The Surfer's Guide to Baja - Tijuana Sloughs
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Tijuana Sloughs
Legendary hairball rivermouth/delta beachbreak at the mouth of the
Tijuana River made infamous in Bank Wright’s Surfing California. The
conditions at Tijuana Sloughs are…interesting.
It is consistent, picks up every bit of swell, has juice and holds size
up to quadruple overhead, especially in the winter when the Sloughs
is at its best. It is also polluted and sharky. As with most breaks in
the area its shape is best on combo swells, but as a rivermouth there
is a good supply of cobblestones to ensure good shape much of the
time. In rainier years, sand fills in creating excellent shape.
Excellent shape with minimal crowds? Yes, but it’s not easy to surf
here. Be forwarned: This is not a learner’s spot. You should be a
well-experienced surfer and a strong swimmer. In fact, in back in the
day, the Tijuana Sloughs was the west coast’s premier big wave
spot. This was before Mavericks or Todos Santos.
Legendary hairball rivermouth/delta beachbreak at the mouth of the
Tijuana River made infamous in Bank Wright’s Surfing California. The
conditions at Tijuana Sloughs are…interesting.
It is consistent, picks up every bit of swell, has juice and holds size
up to quadruple overhead, especially in the winter when the Sloughs
is at its best. It is also polluted and sharky. As with most breaks in
the area its shape is best on combo swells, but as a rivermouth there
is a good supply of cobblestones to ensure good shape much of the
time. In rainier years, sand fills in creating excellent shape.
Excellent shape with minimal crowds? Yes, but it’s not easy to surf
here. Be forwarned: This is not a learner’s spot. You should be a
well-experienced surfer and a strong swimmer. In fact, in back in the
day, the Tijuana Sloughs was the west coast’s premier big wave
spot. This was before Mavericks or Todos Santos.
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Technically speaking, the Sloughs is really a California break, but it is called “Tijuana” Sloughs and it is listed in The Surf
Report’s Baja Norte edition. If you want to check it out look for the signs shortly after exiting Tijuana on the 1D and exit at
“Playas de Tijuana.” Find your way to the beach by heading right toward the bull ring. You can see the break by looking
north over the fence, but that’s all you can do. If you paddle out and around the fence you bill be making an illegal border
crossing. So if you really want to surf the Tijuana Sloughs go back to the border and head to Imperial Beach.
There are four breaks, depending on the size of the surf: Inside Peak, Middle Peak, Outside Peak and Mystic Peak – the
latter only breaking on huge swells. And frankly, huge swells is what the Sloughs is all about.
Report’s Baja Norte edition. If you want to check it out look for the signs shortly after exiting Tijuana on the 1D and exit at
“Playas de Tijuana.” Find your way to the beach by heading right toward the bull ring. You can see the break by looking
north over the fence, but that’s all you can do. If you paddle out and around the fence you bill be making an illegal border
crossing. So if you really want to surf the Tijuana Sloughs go back to the border and head to Imperial Beach.
There are four breaks, depending on the size of the surf: Inside Peak, Middle Peak, Outside Peak and Mystic Peak – the
latter only breaking on huge swells. And frankly, huge swells is what the Sloughs is all about.