Rosarito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Rosarito's got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – the start of this forecast is a bit of a grind. We're looking at a few days of pretty average, cross-onshore wind and choppy conditions that are going to make things tough. Monday the 7th kicks off with some waist-to-chest high swell, around 6ft, but that 12 mph wind from the NNW is going to put a real chop on the surface. The combined wave energy is pretty meaty though, sitting at 1037 (moderate to strong), but it's just not clean. The water’s a pleasant 70°, which is about normal for this time of year. The afternoon and Tuesday are more of the same, just smaller and choppier, so not much to get excited about.

Things start to look a little more promising from Wednesday the 9th. The wind drops right back to a light breeze, coming from the west, which is actually offshore for Rosarito. The swell drops to a knee-to-waist high 2ft to 3ft, but the period jumps to 16 seconds. That's a proper groundswell, and it’s going to have some real shape to it. The energy is still moderate (357-441). It's marginal, but early morning on Wednesday and Thursday with that offshore wind could serve up some clean, fun little waves if you're on a log or a fish. Thursday afternoon sees a little more size, up to 4ft, with a light cross-onshore breeze, but it’s still clean enough to be worth a look.

Friday the 11th we get a bit more size, still around 3ft, with a 15-second period and a cross-shore wind from the SSW. The morning session might be the pick with the cross-shore wind keeping things a little less choppy than the afternoon. The energy is holding steady in the moderate range (503).

After that, we hit a bit of a flat spell. From Saturday the 12th right through to the middle of the following week, we’re looking at a lot of small, weak swell with periods that drop off and conditions that are just "poor". It's a real bummer of a stretch, about 4-5 days where I wouldn't bother paddling out unless you're desperate for a float.

Now, hold onto your leashes, because the real standout starts to set up on Friday the 18th. We’ve got a very long-period groundswell hitting, with a 19-second period and a combined energy of 580 (moderate). The swell is small, only 2ft, but the magic is in the wind. On Friday afternoon, we get a light offshore breeze from the ESE. The forecast says "expect very good surf conditions" and calls it "clean". For a beach and reef setup like Rosarito, that long-period swell is going to wrap in nicely, and with offshore wind, those waves are going to be glassy, lined up, and a dream to paddle out on. This is the best bet on the whole forecast. Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th keep the same long-period swell (18-19 seconds) with light onshore winds, but it'll still be a lot cleaner than what we've been seeing.

The last few days of the forecast, the 21st and 22nd of September, show a little more size, up to 4ft, with consistent 16-17 second periods and light winds. The energy is pushing back up into the 600-800 range (moderate). It's not the peak of that Friday the 18th session, but it's going to be a solid, consistent run of surf to wrap up the outlook.

So, to boil it down: the first few days are a write-off. Get your best session in on Friday the 18th when the offshore wind meets that long-period groundswell. It's a long way out, so keep an eye on it, but it's the one that's got my heart racing. The weekend after that should still be fun.

Rusty, out.

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