Cabarete Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board and let’s talk about what’s on the menu for Cabarete. I’ve been watching the charts and, honestly, it’s a bit of a slow start. We’ve got a solid window of onshore wind and small, junky waves for a good portion of this stretch. But don't write it off just yet—there’s a little pulse of something interesting right at the end.

For the next week, from Tuesday the 18th through Monday the 24th, it’s mostly a story of cross-onshore winds and weak, short-period swell. We’re looking at waist-high dribble in the 2ft to 4ft range, with periods mostly under 8 seconds. The energy is weak to moderate, with combined readings mostly in the 78 to 198 range. It’s gonna be lumpy, bumpy, and pretty much a battle. If you’re a kiter, you’ll probably have a better time than us paddle surfers.

Then we get a tease. On Tuesday the 25th, a longer-period swell starts to show up, with the period jumping to 14-15 seconds. That pushes the combined energy right up into the strong range, 442 in the morning and a hefty 769 in the afternoon. The size is still small, 3ft to 4ft, but the quality of the energy is totally different. Too bad the wind stays cross-onshore and messy, so it’s still not going to be clean.

Now, here’s the real standout. On Wednesday the 26th of August, it all clicks. The wind drops to a light 10 km/h onshore in the morning, which is about as glassy as it gets here. The swell comes up too, hitting 7ft with an 11-second period. That pushes the combined energy to a very strong 1026. Yes, it’s onshore, but so light it might clean it up. This is the day to keep your eyes on. It’s a proper reef setup, and that long-period energy will have some push. It might be a bit much for beginners, but for the guys who know what they’re doing, this is the pick of the fortnight. The afternoon stays solid at 6ft, but the wind picks up a bit.

After that, it backs off again. The energy drops back into the weak-to-moderate range and we’re back to the cross-onshore chop for the rest of the period. There are a few mornings with light winds around the 30th and 31st, but the swell is small and not offering anything that will get your heart racing.

So there you have it. It’s a bumpy ride for most of it, but that Wednesday on the 26th is the one. Mark it on your calendar, get your sleep, and be ready.

Rusty

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