Hornitos Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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.

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