Cabarete Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. I’ve looked at the forecast for Cabarete over the next couple of weeks, and honestly, it’s a bit of a tough one to write. We’ve got a solid 16-day window in front of us, but the surf gods are not exactly smiling on this spot right now.

The overall pattern is dominated by a persistent easterly wind. It’s blowing cross-onshore every single day, which is putting a chop on everything and keeping the waves messy. The swell is small and weak, and the wind just won’t give us a break. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor conditions, so don’t get your hopes up for anything clean.

First up, we’ve got nothing on Monday the 7th of September. The wind is a moderate breeze from the east at 12 mph, with a tiny 3 ft swell from the east. It’s a cross-onshore mess, and the wave energy is weak (81). The afternoon is worse with a fresh breeze up to 19 mph. This theme continues all week. On Wednesday the 9th, the swell bumps up a little to 4 ft from the east, and the energy gets into the moderate range (153), but the wind is still 16 mph cross-onshore, and the period is a short 7 seconds. It’s just not worth paddling out for.

The entire first week is a write-off. We’ve got a solid 7 days of the same story: small, short-period, wind-affected swell. The weekend of the 12th and 13th is no different – Saturday morning sees 4 ft from the east with a 12 mph cross-onshore wind. It’s poor.

Moving into the second week, things don’t improve. The swell actually drops off. By Monday the 14th of September, we’re down to 2 ft, and the wind is a gentle breeze but still cross-onshore. The energy is weak (87). The rest of the week is a real struggle – Tuesday the 15th has 2 ft, Wednesday the 16th has 1 ft. It’s flat, choppy, and frustrating.

To be honest, looking at this whole 16-day run, there isn’t a single standout. There is no best on offer. The easterly trade winds have the place locked down, and the swell just isn’t getting through. The one break we’ve got, Cabarete, is a reef setup that needs the right conditions, but with the wind blowing cross-on and the swell being small and weak, it’s just not going to fire. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, but you won’t care about that when you’re staring at a choppy, 2 ft sea.

If you’re a kitesurfer, this wind might be your thing. But for a paddle surfer, it’s a long, bleak outlook. The forecasts can change, but right now, my advice is to leave the board at home and wait for a better window. This is one of those blank runs that’s pretty normal for the area when the trades are this strong.

Rusty.

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