Rosarito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a seat, surfers. Rusty here, and I’ve got the lowdown on our local stretch.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s gonna be a tough couple of weeks for paddle surfing at Rosarito. We’ve got a long, dry spell ahead. The first real glimmer of anything worth paddling out for doesn't show up until Friday, August 7th, and even then, it’s only just creeping into marginal territory.

For the first four days, from Monday, August 3rd through Thursday, August 6th, it’s pretty much a write-off. Swell is tiny, around 2 ft to 2 ft, and while the wind is light and sometimes directly onshore, the surf is just flat and weak. The wave energy is low – just not enough push to get excited about.

Then we hit a bit of a shift. Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th bring a bit more life. The swell picks up slightly to 2 ft to 3 ft, and crucially, we see a long-period groundswell from the SSW and SW with periods hitting 16 to 19 seconds. That’s proper energy rolling in. The water’s running at 72° which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice surprise.

But here’s the catch. The wind is mostly light and cross-onshore, putting a little bump on the surface. The forecast calls it marginal, and honestly, for a spot like Rosarito that’s exposed to the SW, those long-period swells can sometimes be a bit tricky. They might be better suited for a more defined setup, but for a beach and reef mix, it’s worth a look if you’re desperate. Friday morning looks the best bet with that 2 ft, 19-second groundswell and clean conditions before the wind turns later.

After that brief pulse, it fades again. Sunday the 9th through to Tuesday the 12th of August drops back into the poor category, with small swell and persistent cross-onshore breezes making for messy conditions. Mid-week sees a bit of a bump in energy again, but the wind turns moderate from the NW, creating chop.

The second week, from August 14th onward, is a frustrating mix. Swell stays around 2 ft to 3 ft, but the wind is almost always a cross-onshore from the NW or W. The wave energy is moderate to strong, but the quality just isn’t there for a good paddle. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of this period.

Then, on Tuesday, August 18th, we finally get a glimmer of hope. The afternoon shows rain showers and a light cross-offshore breeze from the SSE. The swell is still small at 2 ft, but the conditions are clean. This is the first time in the whole forecast we see “expect good surf conditions.” It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but if that wind holds, it could be a sneaky little session to end the drought.

Overall, we’ve got a lot of flat, bumpy water to wade through. The standout window, if you can call it that, is Friday, August 7th, morning. The water is warm, the swell has some real grunt, and it’s the cleanest we’ll see for a while. After that, it’s a waiting game until the 18th.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

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