Reef
left
Level 6/10

Hueso de Ballena

Iquique, Chile
🪸Sharp reef🪨Rocks

Hueso de Ballena ("Whale Bone") is a left reef break in Iquique named for whale bones found on the shore. A quality wave that offers a less intense option compared to the heavy slabs nearby.

Hueso de Ballena surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast
Today20
30
Poor
0.9m@11s
8km/h
Mon21
38
Poor
1.0m@12s
8km/h
Tue22
62
Fair
1.5m@11s
6km/h
Wed23
63
Fair
1.7m@11s
6km/h
Thu24
30
Poor
1.1m@9s
6km/h
Fri25
30
Poor
0.9m@13s
7km/h
Sat26
70
Good
1.5m@15s
6km/h
Sun27
58
Fair
1.5m@14s
6km/h
Mon28
49
Fair
1.2m@12s
6km/h
Tue29
16
Poor
0.8m@11s
8km/h
5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 5 km/h · PM 12 km/h · Tide at 5am (0.8m)
Swell
0.9m
SW(230°)
Score: 3/25
Period
11s
Medium period swell
Score: 4/25
Wind
8km/h
SW(220°)
Score: 13/25
Weather
20°C
0.0mm89%
First light 7:01amSunrise 7:31amSunset 7:36pmLast light 8:06pm
Windswell0.1m@1sSecondary0.4mConfidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 7:01–9:49am · droppingStrike window: 4:00–7:45pm · through highIdeal tide: 0.4–1.4m
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
°C
18°
19°
21°
22°
21°
16°
19°
21°
22°
20°
16°
19°
21°
22°
20°
17°
19°
22°
22°
21°
16°
19°
22°
23°
21°
16°
19°
21°
22°
21°
18°
19°
21°
23°
21°
18°
19°
21°
22°
21°
18°
19°
21°
23°
21°
18°
19°
21°
22°
21°
2m1.0
sec
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
15s
15s
15s
15s
15s
14s
14s
14s
14s
14s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
swell
windkm/h
4g9
6g16
9g27
12g33
13g33
3g8
3g10
10g28
11g31
12g31
3g8
3g10
10g28
10g30
9g27
0g4
0g7
9g28
10g32
9g30
1g4
2g9
7g25
11g32
10g31
2g8
4g12
7g23
12g33
9g36
1g10
2g10
7g21
11g32
9g35
1g9
2g9
7g21
11g33
9g35
2g9
2g9
8g21
12g34
8g38
8g25
4g26
8g30
12g34
7g36
tidem
5:12am0.8m
12:45pm0.3m
5:50pm0.5m
6:04am0.8m
1:30pm0.2m
6:45pm0.5m
6:52am0.9m
2:00pm0.1m
7:30pm0.5m
12:55am0.2m
7:30am0.9m
2:18pm0.1m
8:04pm0.6m
1:36am0.1m
8:02am1.0m
2:48pm0.1m
8:43pm0.7m
2:18am0.1m
8:40am1.0m
3:13pm0.0m
9:13pm0.8m
3:02am0.1m
9:15am1.0m
3:35pm0.0m
9:45pm0.9m
3:40am0.1m
9:53am1.0m
4:02pm0.0m
10:17pm1.0m
4:24am0.1m
10:30am0.9m
4:30pm0.0m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

5:12 am
High tide - 0.79m
12:45 pm
Low tide - 0.25m
5:50 pm
High tide - 0.45m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

30
Poor
Components
Swell Direction21/25
Swell Size3/25
Swell Period4/25
Wind13/25
Raw Score41/100
Adjustments
🌊 Tide+3
💨 Gusty Wind-4
📉 Undersized Swell-10
🚫 Undersized Capmax 44
Adjusted Score30/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score30
🌊 Mostly in the tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to IQQ, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
SW (225°)
Direction range
200° - 250°
Size range
1.2m - 2.4m
Ideal size
1.7m - 2.1m
Height multiplier
0.97×
Ideal period
16s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
ENE (67°)
Offshore range
45° - 90°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.4m - 1.4m

Water temp

17°C

Wetsuit

3/2mm fullsuit

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

3/10

Access: Iquique area.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Hueso de Ballena?

The Hueso de Ballena profile favors mid tide, ideally between 0.4m and 1.4m on the local tide chart. Compare this preference with the forecast tide and local conditions before choosing a session.

What wind direction is offshore at Hueso de Ballena?

The Hueso de Ballena profile uses wind from ENE (67°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 45° to 90°. Wind speed matters too: light winds outside that range can still produce surfable conditions, while strong offshore winds can make takeoffs difficult.

What swell size and direction work best at Hueso de Ballena?

The Hueso de Ballena scoring profile favors swell from SW (200° to 250°), a swell-height range of 1.2m to 2.4m, and a reference period of 16s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.

When is the best time of year to surf Hueso de Ballena?

The main season at Hueso de Ballena is Apr-Sep. A secondary window runs Mar, Oct. Quality reef. Less intense.

How do I get to Hueso de Ballena?

The spot profile lists IQQ as a nearby airport. The estimated road transfer is 10 minutes. Iquique area.

What kind of wave is Hueso de Ballena?

Hueso de Ballena is a reef break, a left-hander. Difficulty is rated 6/10.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Sep

Secondary: Mar, Oct

Quality reef. Less intense.

Getting There

Airport
IQQ
Drive time
10 min
Data quality
community

Strike Log

Community Discussion