Tijuana Sloughs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, it’s a quiet run for the near future. We’re looking at Tijuana Sloughs as the only spot in the mix, and frankly, the first week is a bit of a write-off. There’s a long stretch from now all the way through to the middle of next week where the conditions just aren’t cooperating. The wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, keeping things choppy and messy. The swell is there – small to moderate stuff – but the quality is missing. The water is sitting at 72°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only highlight.

The first real glimmer comes on the morning of Thursday, the 19th of September. We start to see the combined energy climb into the moderate range (664), with a 3ft swell from the SW and a long period of 18 seconds. The wind goes light offshore from the WNW in the morning, which will have the potential to clean things up. It’s still a marginal call, but that morning window is the best we’ve seen in a while. The swell direction (SW) is a good match for the optimum here, and that long period means it’ll have some proper push, though at a river break like the Sloughs, a long period swell can sometimes run a bit straight, so keep an eye on the tide.

The following days leading up to the 25th of September keep the same story: small 2ft to 4ft SW swell, long periods, but the wind stays cross-on or onshore most of the time. The energy values hover in the moderate range (442–826), which shows there’s some grunt in the water, but the onshore breeze just messes it up.

Looking out to the final couple of days in the window, Friday the 25th of September sees a tiny 2ft swell but with a very long period of 22 seconds. That’s some serious groundswell, but it’s small and the cross-on wind from the NW will keep it from being clean. It’s worth a check if you’re desperate, but the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those days.

Overall, the standout window is Thursday morning, September 19th. It’s the closest we get to a clean, lined-up wave. The rest of the run is a patience game. Don’t hold your breath for anything epic, but as always, forecasts can shift. The Sloughs is a consistent spot, so it rarely stays flat for long.

- Rusty

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