Rosarito Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this forecast for Rosarito is a tough one to write. We’re looking at a classic summer lull stretching out for the next two weeks. The good news is, it won't be flat, but the bad news is that the quality is just not there for most of the run.

Right now, starting Tuesday morning July 28th, we’ve got a long-period groundswell rolling in from the SW at 5 feet. The period is a solid 17 seconds, which brings a heap of energy with it (1170), but the wind is a light cross-onshore breeze. That’s putting a bit of a wrinkle on the surface. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing unusual there. The mix of beach, reef, and rivermouth here at Rosarito means that long-period swell can be a bit tricky – it might run a little too straight on the beach, but the rivermouth could offer a better line. Still, it’s marginal at best. The combined energy is strong, but the conditions aren't letting it shine.

Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th are more of the same: a mix of light onshore and cross-onshore winds with swell dropping a touch. The energy is still moderate to strong (around 1011 to 1165), but the wave comment is still "marginal." You could get a few, but it's a gamble.

Then we hit a real rough patch. From Friday the 31st of July all the way through to the end of the forecast on August 12th, the outlook is a slow grind. The swell drops off, and the energy dips into the low hundreds. By Saturday August 1st, the combined energy is down to 469, and the call is "poor surf conditions." We are looking at waist-high slop at best, with the wind staying light but never quite swinging clean offshore.

For a standout, honestly, there isn't one. The best of the bunch is probably the first few days – Tuesday 28th through Thursday 30th – if you are desperate for a paddle. The swell is there, but it’s not clean. For beginners, the height on the 28th is 5 feet, which is manageable, but the inconsistency due to the long period might make it tricky. For the experts, the swell never gets over 8 feet, so it's not a big-wave day.

This is a long, quiet spell. About 12 days of the 16-day window are looking pretty average to poor. It’s a classic summer pattern where the swell is too weak and the wind is too light to clean it up. The setup here is more interesting for a kite surfer on those days with a bit of breeze and small waves, rather than a pure paddle session.

Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, don't cancel your plans for anything else.

Rusty.

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