Tijuana Sloughs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Tijuana Sloughs. This is a river mouth setup, and it’s a spot for the advanced crew only, especially when it gets moving.

Right off the bat, it’s not looking great. We’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first real chance to paddle out comes Thursday morning, September 3rd. The water is sitting at 73°F which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, a real anomaly. The swell is small, only 3ft from the SW, but it’s a long-period groundswell at 15 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (423). The wind is light and offshore from the W, which is a major positive – it’ll be glassy clean. But the forecast says “poor surf conditions” so don’t expect much more than a few long, clean lines. It’s a tricky one.

The rest of the first week is a struggle. The swell picks up a bit, with Saturday the 5th seeing 5ft from the S and a good energy (1506), but the wind is cross-onshore, messing up the shape. Sunday morning the 6th pushes 7ft from the SSW (energy of 1777), but again, that cross-onshore wind. This is getting into expert territory size-wise, but the wind is a letdown. The whole period stays choppy. By Monday the 7th it’s 7ft but still cross-onshore. It’s a frustrating run of size without the right wind.

The best bet in this whole 16-day window looks like Friday morning, September 4th. The swell is a clean 4ft from the SW, with a period of 17 seconds (very long groundswell). The energy is strong (658). The wind is light and cross-onshore, but only 6 mph, so the ripples will be small. It’s only rated as “marginal” but it’s the closest we get to something decent. The crowd profile here says “sometimes” busy, so expect a few heads out even in mediocre conditions.

After that, the second week is a real fade. From the 12th of September onwards, the swell just drops right off. We’re looking at 2ft to 3ft for days on end with very weak energy. The wind is often offshore, which is a silver lining, but there just isn’t enough swell to push through. The morning of the 14th sees a 2ft, 18-second groundswell (energy 374) – that’s a tiny, wafty wave. The 18th of September shows a little bump with 3ft from the SW and a 19-second period (energy 971), but it’s the same story: small, marginal, and cross-onshore wind in the afternoon.

Honestly, for a river mouth that needs a good push, this is a pretty blank run. It’s not unusual for the area, but it’s a bummer. If you’re a beginner, stay away – even the small days are for the advanced crew. The longer period swells will be breaking a bit straight at the beach, so the river mouth should offer some shape, but it’s just not consistent.

Keep an eye on the forecasts, things can change, but right now, I’d be finding something else to do.

Rusty.

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