Rosarito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Rosarito. I gotta be straight with you – this stretch of forecast is a tough one to read. We’re looking at a long, long gap right at the start with nothing really worth paddling out for. The conditions are just not playing ball for a good, clean surf session for many days in a row. But hold on, there is a flicker of hope way out in the second week.

The water is sitting at a very warm 73°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick wetsuit whenever you do get in.

The first real chance to even think about a wave comes right at the end of the first week, but it’s a real struggle. Friday morning, August 7th, we’ve got a long period groundswell from the SSW at 2 ft, with a period of 19 seconds. That’s proper energy for a beach and reef setup like Rosarito, and the combined energy is moderate at 508. The wind is offshore from the WNW at 9 mph, which is a good sign, but the overall call is still "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions". It’s just not clean enough to call it a standout.

From there, it’s a real grind. Saturday the 8th, Sunday the 9th, Monday the 10th – all the same story. Small swell, cross-onshore winds from the NW and W, and the wave comment is "poor surf conditions". The combined energy drops off, and the wind keeps it choppy. Tuesday the 11th is no better, with a tiny 1 ft to 2 ft from the SW and light cross-onshore breezes. This pattern of poor conditions just keeps going. Wednesday the 12th, Thursday the 13th, Friday the 14th, Saturday the 15th – it’s a constant battle with cross-onshore wind and small, weak swell. The combined energy reading on the 14th of August hits 689, which is moderate, but the wind is still ruining it. The following days up to the 22nd of August are all the same: cross-onshore winds from the NW, mostly 9 to 12 mph, and the swell is stuck between 2 ft and 4 ft, with periods dropping from 16 seconds down to 14 seconds. The wave comment is consistently "poor surf conditions". The combined energy gets up to 628 on the 22nd of August, but with the wind onshore, it’s just messy.

Look, if you’re a kite surfer, this constant cross-onshore wind and moderate swell might look interesting. But for paddle surfing, it’s a no-go. The setup is a beach and reef, and with the wind direction, it’s just not going to hold up.

So, the honest truth for Rosarito is this: there’s nothing to recommend. It’s a blank run of 16 days with no good surf. This kind of long stretch of poor conditions happens here sometimes. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because it can’t stay this way forever.

Rusty.

Read more