Tijuana Sloughs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for the Tijuana Sloughs.

Overall, the next two weeks look pretty bleak for good paddle surfing. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and mostly choppy conditions. There’s a brief window of interest around the first weekend of September, but it comes with a side of strong wind and rain. The real standout is a glassy morning a week later, but it’s small. The rest of the time... well, let’s just say it’s a good time to clean out the garage.

The week starts off disappointing. On Monday, August 31st, we have a 3 ft south swell with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is moderate at 630. The wind is a cross-on, so it’s already messy. The water is a very unusual 74°F, which is a lot warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s the only highlight.

Tuesday through Thursday are all poor. Swell drops to 2 ft or 2 ft, periods are all over the place, and the wind stays cross-on or onshore, making it choppy and unrideable.

Friday, September 4th is a bit of a tease. A 4 ft swell from the SSW with a 16-second period is showing up. That’s a long-period groundswell, which gives it shape, but the energy is moderate (818). The wind is onshore, so it’s not clean. It’s marginal at best.

Now, Saturday, September 5th is the first real chance to get wet. The swell builds to 4 ft from the south, with a period of 13 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to strong at 1079. The wind is a light cross-on, so it’s not glassy, but it’s manageable. The afternoon pushes to 5 ft and the wind shifts onshore, so the morning is the better window. This is for advanced surfers only, as the 5 ft is getting into the meaty range for a river mouth.

Sunday, September 6th is a write-off. The swell is 8 ft with a 15-second period, which is big and powerful. The combined energy is very strong at 2326. But the wind is a moderate cross-shore, then turns into a strong cross-shore with heavy rain. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s just too messy.

Then we hit a big gap. Nothing works for the rest of the week.

The one true standout is Monday, September 7th. The morning is glassy. I mean glassy. The wind is 5 km/h from the WSW, described as “slight air” and it’s glassy. The swell is only 2 ft from the SSW, but it’s a 15-second period, so it’s long and clean. The combined energy is weak at 305. It’s a small day, but it will be the cleanest, most beautiful surf of the whole forecast. Get out there early.

After that, it’s back to very small, weak, and choppy surf for the rest of the second week. Swell drops to 1 ft to 3 ft, with periods from 13 to 17 seconds, but the wind is almost always a cross-on, ruining any chance of a clean wave. The combined energy rarely breaks 500. It’s a sad run of poor surf.

So, the pick of the litter is that glassy morning of September 7th for the cleanest, prettiest little waves. The bigger, more powerful windows on September 5th and 6th are too compromised by wind. Keep an eye on the forecast, but for now, don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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