Cabarete Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the outlook for the next two weeks is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor surf conditions, with no real standouts. The wind is a persistent problem, and the waves are just not cooperating.

We start off on Wednesday, July 29th, with nothing to get excited about at Cabarete (reef). The swell is a weak 2ft from the east, with a short, choppy period of 6 seconds. The real problem is the wind, a cross-onshore breeze that’s messing everything up. The energy is weak (77), and the water is a warm 83°, which is about average for this time of year. It’s just not worth paddling out.

This pattern of poor conditions just keeps rolling on. From Thursday the 30th right through to the end of the first week, it’s the same story. The swell sizes pick up a bit, hitting 5ft to 6ft, but it’s all from the east, with short periods around 8 seconds. The wind stays stubbornly cross-onshore, sometimes fresh, and the wave energy, while moderate (125 to 332), never translates into quality. It’s all choppy and lumpy. The water temp stays warm at 83°.

We slide into the second week with no improvement. From Monday, August 3rd, through to Tuesday, August 11th, it’s a frustrating grind. The swell is weak to moderate, from the east and east-northeast, with very short periods of 6 to 8 seconds. The cross-onshore wind is relentless, and the energy levels are mostly moderate (53 to 222). The only glimmer is a brief moment on Thursday morning, August 6th, where the wind turns onshore and the swell is 3ft, but it’s still not enough.

Then, towards the very end of the forecast, things get a bit weird. On Tuesday afternoon, August 11th, we see a long-period groundswell appear from the north (11 seconds), but the cross-onshore wind is still there. The energy is moderate (311). This long-period swell from the north is a tricky one for a reef break – it can be too straight and not wrap in well. The same pattern holds for Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th, with that north to north-northeast swell hanging around, but the wind just won’t let up, getting as strong as 25 mph on Thursday afternoon.

Honestly, there’s not a single day in this whole 16-day window I’d tell you to drop everything and go. The wind is the killer. It’s a classic case of the trade winds ruining the party. For a reef break like Cabarete, that’s a tough pill to swallow. If you’re looking for something to do, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the persistent cross-onshore winds and moderate wave energy.

The only positive is that the water is a warm 83°, so you won’t be cold if you just want a body-surfing session. But for a real surf? It’s a blank run. That’s just how it goes sometimes in this area.

Stay tuned, forecasts can change. This is Rusty, signing off.

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