Tijuana Sloughs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the forecast for Tijuana Sloughs (Tijuana-Sloughs).

Right off the bat, Sunday morning the 19th is looking pretty lackluster. There’s a S swell of 4 ft at 12 seconds, but the energy is weak (971), and the onshore wind will leave it messy. Honestly, it’s not looking like the spot to be for a good session right now. The water temp is 71°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won't need a thick wetsuit.

The week that follows is a real struggle. Through Monday the 20th to Friday the 24th, we’re stuck with onshore or cross-onshore winds and only small, weak swell. There’s a long period groundswell arriving Friday morning the 24th, with a 3 ft swell out of the SW at a very long 24 seconds. The energy jumps up to 1149, but that long period groundswell will likely break too straight for the beach break and be tough to ride. The wind is light and onshore, so it will be bumpy.

The following weekend and into the next week sees a slight uptick in swell height and better consistency in swell direction from the SW, with periods in the 16-21 second range (24th-28th July). However, the winds are still onshore to cross-onshore, and the surf commentary describes "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions" or worse. The energy values are moderate, peaking at 1362 on Tuesday morning the 28th, but with a 5 ft SW swell and cross-onshore wind, it won't be clean.

The real standout, and the one you should circle, is the pair of days on the 31st of July and the 1st of August. There’s a large S swell coming through. On Friday the 31st, we’ve got a 8 ft S swell at 15 seconds in the morning, building to 8 ft in the afternoon. The energy is high (2567 and 3081). This is expert territory, over 8 ft, so only the experienced crew should even think about it. The wind is light and onshore in the morning and then offshore in the afternoon, which is a big positive for clean waves. With swell that big and the period at 15 seconds, a powerful groundswell is in play. Saturday the 1st of August sees the swell drop to 7 ft from the S, with light onshore wind and some cross-onshore in the afternoon. It’s still a big, powerful swell.

Because this is a river mouth, it can get very tricky with the current and the shape of the waves. It’s consistently exposed to the south and west swells, and with waves this big, the paddle out will be a mission. Crowds are sometimes a problem, so you might have company, but on a day this size, the lineup will thin out.

So, to sum it up, the next week is a write-off with mostly onshore wind and weak energy. The only thing to get excited about is that very large S swell on the 31st of July and the 1st of August. If you’re an expert and have the right board, that Friday the 31st afternoon with clean, offshore wind could be the best session you’ll see in this window.

Rusty.

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