Tijuana Sloughs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey crew, Rusty here. Let me break down what’s happening on the water for the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you: this is a tough one. There’s a long stretch of nothing much, so if you’re jonesing for a wave, you’re gonna have to be patient.

Right now, we’re focused on Tijuana Sloughs (a river mouth), and the first week is mostly a dud. From Wednesday the 12th all the way to about Monday the 24th, we’ve got small, weak, and messy surf. The water temp is 74°, which is *much warmer than normal*—over three degrees above average, so it’s warm out there. But the waves are tiny, mostly between 2ft and 3ft, coming from the SW with long periods of 16 to 18 seconds. That long period means there’s some energy but it’s not translating into any power at the beach. The combined energy is in the mid-to-high hundreds, so moderate at best. Winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore, keeping the surface chopped up and ugly.

Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th show a little bump with swell up to 3ft to 4ft, but again, it’s cross-onshore and choppy. The 17th and 18th are straight-up poor. Honestly, with this onshore wind and those weak little peaks, this setup looks better for kite surfing than paddle surfing. There are a couple of mornings with light offshore wind, like the 14th and the 23rd, but the swell is just too small to care about.

Now, after that long, quiet run, we finally get a chance on Thursday the 27th in the morning. The swell pushes up to 4ft from the SW with a 15-second period, and the wind goes cross at 15 km/h. That’s the best we’re gonna see, with a combined energy of 671, which is solid and moderate. The afternoon turns cross-onshore again. This is the one to watch, but it’s way out there, over a week and a half away, so don’t book the day off just yet. If it pans out, Tijuana Sloughs will have some good waves for advanced surfers, but crowds are *sometimes* a factor here, so expect some company.

For the beginners, 4ft with a long period at a river mouth can be a handful. Maybe sit this one out and wait for something cleaner.

So, to sum it up: a long gap of flat and messy, with one late highlight on the 27th. Hang tight, forecasts change, but for now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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