Tijuana Sloughs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Surfcast. Rusty here. Let’s get into it for the Tijuana Sloughs stretch.

Right off the bat, the next couple of days are a real struggle. The water temperature is running a touch warmer than normal at around 71°, which feels nice but the waves themselves lack any real punch. The energy is there under the surface – we’re looking at moderate energy numbers (560 on Tuesday morning, for example) – but the conditions are just messy. That cross-onshore or cross breeze is turning the ocean into a washboard. It’s poor surf and I wouldn’t paddle out for what’s on offer now.

Wednesday (9th September) gets a little interesting. The swell settles a bit, dropping below 3ft, but the wind turns offshore in the morning, and that changes the feeling. A 10 km/h breeze from the NNW keeping the face clean. The swell period jumps to a very long 16 seconds – proper groundswell – and it’s pushing in from the SW. The drawback here at the Sloughs, being a river mouth, is that those long-period lines can sometimes jack up and run straight. Still, with only 2ft to 3ft on the cards and light wind, it might be worth a look for the patient surfer wanting a trim.

Thursday (10th) continues that trend but the wind switches to a cross-onshore (SW 10-15 km/h), which breaks that glass. The swell energy is still moderate but the quality slips.

Now, the outlook picks up for the real standout window. For the Sunday the 13th, we see a shift. The swell direction changes to the WNW with a shorter period of 8-9 seconds, but the swell height bumps up to 5ft. The energy is moderate but the wind goes cross-shore in the morning, giving you a much cleaner playing field than we’ve had. This is a window where you can actually find a corner to work.

Monday the 14th looks like the pick of the bunch though. Another bump in size – 5ft of WNW groundswell (9-second period) and the wind drops to a light breeze from the SW. While it’s technically a cross-onshore, the wind strength is so low all it does is put a little texture on the face. The energy reading hits 657 – sneaking up there – and with the new swell building, the Sloughs could actually offer a few wedging rights. It’s an advanced wave here, so be ready for some punch. The water is still sitting a touch warmer than normal, making the waiting game a bit easier. It’s not a classic day, but it’s as good as this 16-day window gets for paddle surfing.

After that wave on the 14th, we see a slow fade. The rest of the second week holds onto 4ft to 3ft SW groundswell with long periods (15-19 seconds). The energy is moderate, even creeping over 800 on the 20th, but the wind stays light and onshore or cross-onshore. You’re looking at small, cleanish, but very staggered waves. It’s a river mouth, so those long-period lines will be tricky to sit on. If you’re determined, the mornings from the 21st to the 23rd offer a similar story: knee to waist-high glass, but lacking any real push. Nothing to get stoked about beyond the 14th.

Rusty.

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