San Juan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about your local surf.

Honestly, for the next 16 days, it’s going to be a tough run. The swell is around, but the wind just won’t play ball. We’re looking at a solid wall of onshore wind from the NNE and N for almost the entire stretch, which is going to wreck the surface. The water temp is sitting at 73°, which is about average for this time of year, but that doesn't help much when the wind is howling.

The period we’re dealing with is short, mostly around 8 seconds, and dropping to 7 seconds in the middle of the second week. That’s short-period wind swell, not the kind of groundswell that gives you a nice, long wall. It’s going to be lumpy, choppy, and messy.

The real problem is the consistency of the onshore wind. It’s a fresh breeze almost every day, pushing 18 to 22 mph, and even hitting 25 mph by the 19th. With that wind direction, San Juan is completely exposed, and the wave comment is “poor surf conditions” across the board.

There is energy in the water – the combined swell energy hits moderate values, peaking at 819 on the morning of the 6th and staying in the 400-600 range for a lot of the first week. But with the wind on it, that energy just means big, messy, blown-out lines. The swell height sits around 6 ft to 8 ft for the first week, which is a solid size, but with that onshore wind, it’s not going to be surfable. It’s too big for beginners anyway, and with the wind, it’s not even fun for experts.

From the 10th onwards, the swell drops back a little, staying between 4 ft and 6 ft, but the wind stays howling onshore. The period drops to just 7 seconds, making it even weaker and more gutless.

About the only highlight, and I use that term loosely, is that the wind does back off a little on the 17th and 18th, with a moderate breeze instead of a fresh one. The swell is smaller, only 4 ft to 4 ft, and the period is a better 8 seconds again. But it’s still an onshore wind, and it’s still going to be choppy. The 17th afternoon has a cross-onshore wind, which is a tiny bit better, but the comment is still “moderate cross-onshore and choppy”.

Between the 17th and the 20th, the swell keeps fading. By the 19th, we’re down to 3 ft with a strong breeze from the north. That’s not surf, that’s just whitecaps.

There are no standouts here. The entire 16-day window is a write-off for quality waves at San Juan. With that much consistent onshore wind and short-period swell, this setup honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s a reef break that takes a lot of swell, but without the clean conditions, it’s not going to be any good.

Rusty.

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