Tijuana Sloughs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's see what we've got cookin' at Tijuana Sloughs.

We're looking at a pretty long stretch of small, onshore, or just plain messy surf. It's not a total washout, but you're gonna have to be patient. The first few days are barely a ripple, but there's a pulse of energy trying to build as we head toward the end of the month. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so at least you won't be freezing while you wait.

The action is all at Tijuana Sloughs, a river mouth setup that needs a specific window. The early part of the run, from Friday the 21st right through the week, is pretty grim. We're talking knee-to-waist high dribble from the SSW, mostly blown out by cross-onshore winds. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd see a few more waves but with a cross-onshore breeze and some chop, it's just not gonna be worth the paddle.

Now, things get interesting starting Tuesday the 25th. We've got a morning pulse of 4ft from the S, building to 4ft by the afternoon. The wind goes light and onshore, which isn't perfect, but the combined energy ramps up hard – we're talking 847 in the morning and 929 by the afternoon. Those are moderate to strong energy values (847 and 929), but the swell period is a punchy 13 seconds, so there'll be some real push behind it. The best call looks like Tuesday afternoon, August 25th. It's the first real offering with some size and grunt.

Wednesday the 26th pushes a bit bigger, with 5ft to 6ft from the S, but the wind switches to a cross and cross-onshore from the SSW at 9 mph, which will put a bit of a bump on the face. The energy is very strong there (1264), but that wind might mess up the perfection.

Heading into Thursday the 27th, we see 5ft SSW swell in the morning, but with a cross-onshore wind again. The period drops to 11 seconds by the afternoon, which is a shorter, weaker wave. After that, it fades back into the waist-high range with persistent cross-onshore breezes through the end of the month. The weekend of August 30th-31st is particularly poor, with very short-period, wind-affected slop.

For the first week of September, it’s a similar story. A few windows of 3ft to 4ft with light winds on the 1st and 4th, but the overall consistency just isn't there.

The real standout, the one you should circle on your calendar, is Tuesday afternoon, August 25th. That 4ft S swell at 13 seconds with light wind gives you the best chance at a clean, rippable wave at the Sloughs. It's not huge, but it's the best combo of size, power, and half-decent conditions we're gonna get in this whole window. Don't sleep on it, but remember it's a river mouth, so watch the tide.

- Rusty

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