Surf Forecasts:
Hornitos surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 17s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 16s period, WSW swell with 1,787 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 9s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Hornitos this week:
The surf forecast for Hornitos over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Hornitos in the next 16 days are 1.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (-04) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hornitos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what we've got coming up at Hornitos. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel if you can wait.
Right now, we're in a pretty flat spell. The opening days, from Friday 21st August right through the rest of the week, are looking pretty ordinary. The swell is tiny, only around 1 to 3 ft, and it's coming from the SW. The wind is mostly on it or cross-onshore, so it's not going to be clean. This is a period to sit out. Honestly, the combination of tiny swell and poor conditions means the wave energy is weak. Not worth paddling out for.
We do see a glimmer of something on Sunday morning the 23rd. The swell is still a tiny 1 ft from the SW, but the wind goes glassy. It’s surfable but very ordinary. It’s not going to get your heart racing, but if you’re desperate for a splash, it’s the cleanest it'll be all weekend.
Then we hit a real dry spell. Monday 24th through to Wednesday 27th August is mostly poor with tiny, weak swell and cross-onshore winds. Nothing to recommend there.
Finally, things start to get interesting. The standout period looks to be kicking off around Friday 28th August. We get a solid pulse of SW swell jumping to 7 ft with a very long period of 16 seconds, and the energy is cranking. This is proper groundswell. For a spot like Hornitos, which is fairly exposed to the SW, this could line up really well. The morning looks best with a light offshore wind from the W. Keep in mind this swell is getting big; at 7 ft it’s getting into the expert-only territory. That long period of 16 seconds also means it might break a little straight, but for a SW-exposed spot, there should be some nice lines. The water temp at Hornitos is currently 65°F, which is about 5° warmer than usual for this time of year, so you’re looking at a much warmer than normal session.
The swell does back off a touch over that weekend, from 5 to 6 ft on the 29th and 30th of August, but the W wind holds in the mornings, keeping the conditions clean. The wave energy stays substantial. This is a great window.
Looking into the first week of September, the swell drops back again. From Monday 1st September onwards, we’re back to smaller SW swell, around 3 to 5 ft, but the afternoons get chopped up by a 15 km/h SW wind. The mornings with a light W wind will be the better bet, but the wave energy is only moderate.
There’s another promising pulse showing up on the charts for Saturday 5th September. That SW groundswell is forecast to pump up to 5 to 6 ft with a 16-second period and strong energy. It's a week and a half away, so take it with a pinch of salt, but the raw numbers are mouth-watering. The only caveat is that the wind looks like it might be cross-onshore or onshore, so it might not be as clean as the late August window.
Best bet for this period: If you can only pick one window, make it Friday 28th August through Sunday 30th August. That Friday morning with the 7 ft SW swell and light offshore wind at Hornitos is the standout. It's big, it's clean, and the energy is there. For the brave, it’s going to be pumping.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri afternoon, min 17°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 20°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
PM | 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 9 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 11 | SW 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 18 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
119 | 101 | 84 | 67 | 80 | 89 | 30 | 25 | 30 | 24 | 20 | 34 | 64 | 55 | 80 | 158 | 101 | 220 | 247 | 817 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | on | cross | glassy | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 4:35PM0.55m | 5:19AM0.91m | 6:03PM0.55m | 6:21AM0.96m | 7:03PM0.58m | 7:10AM1.01m | 7:45PM0.62m | 7:50AM1.07m | 8:20PM0.68m | 8:26AM1.12m | 8:53PM0.73m | 8:58AM1.15m | 9:24PM0.79m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:03PM0.34m | 12:43PM0.31m | 11:19PM0.33m | 1:33PM0.25m | 00:20AM0.30m | 2:11PM0.20m | 1:07AM0.25m | 2:42PM0.15m | 1:48AM0.20m | 3:10PM0.12m | 2:25AM0.16m | 3:37PM0.09m | 3:02AM0.14m | |||||||
— | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | |
6:27 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 |
Feels °C | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SSW 9 | SW 9 | SSW 9 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 4 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 18 |
119 | 101 | 84 | 67 | 80 | 89 | 30 | 19 | 30 | 17 | 17 | 34 | 64 | 7 | 80 | 158 | 101 | 220 | 247 | 817 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | W 10 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 9 | SW 3 | WSW 9 | SSW 8 | SW 4 | SSW 11 | SW 5 | SW 11 | SW 5 | WSW 20 | WSW 20 | WSW 11 |
99 | 66 | 31 | 30 | 23 | 8 | 29 | 25 | 22 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 50 | 9 | 59 | 8 | 80 | 149 | 215 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 20 | W 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 17 | SW 16 | W 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 14 | WSW 9 | SSW 8 | SW 15 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 10 | NW 15 | W 13 | NW 14 |
15 | 11 | 24 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 15 | 13 | 24 | 20 | 8 | 6 | 55 | 23 | 23 | 33 | 9 | 3 | 8 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 305 | 0 | 127 | 61 | 51 | 0 | 78 | 51 | 480 | 61 | 61 | 366 | 127 | 0 | 0 | 78 | 0 | 78 | 78 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Antofagasta | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Chile | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Hornitos Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Hornitos provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Hornitos can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Hornitos 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 (Hornitos) 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 Hornitos 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.
Hornitos is 22 km (14 miles) from the city of Mejillones. If you plan a holiday in Antofagasta, look for hotels and other accommodation in Mejillones. Mejillones has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











