Ensenada surf forecast
Our Ensenada surf forecast follows San Miguel, a rocky cobble point that faces south-west and takes swell from the south-west round to the north-west. Ensenada is a city on Bahía de Todos Santos, on the Pacific coast of Baja California.
San Miguel, Ensenada: hour by hour
The table shows swell, wind and tide for San Miguel through each day. The point works best with waves between about 1.2 and 3 m, a north-east wind and a mid tide.
Updated 23:58next run 04:40Open-Meteo wave and wind models
09:00–10:00 · glassy
Today 2 Nov
Marginal 07-11: average, overhead, glassy.
Best window: 07:00–11:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 04:02
- Low
- 09:12
- High
- 14:51
- Low
- 21:51
- Sunrise
- 06:04
- Sunset
- 16:56
Every hour, 05–21
Tomorrow 3 Nov
Go 08-10, clean overhead, glassy.
Best window: 08:00–10:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 04:39
- Low
- 10:24
- High
- 16:09
- Low
- 22:37
- Sunrise
- 06:05
- Sunset
- 16:55
Every hour, 05–21
Wednesday 4 Nov
Marginal 08-10: average, overhead, cross-offshore N.
Best window: 08:00–10:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 05:10
- Low
- 11:18
- High
- 17:08
- Low
- 23:12
- Sunrise
- 06:05
- Sunset
- 16:55
Every 3 hours
Thursday 5 Nov
Go 09-10, clean overhead, glassy.
Kiwi's best shot: 09:00–10:00
Tide and daylight
- High
- 05:40
- Low
- 12:05
- High
- 18:00
- Low
- 23:46
- Sunrise
- 06:06
- Sunset
- 16:54
Every 3 hours
Forecast point: Ensenada (31.900, -116.733). Waves = estimated breaking height at the beach. Data: Open-Meteo wave and weather models (CC BY 4.0). Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information. Surf at your own risk.
Watch the wind column first. San Miguel is offshore when the wind comes from the north-east, so hours with a north-east breeze are the ones to target.
Surf spots in and around Ensenada
San Miguel is a point break over rocks and cobbles, and it suits intermediate surfers and up. Ensenada Beaches is a fairly exposed beach break in Baja Norte. Offshore, the Todos Santos islands are known for some of the biggest waves in North America.
San Miguel
Cobble pointIntermediate+This is the break our forecast is built for: a rocky cobble point facing south-west. It likes waves of about 1.2 to 3 m, gets too small under 0.8 m and becomes too big around 4.5 m.
Expect a crowd, and take care with the rocks and cobbles underfoot. Water quality can be poor after rain.
Ensenada Beaches
Beach breakLefts and rightsEnsenada Beaches is a fairly exposed beach break with quite consistent surf and peaks going both left and right. Its best conditions come with a west-northwest swell and an east-northeast offshore wind.
It can get crowded, and the guide warns about pollution and sharks. Sources: es.surf-forecast.com
Islas de Todos Santos
Big waveBoat accessIsla Todos Santos is a pair of islands about 19.3 km off Ensenada, best known for surfing. The waves off the smaller island rank among the biggest in North America.
You can only get there by boat, which you can rent in Ensenada or La Bufadora. There are no facilities on the islands apart from two lighthouses and a fish farm. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Salsipuedes
Baja NorteCheck forecastSalsipuedes shows up often among the best-rated forecasts for Baja Norte, next to Punta Piedra (Rocky Point) and Calafia. The forecast also lists it as a nearby spot with cleaner wind, about 28 km from Ensenada Beaches. Sources: es.surf-forecast.com · es.surf-forecast.com
What Ensenada needs to fire
These are the exact rules behind Kiwi's rating for this spot. Every hour of the forecast is scored on all four, then turned into a rating of 1 to 5 stars.
Swell
South-west to north-west swell
The point faces south-west and opens to swell from about 240° to 310°, so south-west to north-west.
