
Surf Forecasts:
Hornitos surf forecast from 19 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 11s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s period, WSW swell with 531 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s period with WSW 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Hornitos in the next 16 days are 1.4m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (-04) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hornitos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming up for Hornitos over the next couple of weeks.
It’s a bit of a slow start, but patience is going to pay off. The first few days are pretty average, with a mix of onshore and cross-onshore winds messing up what could be a fun little 3 to 4 ft WSW swell. The wave energy is moderate (around 414 to 509 on the scale), but the wind just isn’t playing ball. The water temp is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Sunday afternoon (19 July) is actually the first real glimpse of something decent. The wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the NNE, and the surf cleans right up. The swell is a waist-high 4 ft from the WSW with a period of 12 seconds – that’s a nice, solid groundswell. The energy is moderate (444), and the conditions are described as clean. This is the best of the opening week, a real little window of fun.
Monday and Tuesday slip back into marginal conditions. The swell drops a touch, and the wind goes back onshore or cross-on. The wave energy dips to the 340 level, and it’s nothing to get excited about.
We get a slight lift on Thursday morning (23 July) with the swell pushing to 5 ft from the SW, but the cross-onshore wind keeps it a bit messy. The energy climbs to 568, which is moderate, but the quality isn’t there.
Now, Friday afternoon (24 July) is a real highlight. The wind goes glassy – flat calm – and the 3 ft SW swell at 10 seconds becomes super clean. The energy is 283, which is on the lower end of moderate, but with those clean conditions, it’s a great session for a small board. This is a standout for the first week.
The weekend of 26-27 July sees a tiny drop in size, but a very interesting shift. The period jumps to 14-16 seconds on Sunday morning (26 July) and Monday morning (27 July). That’s a very long period groundswell, but it’s only 2 to 3 ft. The energy is actually moderate (352 to 527), which shows the power in those long lines. The Sunday afternoon (26 July) is glassy, so that’s another clean, small-wave window. This kind of swell can be tricky at a beach break, but Hornitos is fairly exposed, so it might just wrap in nicely.
The real stand-out, the one you’ve been waiting for, is the end of the month. Tuesday morning (28 July) the swell jumps to 5 ft from the WSW, and the energy rockets to 1193 – that’s strong wave energy. Tuesday afternoon sees it punch up to 6 ft with a 14-second period and energy of 1929. That’s a serious pulse. The wind is still cross-onshore, so it’s not perfect, but the power is undeniable.
Then, Wednesday morning (29 July) is the absolute pick of the whole forecast. The swell is a solid 6 ft from the WSW, period of 13 seconds, and the wind is glassy. The energy is 1038 (strong), and the conditions are described as “very good”. This is a serious session for experienced surfers – over 5 ft so it’s pushing beginners, but for the intermediates and above, this is a classic winter swell. The crowd is listed as “sometimes”, so you might get a few others out, but it won’t be a circus.
After that, the swell drops off quickly. Thursday and Friday (30-31 July) see it fade to 4 ft and then down to 1 ft with very weak energy (79-91). The long period on Friday afternoon (31 July) is 16 seconds, but there’s just no size.
The first weekend of August (1-2) offers a little recovery. Saturday afternoon (1 August) is glassy with a 3 ft WSW swell (13 seconds, energy 384), and Sunday afternoon (2 August) is also glassy with a nice 4 ft SW swell (12 seconds, energy 510). Both are clean, fun waves.
So, the best on offer is clear: Sunday afternoon (19 July) for a clean, fun opener, and the absolute standout is Wednesday morning (29 July) for a powerful, glassy, groundswell session. The second week looks promising but a bit less certain, with the glassy afternoon windows on 1 and 2 August being the safe bets.
Stay stoked, and keep an eye on that Wednesday morning.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 17°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Fri morning, min 18°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | SW 11 | SW 11 | WSW 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 9 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | WSW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
437 | 374 | 370 | 356 | 314 | 293 | 283 | 263 | 198 | 250 | 288 | 521 | 415 | 354 | 292 | 177 | 173 | 278 | 233 | 220 | 196 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:01PM1.08m | 1:55AM0.89m | 1:48PM0.93m | 2:51AM0.91m | 2:39PM0.80m | 3:50AM0.92m | 3:40PM0.68m | 4:52AM0.93m | 4:54PM0.61m | 5:51AM0.96m | 6:09PM0.58m | 6:45AM0.99m | 7:12PM0.59m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:39PM0.07m | 7:47AM0.28m | 8:20PM0.13m | 8:58AM0.34m | 9:04PM0.19m | 10:21AM0.37m | 9:52PM0.24m | 11:46AM0.36m | 10:47PM0.27m | 12:57PM0.31m | 11:44PM0.28m | 1:52PM0.26m | 00:38AM0.26m | ||||||||
7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | |
— | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | SW 11 | SW 11 | WSW 10 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 9 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | WSW 11 |
437 | 374 | 370 | 356 | 314 | 293 | 283 | 263 | 198 | 250 | 288 | 521 | 415 | 354 | 292 | 177 | 173 | 278 | 233 | 220 | 196 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SSW 11 | WNW 20 | WNW 20 | WNW 19 | SW 13 | SW 20 | WNW 18 | SW 18 | W 17 | SW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 |
67 | 65 | 56 | 54 | 49 | 51 | 47 | 30 | 29 | 11 | 77 | 75 | 72 | 27 | 60 | 60 | 50 | 49 | 80 | 107 | 171 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 10 | W 22 | WNW 21 | WSW 3 | WNW 21 | WNW 20 | SW 26 | SW 24 | SW 22 | WNW 19 | WNW 19 | SW 19 | WSW 12 | SW 18 | WNW 16 | SW 20 | WNW 16 |
5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 45 | 1 | 43 | 40 | 26 | 88 | 73 | 69 | 69 | 59 | 26 | 49 | 53 | 61 | 85 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 2 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 127 | 0 | 0 | 127 | 61 | 0 | 305 | 305 | 172 | 305 | 179 | 0 | 305 | 305 | 0 | 127 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 84 |
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.










