Hornitos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up at Hornitos. It’s going to be a bit of a mixed bag, so I’ll break it down day by day.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a little bit of swell rolling in, but the quality is going to be a struggle. The water is sitting at 65° with a 5° anomaly, so it’s much warmer than normal for this time of year, which is a nice touch if you’re paddling out.

The first real chance to get wet kicks off Tuesday, September 1st. Clean conditions with a light offshore breeze from the west, but the surf is small, around 4 ft from the southwest. The swell period is 11 seconds, so it’s a mix of ground and wind swell, with moderate energy (474). It’s not big, but it’s rideable if you’re on a log. The report flags it as marginal, so don’t expect firing waves.

Wednesday morning, September 2nd, looks similar: 3 ft from the southwest, clean offshore wind, and moderate energy (401). The afternoon drops right off to 2 ft with a super long 19-second period, which is a proper groundswell. That long period means the waves will have shape but will be very slow, with long lulls. It’s a tricky one.

Thursday, September 3rd, the morning offers 2 ft with a long 18-second period and clean offshore wind. The energy is moderate (410). Thursday afternoon picks up a touch to 3 ft, but the wind swings cross-onshore, so it’ll get a little bumpy. Still marginal.

Friday, September 4th, is the best of the early run. Morning sees 4 ft from the west-southwest with a 15-second period and clean offshore wind. The energy jumps to 700, which is moderate but pushing towards strong. This is the standout in the first week. The water is warm, the wind is good, and the swell is from the sweet spot. It’s not huge, but it’ll be clean and fun for an intermediate. The afternoon drops a bit to 4 ft, but the wind stays offshore, so don’t rush in.

From Saturday, September 5th, through to Monday, September 7th, the swell slowly fades from 3 ft down to 3 ft, with clean offshore winds most of the time. The energy drops from 499 to 348. The waves are small and weak, but the wind is good, so it’s a longboard-only kind of stretch.

Then we hit a dry spell. From Tuesday, September 8th, the winds start to get wonky, going cross-onshore, and the swell stays small. By Wednesday, September 9th, it’s officially poor – the energy drops to 254 and the wind is picking up to 9 mph. The surf is small, 2 ft, and the conditions are just messy. This poor run lasts all the way through to Monday, September 14th. The swell bumps up a little to 4 ft on the 13th, but the wind is cross-onshore and the energy is moderate (487). It’s not surfable quality.

The last chance comes on Tuesday, September 15th, with a small 3 ft south-west swell and a short 9-second period. The wind is light offshore in the morning, so it’s clean, but the energy is weak (275). It’s marginal. By Wednesday, the 16th, it’s tiny 1 ft and not worth it.

So, the pick of the fortnight is definitely Friday, September 4th. Hornitos is a consistent spot, but it’s not pumping this run. It’s a quiet period, but forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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