
Surf Forecasts:
Hornitos surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 12s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,402 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 12s 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 Tuesday (Aug 04) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m 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 1.7m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (-04) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hornitos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here, looking at the next couple of weeks at Hornitos. It’s not a total write-off, but we’ve got a lot of marginal conditions to wade through before we find a proper window. The standout is a brief, clean session early on, and then a longer shot toward the end of the second week that could be something special if the stars align.
First up, Tuesday morning, August 4th, is your best bet early on. We’ve got a 5 ft SW groundswell, with a 12-second period, and the wind is glassy, offshore from the NW at only 3 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 619, and it’s going to be clean. That’s the one to get on. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
After that morning, the wind swings and the quality drops. Tuesday afternoon and all of Wednesday through to the weekend are mostly cross-on or onshore, with the swell holding around 5 ft to 5 ft but the energy cranking up into the strong range (1050 on Thursday morning). Unfortunately, the wind is on it, so the surf will be messy. The swell period is solid – 13 to 14 seconds – but without clean wind, it’s just a frustrating lump.
By Sunday morning, August 9th, the swell drops to 2 ft, and we’ve got a long period of 14 seconds, but it’s onshore and the energy is moderate (457). Not worth the paddle.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting for the patient crowd. Tuesday morning, August 11th, we get a brief window of cross-off wind from the SSE at 6 mph, with a 5 ft SW groundswell at 13 seconds and moderate energy (642). The comment says “clean,” and that’s the next real chance for a good session. The swell is a bit over 5 ft, so it’s getting into intermediate territory, but the clean conditions will make it work.
After that, we hit a dry spell. Wednesday through to Saturday, August 12th to 15th, the swell is small – 2 ft to 4 ft – with short periods and poor onshore wind. The combined energy drops to weak (240-545). It’s a proper gap of a few days with nothing worth chasing.
Then, on Sunday morning, August 16th, the swell picks back up to 5 ft from the SW, 12-second period, and the wind is onshore from the W at 6 mph. The energy is strong (718), but the onshore wind means it’s marginal. Not a standout.
The real long-range hope is Monday morning, August 17th, and Tuesday morning, August 18th. On Monday, the swell is only 2 ft, but the period is a massive 20 seconds – that’s very long-period groundswell. The energy is moderate (565). For a point break or reef, that could be perfect, but at a beach break, it might be too straight. The wind is onshore from the WSW at 6 mph, so it’s unknown quality. Tuesday morning, August 18th, is more promising: 3 ft SW swell at 17 seconds, still very long period, and the energy is strong (808). The wind is onshore, but the comment is “marginal.” If that wind backs off, this could be the best of the lot, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it.
Overall, the best on offer is Tuesday morning, August 4th, with that glassy, clean 5 ft SW swell. The second best is Tuesday morning, August 11th, with the clean cross-off wind. The long-period stuff on August 17-18 is a promise, not a guarantee.
Stay stoked, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 10 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
635 | 614 | 614 | 635 | 522 | 514 | 407 | 688 | 752 | 1077 | 767 | 663 | 512 | 200 | 179 | 241 | 173 | 872 | 821 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 00:58AM0.86m | 12:47PM0.90m | 1:45AM0.89m | 1:32PM0.79m | 2:42AM0.92m | 2:31PM0.69m | 3:49AM0.96m | 3:53PM0.61m | 5:02AM1.03m | 5:25PM0.58m | 6:11AM1.11m | 6:43PM0.61m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:48AM0.30m | 7:15PM0.16m | 7:49AM0.35m | 7:53PM0.19m | 9:08AM0.37m | 8:43PM0.22m | 10:44AM0.35m | 9:48PM0.23m | 12:12PM0.28m | 11:02PM0.22m | 1:19PM0.18m | 00:13AM0.17m | |||||||
— | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | |
6:20 | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 20 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 10 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
635 | 614 | 614 | 635 | 522 | 514 | 407 | 688 | 752 | 1077 | 767 | 663 | 512 | 200 | 179 | 241 | 172 | 872 | 821 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 12 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 8 | NW 11 | W 11 | W 11 | SW 18 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 15 | SW 11 | SW 20 | SW 18 |
6 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 95 | 84 | 188 | 357 | 126 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 137 | 125 | 174 | 112 | 134 | 249 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 11 | — | — | — | W 10 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 11 | SSW 14 | W 11 | — |
— | — | — | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | 2 | 43 | 91 | 79 | 173 | 2 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 78 | 0 | 127 | 61 | 0 | 127 | 127 | 172 | 127 | 221 | 0 | 305 | 221 | 0 | 305 | 221 | 221 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Antofagasta | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Chile | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











