Hornitos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a 16-day look at the surf for the region, and I’ll be honest with you – it’s a slow grind for the first week and a half. The good news is there’s a solid pulse of energy coming in the very last week of August that could finally get things moving.

Hornitos is the only spot on the radar, and it’s a consistent, intermediate-level break that’s fairly exposed to the swell. It’s a spot that can handle a bit of a swell, but it’s going to be a patience game.

We kick off on Thursday, the 20th of August, with tiny 3 ft swell from the southwest. The energy is weak (371), and the wind is a light cross-on breeze. It’s not great, and the forecasts are calling it marginal. Friday and Saturday the 21st and 22nd are even worse – the swell drops to 2 ft, poor conditions, and the energy is just pathetic (as low as 113). Sunday the 23rd is barely a ripple at 1 ft and 85 weak energy. Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th are more of the same – tiny, weak, with cross-onshore breezes. Honestly, the first week is a write-off. There’s a gap of nearly 8 days where there’s nothing worth paddling out for.

Then, on Wednesday the 26th of August, things get interesting. The morning is still poor, but by the afternoon, the wind goes glassy. The swell is still only 2 ft, but the energy jumps to a moderate 153. It’s surfable but ordinary. Thursday the 27th sees the swell build to 3 ft, and the energy jumps to 415 (moderate) by the afternoon, but the wind is onshore or cross-on. Still not clean.

But hold onto your board. The standout is the period from Friday the 28th of August through to Sunday the 31st of August. The swell really kicks in. On Friday morning, we’re looking at 6 ft from the west-southwest with a long period of 17 seconds. That’s groundswell, and the energy is very strong (2093). The wind is a light cross-on breeze. By the afternoon, the swell hits 8 ft. That’s big, expert-level territory. The period is 16 seconds, and the energy is a massive 2583. This is the highlight of the whole forecast. The swell direction is right on the optimum for this spot (southwest). Saturday the 29th holds at 6 ft to 6 ft, still powerful (1370-1408 energy), and Sunday the 30th is solid at 6 ft to 6 ft. Even Monday the 31st has decent 5 ft to 6 ft swell. The wind is light cross-on or onshore, which is a bit of a bummer, but with that much energy and the glassy moments we saw, it’s the best we’ve got.

After that, from the 1st of September, the swell is still there (4 ft to 5 ft) but the period drops to 8-10 seconds, the energy is moderate, and the winds are all cross-on. Conditions are poor. The energy stays in the 400-650 range, which is moderate, but it’s not the same quality as that late August run.

So, for the best surfing, you want to be at Hornitos from Friday the 28th of August through Sunday the 31st of August. The big southwest groundswell is the real deal. It’s a long period swell, so it’s going to be a bit more lined up and powerful, but the cross-on wind might mess with the face. At 8 ft, that’s no joke – only for the experienced crew. The 6 ft to 6 ft days are more manageable but still big. It’s a consistent spot, so there will be waves, but with that kind of power, expect a crowd.

Rusty out.

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