San Juan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – I’ve had a good look at the charts for San Juan, and it’s a tough run ahead. We’re not looking at any real standout sessions here, just a lot of wind and messy conditions on offer, so keep the expectations low.

The water temp is sitting at 73°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so you won’t need the thickest wetsuit, but that’s about the only easy-going thing going on.

From the start on Sunday the 12th, and right through the first week, it’s onshore breezes all the way. Sure, there’s a bit of swell showing up from the NNW, around 3 ft to 3 ft, but it's blown out and choppy. The wave energy is weak to moderate at best – we’re looking at combined energy readings between 83 and 212 (for reference, that’s on the low side), and short periods of 8 to 10 seconds mean the waves lack any real grunt or shape. It’s basically a washing machine out there.

That big stretch from the 15th onward into the second week is just frustrating. The swell builds up steadily, hitting 6 ft and then pushing past 8 ft by the 19th and onwards, but the wind is relentless – mostly strong, fresh to strong breezes from the N and NNE. The energy numbers climb high, hitting 1001 at one point on the afternoon of the 19th, which is strong, but with onshore winds pinning everything down, it’s a messy, lumpy ocean. Even when the swell looks decent, the quality is poor for paddle surfing. Honestly, with these cross-onshore setups kicking up chop, it's looking more like a kite-surfing window than anything for a shortboard.

The only real bright spot? Maybe towards the very end, on Monday the 27th, we see the wind drop back a notch to moderate breezes, and the swell drops a little to 5 ft. But even then, it's still onshore. There’s no session here that I’d call a winner for clean, lined-up waves. Hang tight, folks; forecasts can change, but for now, don’t rush to paddle out.

Rusty.

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