El Canal (Rio de Bayamon) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s take a look at what’s on the table for Puerto Rico. Honestly, the outlook is a bit of a quiet one. The only spot in the mix is El Canal (Rio de Bayamon), and it’s a tricky one. This river mouth is a rare breaker, so we’re not expecting consistent waves here. The water temp is sitting at 83°, which is pretty much average for the time of year, so no anomalies there.

The forecast starts from Wednesday, July 15th, but it’s a total flop. Swell is barely a whisper at 0.3 ft, coming from the north with a short period. The combined energy is a measly 4 – that’s about as weak as it gets. The wind is cross-off from the east at 16 mph, but the surf is just too small to do anything with. You’ll be waiting for a ripple.

Moving into Thursday, July 16th, and Friday, July 17th, it’s more of the same. Swell inches up to 1.0 ft, period is short at 8 seconds, and the energy is still in the teens. The wind stays cross-off. It’s clean, sure, but there’s nothing to ride. The whole weekend from Saturday, July 18th, through Sunday, July 19th, sees a bit of a bump. On Sunday morning, we get a 4 ft swell from the ENE, but with a period of just 6 seconds, it’s pure windswell. The energy jumps to 123 (moderate), but the wind is still cross-off at 16 to 19 mph. The surf is poor.

It’s not until Monday, July 20th, that we see the biggest push of the window. Monday afternoon has a 5 ft swell from the ENE, with a period of 7 seconds and energy at 170 (moderate). The wind shifts to a cross-shore from the ENE at 19 mph, creating a lumpy, cross-chop. That’s a bit messy for a river mouth, but it’s the most size we get. The rest of the week from Tuesday, July 21st, through Sunday, July 26th, bounces around with 3 ft to 5 ft swell, but it’s all short period windswell, and the energy rarely breaks past 150. The best of it is probably on Thursday, July 23rd, afternoon with a 4 ft swell and energy at 153, but again, the wind is cross-off, so it’s clean but gutless.

The last few days from July 27th to 30th taper off, with swell dropping back to 2 ft to 4 ft, and energy falling below 100. The wind picks up to 19 mph on the 27th, making it choppy.

So, what’s the standout? Honestly, there isn’t a true standout. The best wave on offer is probably Monday, July 20th, afternoon, with that 5 ft swell. It’s the biggest, but the cross-shore wind and short period make it a rough, lumpy session. It’s not exactly clean. For a rare-breaking river mouth, the conditions are against us. The setup is more interesting for a kite session than a paddle session, given the consistent winds and messy waves. Just a quiet spell for the island.

Rusty.

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