5 ktcross-shoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSW 3.3 ft @ 9s

11 PMUnavailable

WindSW 1.2 ktonshoreTideUnavailableunavailableOffshore swellSSW 3.5 ft @ 8s

Tide

DHN Callao · 46.7 km from Pico Alto · NMBSO

Interpolated tide height Recommended window

About this spot

Model-grid forecast requested at the mapped coordinate; reef, headland, and nearshore transformations are unresolved. Reef break. Pico Alto named-break page reports south-southwest swell and east offshore wind; orientation reviewed at 270 degrees.

Mapped spot coordinate: -12.3351, -76.8345.

Mainland South America · Lima mainland west-facing Pacific reef coast · Ocean-facing bearing 270° · Location provenance

Model request point: Pico Alto (-12.3351, -76.8345). Model output times describe valid conditions; the provider does not expose the model run issue time in this response.

Forecast sources

Data coverage 3/7 sources

Source availability is not forecast accuracy. Where an empirical model passes historical testing, its error and interval coverage are shown above. Source count cannot increase that confidence.

Coverage tier D · MODEL_FIRST_AMERICAS · spot-level model point

National or regional meteorological marine bulletin
DHN daily oceanographic bulletin access redirected to a human-check page, so no current regional wave forecast is connected.UnavailableNo source time
The Buoy API
No current same-exposure wave observation with verified station identity, coordinates, units, timestamp, and individual assignment is connected.UnavailableNo source time
Peru DHN tide predictions
DHN Callao · 46.7 km from Pico Alto; predicted high/low events above NMBSO, converted to feet. Timestamp is retrieval time; provider issue time is not supplied.CurrentSep 22, 7:11 PM GMT-5
WorldTides API
WorldTides requires a credential; official DHN port predictions are used instead.UnavailableNo source time
Open-Meteo Marine API
1 of 1 configured model points availableCurrentSep 22, 6:30 PM GMT-5
Open-Meteo Weather API
1 of 1 configured model points availableCurrentSep 22, 6:30 PM GMT-5
Copernicus Marine Global Ocean Waves
Copernicus Marine requires an account/toolbox workflow and no independently connected response is available.UnavailableNo source time
Surf-Forecast public pages
Spot discovery and break-specific HTML fallbackNot applicableNo source time
Surfline public spot pages
Break-specific comparison, cams, and metadataNot applicableNo source time

How best guesses are made

Best guesses combine usable wave and wind evidence, with qualitative confidence and specific limitations. A missing tide or local surf-height model does not prevent useful guidance. Tide levels use the named station datum; their effect at this break remains uncertain. Wind direction is relative to the mapped beach orientation, without calibrated terrain or shelter effects. The comparison is a heuristic, not a measured quality rating.