Tijuana Sloughs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Straight up, this is a tough one for the Tijuana Sloughs. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a grind, with only a few windows that might just be worth a paddle, and even then, you’ll be working for it. There’s a real gap in quality surf from the start through to the end of the second week, but there’s a little flicker of life right at the very end.

The first real shot we get is on Saturday the 5th of September. A clean, clear morning with a light northwesterly breeze bumping the surface, but it’s onshore. The swell is a modest 5ft from the south with a 14-second period. The energy is solid (1425), but the wind is just enough to mess with the shape. Saturday afternoon gets messier with a stronger onshore wind. Not a standout, but it’s the first rideable wave of the window.

Sunday the 6th is a write-off. The wind pumps up to 16 mph from the NW, making it choppy and ugly. The swell jumps to 7ft, but with that wind, it’s a total mess. Leave the board in the car.

We get a few more mornings early in the following week – Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th – with cleaner conditions but dropping swell. Monday morning has clean cross-onshore wind and a 6ft south swell, but the energy is still high (1183). Tuesday the swell drops to 5ft, and the energy is falling (792). Still, mornings are your best bet for something rideable, but it’s not firing.

Then things go flat. From Wednesday the 9th right through to Thursday the 17th of September, the swell drops below 3ft for most of the time. The energy readings are weak, dipping into the 200s and 300s. There’s a 17-second period on the 9th, but it’s a tiny 3ft, so it’s a long wait for a dribble. The wind is mostly light, but the swell just isn’t there. It’s a long, quiet stretch of small, weak surf.

The light at the end of the tunnel is Saturday the 19th of September and Sunday the 20th. This is the only real standout in the whole forecast. Saturday morning brings a solid 6ft swell from the west-northwest with a 10-second period. The energy is back up to 1205! The wind is light and variable, looking glassy. This is the best on offer. The water is just about average for this time of year.

A word of caution: this break is for advanced surfers only, and it’s a river mouth, so it’s exposed to the swell. It’s a consistent spot, but it can get crowded sometimes. That Saturday morning looks like the only time to get a proper wave. The swell holds through Sunday morning at 6ft, but the wind swings a touch northwesterly. Still, the weekend of the 19th and 20th is the time to be there.

Rusty

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