Tijuana Sloughs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a hard look at what’s coming down the pipe for the Tijuana Sloughs.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: the next 16 days are a bit of a grind. There’s no standout, world-class session popping up. The vibe is mostly “marginal” with a few windows that might be worth a paddle if you’re desperate. We’ve got a long gap with no real recommendations from the start, so don’t get your hopes up for this weekend.

The first bit of surf we see that’s even worth mentioning kicks off on Sunday the 6th of September, but it’s a mess. We’ve got a solid 7ft swell from the South, with a long period of 13 seconds, and the combined energy is pumping hard at 2051. That’s a lot of water moving. But the wind is a cross-on from the NNW at 12 mph, making for a choppy, poor surf condition. The water temp is sitting at 71°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year. This setup is really only for advanced folks, and even then, it’s not going to be pretty. It’s more of a battle than a joyride.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th stay in that same cross-on wind pattern from the NW, with swell sizes dropping from 6ft down to 4ft. The energy is still moderate, but the quality just isn't there. It’s choppy and lumpy.

We finally get a little break in the wind on Wednesday the 9th of September. The swell drops right off to 2ft from the SW, but the period jumps up to a very long 16 seconds. The wind goes light from the WSW, with an “on” direction. This is a classic long-period groundswell, and at a river mouth like the Sloughs, that long period can make it break a bit straight. Still, with light winds, it’s about as clean as it gets in this forecast. The energy is weak, though, at 481.

That light wind and long-period SW swell pattern pretty much sets the tone for the next week. Swell sizes bounce between 2ft and 4ft, with periods mostly in that 15 to 20-second range. Winds stay light from the SW, SSW, or WSW, often cross-on. It’s going to be small, cleanish, and pretty inconsistent. The combined energy values are all under 1000, mostly in the 400-800 range, telling you the wave energy is weak to moderate at best.

To be honest, the only real highlight, if you can call it that, is the pure consistency of the long-period groundswell. For a spot like the Sloughs, a very long period swell from the optimum direction of WSW is what you want for shape, especially on a point or river mouth. The light winds that come with it on Wednesday the 9th, Thursday the 10th, and into the weekend of the 13th and 14th of September will give you the cleanest conditions we see in this whole window. It’s going to be small, with the best waves likely in that 2ft to 4ft range.

So, what’s the call? There’s no epic session. This is a long stretch of small, cleanish, long-period swell. The best bet is to watch for those days with light winds and an onshore direction, particularly around Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th. It’s a river mouth, so expect inconsistent sets, but when they come, they could have some shape.

Stay patient, Rusty.

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