Wind
North-east wind is offshore
A wind from the north-east blows offshore at San Miguel. Last December about 90% of days had offshore wind.
Tide
Mid tide works best
San Miguel is at its best around mid tide.
Size
Ideal from 1.2 to 3 m
Below about 0.8 m it is too small, and from about 4.5 m it gets too big. The sweet spot is 1.2 to 3 m.
Shortcut: a 1.2–3 m swell from the south-west to north-west, a north-east wind and mid tide is the San Miguel recipe.
The best months to surf Ensenada
We replayed Kiwi's rating on every day of the last year and counted how often Ensenada's best window reached 4 or 5 stars.
Nov–JanThe prime months
November had fair or better surf on 63% of days and January on 55%, with January the top month for good days at 29%. Ensenada Beaches is also rated best in autumn and winter.
Feb–MaySteady but mixed
About 29–32% of days were fair or better, and only 6–10% were good.
Jun–SepQuiet and warm
Only 10–23% of days were fair or better, and good days were almost absent. The water warms up to about 22–23°C by August and September.
OctWarmest water
October has the warmest sea at about 23.7°C, with fair or better surf on 24% of days.
Before you go
Hazards
The point breaks over rocks and cobbles.
Water quality can be poor after rain. At Ensenada Beaches, the guide warns of pollution and sharks. Sources: es.surf-forecast.com
Crowds and etiquette
San Miguel is often crowded.
Water temperature and wetsuit
From November to May the sea sits around 16.7–17.9°C.
In June it is about 18.5°C and in July about 20.3°C. From August to October it reaches about 22–23.7°C.
Best time to paddle out
Pick the hours when the wind comes from the north-east and the tide is near mid. Use the hourly table to line those two up.
Trips to Todos Santos
The Todos Santos islands can only be reached by boat, rented in Ensenada or La Bufadora. The islands have no facilities beyond two lighthouses and a fish farm. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
About the town
Ensenada is the third-largest city in Baja California and home to the Port of Ensenada, the second-busiest port in Mexico. It is a major tourist destination thanks to its warm climate and its place on the Pacific. Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Where the numbers come from
The method
Kiwi takes Open-Meteo's wave and wind models (ECMWF WAM, Météo-France, NOAA GFS and Open-Meteo's best-match blend) at a point about 5 km off Ensenada. There is no buoy correction here yet: these are the models as they come.
Each hour is scored on the four rules above (swell, wind, tide, size). The stars are calibrated on a full year of data for Mexico, so 4 stars at Ensenada is a genuinely good day by that country's standard.
What we can say
The season chart and the stars use the same rules, replayed on the archive: a month marked good was good by these rules, not by a surf report.
Without a buoy nearby, the size at the beach is our model's estimate, not a measurement.
Ensenada surf questions
Is Ensenada good for beginners?
San Miguel is a crowded cobble point for intermediate surfers and up, so it is not a good first spot. Ensenada Beaches is a beach break with lefts and rights, but the guide warns of pollution and sharks there.
When is the best time to surf Ensenada?
November to January is the strongest stretch, with November at 63% fair or better days and January at 55%. Summer is the quietest, with only 10–23% fair or better days from June to September.
How cold is the water in Ensenada in December?
The sea is about 17.5°C in December.
What wind is offshore at San Miguel?
A wind from the north-east is offshore at San Miguel. Last December about 90% of days had offshore wind.
What size swell does San Miguel need?
It works best between about 1.2 and 3 m from the south-west to north-west. Under 0.8 m it is too small, and around 4.5 m it gets too big.
Can you surf Isla Todos Santos from Ensenada?
Yes, the islands lie about 19.3 km off Ensenada and are known for surfing, with some of the biggest waves in North America. You need a boat, which you can rent in Ensenada or La Bufadora.
Check San Miguel before you drive
Open the hourly Ensenada surf forecast and look for a north-east wind, a mid tide and 1.2–3 m of swell. Kiwi will be out there when it lines up.