Hornitos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's cookin' at Hornitos. It's a bit of a slow burn over the next couple of weeks, but there are a few moments that might just get the heart rate up.

The overall pattern is a long stretch of small, windy, and pretty ordinary conditions, with a couple of nice windows of opportunity tucked away in there. It’s not going to be pumping, but if you’re patient, there’s something worth paddling out for.

We kick off on Wednesday the 12th of August with next to nothing. The swell is a weak 2ft from the SW with 240 units of energy – just a puddle – and that west wind is blowing straight onshore. Thursday the 13th through to Tuesday the 18th is a grind of consistent but marginal surf. Swell sizes hover around 2ft to 4ft, mostly from the SW or WSW. The real story here is a very long-period groundswell from the WSW that hits on Thursday morning with an 18-second period and 466 units of energy. That kind of period at a fairly exposed spot like Hornitos means the waves will have real shape and push, but they can also break a bit too straight for a beach break. The morning winds are light and onshore, so it’s not a total loss, but it’s not clean either. This stretch is described as marginal, with questionable tide conditions, so don't expect perfection.

The first real standout, and possibly the best on offer in the whole outlook, arrives on Tuesday the 18th of August during the afternoon. We’ve got a 3ft SW swell, 408 units of energy, and – get this – a glassy surface. The wind is recorded as “glass” from the west at only 3 mph. That’s a major positive. The waves will be clean, small, but perfectly formed for a longboard or a funboard. This is your window.

Wednesday the 19th sees the swell bump up to 4ft, but the cross-onshore wind from the SSW messes it up, especially in the afternoon when it picks up to 9 mph and gets choppy. Thursday the 20th is glassy again with a 3ft SW swell, but the conditions are still described as marginal. Might be worth a look if you’re keen.

We then hit a lull from Friday the 21st through Monday the 24th. Swell drops right back to 2ft to 3ft, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore. There are a couple of glassy pockets on Saturday the 22nd morning (2ft, 118 units) and Sunday the 23rd afternoon (3ft, 287 units), but the energy is weak and the surfable waves are described as "very ordinary." This is not the time to go charging.

Another stretch of poor conditions runs from Monday the 24th through Tuesday the 25th with fading swell and increasing cross-onshore winds.

Finally, right at the tail end of the outlook on Wednesday the 26th and into Thursday the 27th of August, we see a bit of a pulse. A new WSW swell builds, with energy hitting 523 units on Wednesday morning and 537 units that afternoon, but the swell height is only 3ft. The periods are long (17 seconds) which again suggests good shape, but the wind is light and onshore or cross-onshore. These are described as marginal, but it’s a promise of something building for the very end of the window. Keep an eye on it.

So, my pick for the best surf is that glassy Tuesday 18th August afternoon. Second choice would be the glassy windows on Saturday the 22nd morning or Sunday the 23rd afternoon, but the swell is much weaker.

Rusty.

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