Tijuana Sloughs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what we've got on the cards.

Right now, the surf is pretty quiet. For the next week or so, we're looking at small, weak waves with marginal conditions. The water temp is sitting at a nice 69°—a touch warmer than average for the time of year, which is a bonus. But honestly, you'll be fighting small swell and cross-onshore breezes most days. The combined energy is low, ranging from around 260 to 700 (weak to moderate), so not much to work with. The standout by far will be a late pulse of swell pushing in around the weekend of July 18th and 19th.

Let’s break it down proper.

Thursday 9th through to Thursday 16th July: It’s a flat spell. If you’re itching to paddle out, Tijuana Sloughs (river) is the only game in town, but you’ll be scratching for waist-high waves at best. The swell is coming from the SSW and WSW, but with short periods and light cross-onshore winds, it’s choppy. Combined energy is below 550 most days (weak). Honestly, this is not worth suiting up for unless you’re desperate.

Friday 17th July: Still small, with a brief window of 2 ft swell from the SW, but the period drops below 15 seconds again. Cross-onshore wind keeps it messy. Not much to get excited about.

Now, here’s the highlight: Saturday 18th July into Sunday 19th July. This is the best we’re going to see. On the Saturday afternoon, a long-period groundswell from the S starts to fill in, pushing 5 ft at 16 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 1625 (moderate-to-strong). The wind is light and onshore, so it could be a bit bumpy, but the increased size and longer period mean better shape and energy. By Sunday morning, the swell peaks at 6 ft (S, 13 seconds) with energy around 1700 (strong). This is expert territory—too big for beginners. The period is a touch shorter, but there’s plenty of power. Wind is still cross-onshore, but light, so you might find some clean lines. Because this is a river mouth and not a reef, that long-period swell might break a bit straight, but the quality should still be fun for experienced surfers.

Monday 20th July sees the swell drop back to 3 ft–3 ft, with SW swell and lighter cross-onshore breezes. It goes back to marginal through the end of the week.

For the second week, the window from July 21st to 24th offers small pulses again—mostly 3 ft to 4 ft from SW and S, with light winds. Nothing stand-out. The afternoon of Friday 24th July shows a bump to 4 ft from the S with energy of 814 (moderate), but the period is short at 13 seconds. It’s a maybe, but not a standout.

So, if you’ve got the skill and the patience, mark your calendar for Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July at Tijuana Sloughs. That’s the best shot. Crowds are possible here at times, so expect some company. For the rest of the stretch, it’s mostly a waiting game.

Rusty out.

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