Hornitos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and listen up. This is a pretty specific look at Hornitos. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the second half of the week and the weekend after that are where the magic is hiding.

Right now, Monday 3rd, the swell is about 4 ft from the SW with a solid 12-second period. The energy is moderate (443), but the wind is straight onshore and the conditions are marginal. Not worth getting wet for. That continues through Tuesday and Wednesday morning with similar SW swell holding around 5 ft to 5 ft, but the wind is always either onshore or cross-onshore, keeping things messy.

Then we get a little window. Wednesday afternoon, 5th August, the wind drops to glassy. The swell is still 5 ft from the SW, 12-second period, and the energy is moderate (604). The report says "expect good surf conditions." That’s our first real chance for a clean wave. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing wild there.

Thursday 6th sees a spike in swell energy (1120) with a 5 ft SW groundswell running on a 16-second period - that’s proper long-period groundswell. The morning is blown out by onshore wind, but that afternoon the wind is light cross-onshore. The energy is still high (826). For a SW swell, Hornitos is fairly exposed, so it’ll be handling that energy. That long period (16s) means the sets will have some real push, but it might be a bit straight for the beach break setup. The crowd is only sometimes an issue here, so it won’t be a zoo.

Friday 7th through Sunday 9th is a write-off. The wind is up around 9-15 mph, cross-onshore, and the energy is moderate but the conditions are "poor" or "marginal". The swell is 5 ft with a short, choppy 10-second period. That’s a no-go.

Now, Monday 10th August is a standout if you’re an expert. The swell jumps to 7 ft in the morning and 7 ft in the afternoon from the SW, with energy through the roof (1566 and 1415). That’s strong wave energy. But the wind is cross-onshore and cross-shore, 9-12 mph, creating a cross-chop. For a beach/reef setup, this is going to be heavy, messy, and only for the very experienced. If you’re a kiter, this might be your playground.

The next true highlight is Friday afternoon, 14th August. We get a 3 ft SW swell with a 15-second period, and the wind goes glassy. The energy is light (385), but the report says "expect good surf conditions." That’s a clean, small-wave day for a log or a funboard.

Saturday afternoon, 15th August, is the same story: 3 ft SW, 14-second period, glassy wind. A perfect little clean-up session. The energy is a bit lower (320), but the conditions are spotless.

Then Sunday 16th and Monday 17th see a slight bump in swell to 4 ft with a 15-second period and moderate energy (740). The wind is onshore or cross-onshore, so it’s marginal again. Not a total loss, but those Friday and Saturday afternoons are the real winners.

To sum it up: the best on offer is a tie between Wednesday afternoon, 5th August for the clean glassy conditions on a 5 ft SW swell, and the Friday and Saturday afternoons of 14th and 15th August for the tiny, clean, glassy waves. The 10th of August has the size but the wind is a mess. Get on those glassy windows.

- Rusty

Read more