Tijuana Sloughs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. We’ve got one spot in the mix for the next 16 days – Tijuana Sloughs – and honestly, it’s a tough run. The first few days are a write-off, so we’re looking at a gap until things start to look a little more interesting.

The water is sitting at 74°F right now, which is a solid 6°F warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s pretty unusual – you’ll be feeling that tropical bath water, for sure.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Thursday, August 13th morning. We’re seeing a small 3ft SSW swell with a period of 16 seconds – that’s a proper long-period groundswell, which is a plus for a river mouth setup like the Sloughs. The combined energy is moderate (383). The wind is light and blowing from the WSW, which is offshore for this spot. That’s a major positive – clean, glassy conditions on offer. It’s still a marginal call, and the size is tiny, so it’s more for the longboard or a fun session on a log. Crowds are possible here.

The next day, Friday, August 14th, picks up a touch. Morning sees 2ft of SW swell, long period again at 18 seconds, and moderate energy (621). Light offshore wind from the WNW. The afternoon pushes the energy up to strong (785) with 3ft of SSW swell, but the wind swings cross-onshore, so the morning is the pick. This is the best on offer in the whole window – a small but clean, long-period groundswell with offshore wind. It’s not a standout for power, but for quality, it’s the one.

Saturday, August 15th has a similar story. Morning shows 3ft of SSW swell, 16-second period, strong energy (702). The wind is cross-onshore from the NW, which will put a few ripples on the surface. The afternoon bumps up to 4ft of SW swell, but the wind stays cross-onshore and choppy, so again, morning is the better call. Still, it’s not clean enough to get excited about.

After that, the forecasts drop off into a long stretch of poor surf with onshore or cross-onshore winds and marginal energy. From Sunday, August 16th all the way through to Friday, August 22nd, it’s mostly small, weak, and messy. The energy drops, and the wind is never truly favourable. There’s a brief spike on Saturday, August 22nd afternoon with 5ft of WNW swell, but the period is a short 8 seconds – that’s windswell, not groundswell, so it’ll be bumpy and weak. Not one for the paddle.

So, the only real standout is the Friday, August 14th morning session. It’s small, clean, and has that long-period juice. If you’re a goofy-footer who loves a river mouth, that’s your window. The rest of the 16 days, you’re better off waiting for the next forecast shift.

Rusty out.

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