Reef

left

Level 5/10

Punta Ballenas

Mancora, Piura, Peru

🪸Sharp reef🦈Sharks

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Punta Ballenas ("Whale Point") is a left reef break near Mancora, offering a more challenging alternative to the town wave. The name refers to the humpback whales that migrate through these waters.

Punta Ballenas surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today3

Poor

1.4mSW@16s

20km/h

1.4m@16s

20km/h

Wed4

Poor

1.3mSW@15s

15km/h

1.3m@15s

15km/h

Thu5

Fair

1.4mSW@15s

11km/h

1.4m@15s

11km/h

Fri6

Poor

1.1mSW@14s

9km/h

1.1m@14s

9km/h

Sat7

Poor

1.1mSW@15s

11km/h

1.1m@15s

11km/h

Sun8

Fair

1.2mSSW@15s

11km/h

1.2m@15s

11km/h

Mon9

Poor

1.1mSW@14s

14km/h

1.1m@14s

14km/h

Tue10

Poor

0.9mSW@14s

9km/h

0.9m@14s

9km/h

Wed11

Poor

0.8mSW@16s

12km/h

0.8m@16s

12km/h

Thu12

Poor

1.1mSW@16s

14km/h

1.1m@16s

14km/h

5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 18 km/h · PM 26 km/h · Tide at 10am (1.2m)

Swell

1.4m

SW(230°)

Score: 15/25

Period

16s

Groundswell

Score: 25/25

Wind

20km/h

S(187°)

Score: 1/25

Weather

30°C

0.0mm67%

First light 5:29amSunrise 5:59amSunset 6:15pmLast light 6:45pm

Windswell

0.8m@3s

Secondary

0.3m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.4m @16s SW outside window

Wind20 km/h S onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:29am–3:46pm · through highStrike window: 5:38–6:45pm · risingIdeal tide: 0.4–1.5m

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

24°

28°

33°

34°

28°

24°

28°

29°

27°

24°

26°

27°

26°

24°

27°

26°

27°

26°

24°

27°

28°

27°

25°

27°

28°

27°

25°

27°

28°

27°

25°

27°

29°

28°

27°

25°

26°

27°

28°

27°

25°

27°

29°

27°

2m1.0

sec

16s

15s

14s

15s

14s

16s

swell

windkm/h

17g27

19g34

12g30

22g38

31g54

7g14

2g17

20g38

19g36

22g36

13g23

9g18

7g22

15g29

12g22

3g8

3g12

13g26

14g26

13g21

14g23

8g25

13g30

11g32

6g21

5g10

6g18

16g28

16g35

11g30

19g32

7g28

17g31

14g35

14g34

12g29

3g28

10g28

8g32

16g37

11g26

2g26

14g29

16g32

14g34

18g27

11g28

12g29

15g33

15g37

tidem

4:36am0.4m

10:40am1.2m

4:42pm0.3m

5:48am0.3m

11:50am1.3m

5:55pm0.3m

6:42am0.2m

12:54pm1.4m

6:54pm0.3m

1:01am1.5m

7:26am0.1m

1:44pm1.5m

7:42pm0.3m

1:46am1.6m

8:06am0.1m

2:26pm1.6m

8:26pm0.3m

2:23am1.6m

8:42am0.0m

3:04pm1.6m

9:05pm0.3m

3:00am1.6m

9:15am0.0m

3:42pm1.7m

9:41pm0.3m

3:36am1.6m

9:50am0.1m

4:16pm1.7m

10:18pm0.3m

4:07am1.5m

10:22am0.1m

4:51pm1.6m

4:44am1.4m

10:58am0.1m

5:30pm1.5m

Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

4:36 am

Low · 0.38m

10:40 am

High · 1.19m

4:42 pm

Low · 0.35m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction4/25

Swell Size15/25

Swell Period25/25

Wind1/25

Raw Score45/100

Adjustments

🌊💨 Windswell-3

🌊 Tide+5

💨 Gusty Wind-5

⚠️ Weak Component-5

Adjusted Score37/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score37

🌊 Optimal tide window

Plan Your Strike

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

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.4m @16s SW outside window

Wind20 km/h S onshore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: S (180°)
Direction range: 165° - 200°
Size range: 1.2m - 2.4m
Ideal size: 1.7m - 2.1m
Height multiplier: 0.97×
Ideal period: 16s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: ESE (112°)
Offshore range: 90° - 135°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid
Optimal range: 0.4m - 1.5m

Water temp

23°C

Wetsuit

Springsuit / 2mm

Difficulty

5/10

Crowd level

3/10

Access: Near Mancora. Point break.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is Punta Ballenas?

Punta Ballenas is a reef break in Mancora, Piura, Peru, that mostly breaks left.

What swell works best at Punta Ballenas?

Punta Ballenas picks up swell from the SSE round to the SSW, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the S. That's a tight window, so it needs the swell direction to line up. It starts working at around 1.2m and handles up to about 2.4m, with the sweet spot around 1.7 to 2.1m. Period matters too: aim for 16s or longer, as anything under 12s tends to be weak. These are the numbers our scoring uses, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.

What wind is offshore at Punta Ballenas?

An ESE wind is dead offshore at Punta Ballenas, and anything from the E round to the SE keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 6am to 11am. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.

What tide is best at Punta Ballenas?

Punta Ballenas is at its best around mid tide, roughly 0.4m to 1.5m on the local chart.

When is the best time of year to surf Punta Ballenas?

The most reliable run of swell at Punta Ballenas comes Apr to Sep. There's a second window in Mar and Oct too. Near Mancora. S swells.

How cold is the water at Punta Ballenas?

The water at Punta Ballenas averages around 23°C, so you'll want a springsuit or 2mm. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.

Is Punta Ballenas good for beginners?

It's more of an intermediate wave, rated 5/10 for difficulty, so newer surfers are best off sticking to the smaller days. The lineup is usually quiet (crowd 3/10). Reef break. Marine life.

How do I get to Punta Ballenas?

The nearest airport on our list is PIU, then it's roughly a 2-hour drive. Near Mancora. Point break.

What other surf spots are near Punta Ballenas?

The closest breaks we track are Mancora (1.1 km), Los Organos Reef (10 km) and Organitos (11 km), handy when Punta Ballenas isn't working.

Best Season

Peak: Apr-Sep

Secondary: Mar, Oct

Near Mancora. S swells.

Getting There

Airport

PIU

Drive time

120 min

Data quality

community

🤙 Strike Specialist

The Strike Specialist in Peru is Peru Surf Trip And Soul. Get in touch with them for the best chance of scoring the best waves in Peru — and don't forget to tell 'em Barrel D sent ya.

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