Tijuana Sloughs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at the Tijuana Sloughs. This river mouth is an advanced wave, so don't even think about paddling out there if you're not on your game. It’s a consistent spot that sees plenty of energy, but the winds are going to be a constant battle this week. The water is sitting at a balmy 70°, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

Looking at the whole 16-day run, it’s a rough start. For the first four days, from Thursday the 16th through Sunday the 20th, the swell is small, the winds are messy cross or cross-onshore, and the wave quality is just terrible. You’re looking at poor surf conditions and small, weak lines. The energy is mostly weak to moderate (between 339 and 1164). There’s nothing worth paddling out for.

We start to see a bit more size rolling in around Sunday the 19th, with a 3ft to 5ft swell, but the wind remains a problem. Monday the 20th to Wednesday the 22nd stays in that marginal range, with the wind still on it, keeping things choppy. The swell energy picks up into the 1000s, but it’s not translating into clean surf.

The first real standout I see in the whole forecast is not until Thursday the 23rd. We’ve got a solid 6ft swell from the south, with a 14-second period, pushing a lot of energy (1561). The wind is light and offshore from the WNW. That’s a decent setup for the Sloughs, giving it some power and hopefully some shape on the better tides. It’s a bit solid for beginners, but for the advanced crew here, it starts to look pretty interesting. The next day, Friday the 24th, is similar with 6ft swell, but the wind gets a bit cross-on, so Thursday morning is the pick of that little run.

From Saturday the 25th onward, we see a slow drop in size but the winds stay light, often offshore. The swell hangs in that 3ft to 5ft range with long periods from the SW, around 17-19 seconds, pumping out moderate-to-strong energy (over 1100). The standout here is Sunday the 26th morning: a 3ft swell from the SW with a very long 19-second period and glassy offshore wind. That’s a beautiful combo for this river mouth—clean lines, long walls, and easy paddling between sets. It won’t be huge, but the quality will be miles better than anything we’ve seen. Monday the 27th morning also looks decent with 4ft and 18-second swell and light wind.

For the very end of the run, the last week of July and into August, things get a bit smaller and more inconsistent with energy dropping a touch, but the winds stay light. Thursday the 30th morning has a 4ft S swell with 14-second period and light offshore wind. It’s nothing to get too excited about, but it’s rideable.

So, the pick of the 16 days is definitely Thursday the 23rd for the biggest, punchy swell, but for the cleanest, most pleasurable session, you’d be mad to miss Sunday the 26th morning. Get in the water.

Rusty.

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