Playas de Tijuana
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
67Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: 4 ft swell at 8 s
Tue 3 · 49 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft13 scrumbling
- Energy
- 283kJ
- Wind
- NNE 3 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Wed 4 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft5 smushy
- Energy
- 55kJ
- Wind
- NW 1 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Thu 5 · 81 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 191kJ
- Wind
- NW 4 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Fri 6 · 31 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 115kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sat 7 · 77 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 238kJ
- Wind
- N 3 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Sun 8 · 63 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 193kJ
- Wind
- NE 3 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Mon 9 · 51 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft11 scrumbling
- Energy
- 160kJ
- Wind
- NW 4 kn
- Temp
- 24°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 254, fair
- Tue 355, fair
- Wed 472, good
- Thu 577, good
- Fri 644, poor
- Sat 777, good
- Sun 868, good
- Mon 948, fair
- Tue 1064, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 18 °C2 mm shorty
- Best in Nov5 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Playas de Tijuana does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 54, fair | 3 ft13 scrumbling4 ft at break (est.) | 271kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots | 21°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 55, fair | 3 ft13 scrumbling6 ft at break (est.) | 283kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots | 21°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 72, good | 4 ft5 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 55kJ | wind from the north-west, 1 knot | 21°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 77, good | 4 ft8 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 191kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 21°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 44, poor | 3 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 115kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 77, good | 3 ft11 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 238kJ | wind from the north, 3 knots | 24°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 68, good | 3 ft11 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 193kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 24°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 48, fair | 3 ft11 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 160kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 24°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 64, good | 3 ft11 scrumbling5 ft at break (est.) | 220kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 5 knots | 23°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 04:25 +0.4 mLow 09:38 −0.1 mHigh 15:14 +0.6 mLow 22:16 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:04 +0.6 mLow 10:54 −0.3 mHigh 16:37 +0.5 mLow 23:06 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:39 +0.7 mLow 11:50 −0.5 mHigh 17:43 +0.6 mLow 23:48 −0.7 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best in Nov
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug4of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep4of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Playas de Tijuana on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Playas de Tijuana
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More surf near here
4 places
- Sloughs 2.5 km away
- Imperial Beach 5.8 km away
- Baja Malibu 12.7 km away
- Gator Beach 16.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Playas de Tijuana
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (258°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (78°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 450 m out (1 in 44). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. The sea is about 15°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 22°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually November, with about 5 good days in 7; in March, April and May, about 3. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Tijuana, 8.2 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.
Water about 18°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,090–US$1,980 each
about US$1,090–US$1,980 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to SAN, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$516 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$54–US$87 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,090–US$1,980 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
10 min by car · 12 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Imperial Beach its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Tijuana on Booking.com
14 min by car · 136 places to stay · about US$67 a night, country average
- Beds in Coronado on Booking.com
32 min by car · 43 places to stay · about US$114 a night, country average
Room prices are our estimate of a 2-star double room's average in each country that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 6h 45m
About 6h 45m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → SAN, direct, then 45 min by road
Flights MDW → SAN on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.