Surf Forecasts:
Hornitos surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 15s period, SW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 13s period, WSW swell with 491 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 15s 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 Sunday (Aug 16) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Hornitos in the next 16 days are 1.2m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5PM.
| Wave Type | Time (-04) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Hornitos over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what's cookin' for Hornitos over the next couple of weeks.
Alright, so we’ve got a bit of a slow start here. The first recommendation doesn’t come up until Sunday morning the 16th, and honestly, it's a real marginal one. For the first week or so, the swell is small and the winds are mostly cross or cross-onshore, so don't expect much. We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions and small waves through the middle of the week. It’s not until we get into the second half of the month that things start to look a bit more promising.
Let’s start with the first bit of action. Sunday morning the 16th, Hornitos has a small 3ft swell from the WSW, with a period of 10 seconds. The water temp is sitting at 64°, which is over two degrees warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s a nice little anomaly, and you’ll feel it. But the wind is a light cross-onshore, so the surface won’t be perfect. The combined energy is moderate at best (390). It’s surfable, but you’ll be scratching for the better ones. The wind stays light cross-onshore into the afternoon, with the swell dropping to 3ft but the period jumps to 16 seconds, which is a nice long groundswell. That energy reading is 438. Still, with that cross-onshore, it’s not the cleanest.
Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th are a write-off. Winds pick up, conditions get choppy, and the surf quality is poor. Don’t bother.
Wednesday the 19th morning shows a glimmer with a 3ft swell from the SW and a light cross-onshore breeze, but the score is still low. It’s marginal at best. The afternoon gets messy with a strong cross-shore wind.
Thursday the 20th morning looks a bit better with a 3ft swell from the SW, 14-second period, and an onshore wind that’s very light. The energy is moderate (409). It’s still marginal, but the wind is light enough to keep it clean-ish. The afternoon is similar with a light cross-onshore.
Friday the 21st is where we start to see a real highlight. Both the morning and afternoon sessions are glassy – that’s right, glassy! The swell is 3ft from the SW with a 9-second period, and the energy is moderate (247 and 249). It’s not big, but with zero wind and clean conditions, it’ll be fun on a longboard or a fish. This is the best of the first week, hands down. Just be aware that the period is a bit short, so the waves won’t have a ton of punch.
The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd is back to small and marginal. Saturday has a 3ft swell but with a light cross-onshore, and Sunday drops right off to 2ft. Not worth the paddle.
The start of the following week, from the 24th to the 27th, is really poor. Swell drops to 1ft to 2ft, and the conditions are just flat or very weak. It’s a real lull.
Now, let’s talk about the second week. The standout is shaping up for Friday the 28th. The afternoon session is looking prime – glassy conditions again, with a 3ft swell from the WSW, a solid 14-second period, and moderate energy (384). The wind is glass, so it will be clean as a whistle. This is a solid bet for a fun session.
Saturday the 29th sees a bit more size, with the swell jumping to 6ft from the WSW, 13-second period. The energy is strong (925 and 973). This is getting into the intermediate zone, and with a light cross-onshore, it’ll be a bit bumpy but definitely more powerful. This could be a good option for more experienced surfers, but it’s not as clean as Friday.
The rest of the second week, from the 30th into the 31st, shows some bigger swell (5ft to 6ft) but with increasing cross-shore and onshore winds, so the quality drops off again. The energy is still there (up to 1203), but the conditions are marginal. The Monday the 31st morning has a 6ft swell from the SW with a 13-second period and strong energy (1203), but the onshore wind is a problem.
So, my pick for the best of the whole window is Friday the 21st for the glassy conditions and clean fun waves, and then the afternoon of Friday the 28th for another glassy session with a bit better period. The Saturday the 29th is worth a look if you want more size, but expect some chop. Keep an eye on that second Friday – it’s the one to circle.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 16°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 9 | SW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
212 | 287 | 241 | 215 | 214 | 384 | 290 | 491 | 248 | 268 | 273 | 159 | 248 | 248 | 180 | 129 | 135 | 304 | 224 | 125 | 100 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 11:42AM1.09m | 00:20AM0.98m | 12:23PM0.96m | 1:06AM0.97m | 1:07PM0.82m | 1:57AM0.95m | 1:57PM0.69m | 2:56AM0.91m | 3:04PM0.60m | 4:06AM0.90m | 4:35PM0.55m | 5:19AM0.91m | 6:03PM0.55m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:07PM0.05m | 6:23AM0.19m | 6:42PM0.11m | 7:19AM0.27m | 7:18PM0.19m | 8:27AM0.33m | 7:59PM0.26m | 9:52AM0.37m | 8:51PM0.31m | 11:28AM0.35m | 10:03PM0.34m | 12:43PM0.31m | 11:19PM0.33m | ||||||||
7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | |
— | 6:24 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:25 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:27 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 19 |
Feels °C | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 7 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 9 | SW 10 |
212 | 151 | 241 | 215 | 214 | 384 | 290 | 491 | 248 | 268 | 273 | 139 | 161 | 117 | 86 | 129 | 135 | 304 | 224 | 125 | 100 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | W 13 | W 11 | WSW 18 | W 6 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 11 | SW 12 |
161 | 287 | 70 | 48 | 26 | 29 | 108 | 32 | 28 | 143 | 212 | 108 | 248 | 248 | 180 | 109 | 99 | 10 | 46 | 30 | 71 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | — | — | — | W 13 | W 10 | SW 20 | — | SW 16 | W 6 | W 12 | SW 16 | — | — | W 16 | W 21 | SW 20 | SW 20 | NNW 3 | SW 13 | SW 17 |
17 | — | — | — | 3 | 18 | 15 | — | 96 | 17 | 3 | 159 | — | — | 5 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 1 | 28 | 11 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | — | — | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 127 | 78 | 0 | 61 | 127 | 0 | 61 | 84 | 0 | 71 | 305 | 0 | 78 | 127 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 127 | 78 | 4 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Antofagasta | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Chile | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











