Cabarete Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. Looking at the next 16 days, the story is a tough one for surfers around Cabarete. The wind is locked in from the east and east-northeast, blowing cross-onshore on the reef, and the swell is short-period, weak energy chop. There’s nothing that qualifies as a standout session. The whole run is a write-off for quality waves.

Starting off and going through the entire period, from 21st July right through to 5th August, every single reading is marked as poor surf conditions. The wind stays a moderate to fresh breeze, 9 to 22 mph, all from the east or east-northeast, hitting the reef as a cross-onshore flow. The swell is tiny, mostly 2ft to 5ft, but it’s all short-period junk between 5 and 8 seconds, so no power or shape. The combined wave energy is weak to moderate, with values like 115, 135, 238, and later dropping to 62 and 47 – that’s just not enough juice for a decent ride.

The first few days up to 25th July show a bit of a bump, with Thursday afternoon the 23rd hitting 5ft and 238 energy, but the wind is 22 mph fresh cross-onshore, making it lumpy and messy. That’s not surfable, it’s a washing machine. As we move into the second week, from 28th July onward, the swell drops further, with energy levels falling into the double digits or low triple digits, and the period stays short. The wind never lets up.

There’s no point picking a session here. The water temp is 83° on the 21st, which is about average for the time of year, but you won’t care about that when you’re battling a cross-onshore breeze and closeout chop.

If you’re a kite surfer, this setup with the consistent east wind and moderate chop might be fun, but for paddle surfing, it’s a total bust. The forecast shows a blank run of 16 days with no quality surf on offer. This is a tough stretch for the area, but it won’t stay this way forever – forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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