Cabarete Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next 16 days at Cabarete are a tough watch. The wind is howling out of the east pretty much non-stop, and it’s coming in cross-onshore, which is just trashing the surface. The water’s warm, sitting at 85°F and that’s about normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be cold while you’re getting chopped up.

The whole opening stretch is a write-off. From Sunday afternoon, September 6th, right through to the end of the 7th, we’ve got nothing. The swell is small and weak, with energy levels barely scratching 79 (weak), and the wind is just ruining whatever shape there is. It’s the same story for the next few days – Tuesday the 8th, Wednesday the 9th, Thursday the 10th, Friday the 11th, and Saturday the 12th. The swell does bump up a bit, hitting 5 ft on Friday afternoon with a combined energy of 307 (moderate), but the wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-onshore. That’s not surfable, that’s a washing machine. The period is short too, hanging around 7 to 8 seconds, so there’s no power behind it.

Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th are the same old cross-onshore muck. The swell drops back to 1 ft to 3 ft, energy is weak, and the wind is still 12 to 19 mph. Tuesday the 15th is a little lighter at 9 mph, but the swell is tiny at 2 ft to 3 ft, and the period drops to 4 seconds on the afternoon – that’s pure wind chop. No good.

Now, look, Cabarete is a reef break and it’s consistent, so it usually has something. But not this week. The wind is locked in from the east, and the swell is coming from the same direction. The guidance says the optimum swell direction is from the NE, and we’re not getting that. We’re getting an east wind with an east swell, which is why it’s all cross-onshore junk.

The second week doesn’t get any better. From Wednesday September 16th through to Monday September 21st, the swell stays pathetic – 1 ft to 4 ft, with periods of 4 to 9 seconds. Energy levels are all in the weak range, never cracking 73. The wind is a little lighter on some mornings, like 9 mph on the 19th and 20th, but it’s still cross-onshore and the surf is too small and gutless to bother with. If you’re a kite surfer, this setup might look interesting – strong side-onshore wind and a bit of bump – but for paddle surfing, it’s a total blank run.

The honest truth is there’s no standout session here. Not one. The whole 16-day window is a bust. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d leave the boards at home and go do something else. This is pretty normal for Cabarete when the trade winds lock in – it can stay poor for a while.

Rusty.

Read more