San Juan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about San Juan. It’s a real mixed bag ahead, and I’ll be straight with you—there’s a long stretch of nothing doing before we get a glimmer of hope. The water’s sitting at 75° right now, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll feel that if you’re in the water.

The first week’s a write-off, plain and simple. From Tuesday morning all the way through to the end of August, every session is tagged as poor surf conditions. The wind’s hammering onshore from the NNE and N, mostly 15 to 22 mph, and the swell’s all over the place—short-period junk mostly. The combined energy’s moderate at best, hitting 502 early on Tuesday but dropping away fast. By Thursday morning, the energy’s down to 34, and it’s barely a ripple. That’s a solid week of no surf worth paddling for.

We get a bit of a pulse around the weekend of August 29–30, with swell heights up to 7 ft on Saturday morning and the combined energy jumping to 1107—that’s strong. But the direction’s N and the period’s 11 seconds, which is a long-period groundswell. At a reef break like San Juan, that’s not a dealbreaker, but the wind’s still onshore and fresh. The surf comment stays poor. If you’re an expert and desperate, you might look, but it won’t be clean.

Into the first week of September, the NNE swell builds steadily. By Thursday and Friday the 3rd and 4th, we’re seeing 7 ft to 8 ft swell with moderate energy around 500–700, and the period’s up to 8 seconds. That’s a better-shaped swell, but the wind’s not letting up—still onshore. This is big enough to be expert-only, and with the onshore wind, it’s going to be a mess. Kite surfers might have a field day.

The standout? Honestly, it’s the tail end of the forecast. On Tuesday morning, September 8th, we get a pulse of 3 ft NW swell with a 12-second period—that’s a long-period groundswell. Combined energy’s still strong at 637. The wind shifts to a lighter 19 mph from the N, still onshore, but it’s a cleaner window. That’s the best chance for a clean-ish wave, but it’s a long way out and the confidence is low. For a reef break like San Juan, that longer period could shape up nicely if the wind backs off. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s the only thing worth keeping an eye on.

So, bottom line: the next week and a half is a bust. The second week shows a little promise, but we’re betting on a hopeful Tuesday morning in September. That’s the best of a tough lot.

Rusty

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