Cabarete Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get real about what we've got on the table for Cabarete over the next couple of weeks. I'm looking at the numbers, and honestly, it's a tough stretch. The wind is locked in from the east, which is cross-onshore here, and that's going to keep things messy. The swell is coming from the east too, but with short, weak periods. The guidance tells me Cabarete is an exposed reef that really loves swell from the northeast, and we just aren't getting that. Combine that with constant onshore breeze, and the wave energy is low, mostly in the double digits or low triple digits (254 to 28). The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. We are looking at a long, flat, and choppy run.

From Thursday the 10th right through to Tuesday the 23rd, it's the same story. We have swell, sure, but it's all short-period windswell between 5 and 8 seconds, coming from the east. Heights wobble around 1.0 ft to 5 ft, but the wind is your enemy. A moderate to fresh breeze out of the east makes it cross-onshore and lumpy. Every single window is tagged as "poor surf conditions" with a score of zero. There’s nothing to get excited about here. Even the afternoons look worse with fresh breezes adding more chop. This is a solid gap of no good surf.

Things don't really improve as we push into the last week. Wednesday the 24th and Thursday the 25th see the swell drop further, with heights under 2 ft. There is a slight shift on the 25th with a longer-period swell (11 seconds) from the north, giving some energy (143), but that wind is still cross-onshore from the east-northeast. It’s a tease, but with the onshore wind, it's still a no-go for a decent paddle.

So, what’s the best on offer? There honestly isn’t a standout session in this entire 16-day window. The combination of the wrong wind direction and weak, short-period swell means the reef won't be offering the clean lines it can. For the week of the 10th, if you had to pick the least horrible moment, Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th have the most size (5 ft to 5 ft) but with fresh cross-onshore wind and lumpy conditions, it's more of a battle than a joy. This kind of setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

This is a long, blank run for surfers. Conditions are poor and consistent about being poor. It’s a normal thing for the area when the wind doesn't play ball. We just have to wait for that window to open. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye out, but for now, it’s a miss.

Rusty.

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