San Juan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the 16-day window for San Juan is a tough one. There are zero good surf days on the cards. Every single session in the forecast is flagged as poor surf conditions, so we are looking at a complete blank run from now through to the 18th of September. That’s a long, quiet stretch for this reef break. Don’t get too down though; when an exposed spot like this goes quiet, it usually doesn’t stay that way forever, and forecasts can always shift.

The biggest issue is the wind. For a spot that loves a solid NNW swell to light up, we’ve got persistent onshore and cross-onshore breezes from the north and northeast cranking at 9 to 22 mph. That’s a constant battle. A few times the swell bumps up, like on Tuesday the 8th when we see 7 ft to 7 ft coming from the north with a period of 8 seconds, and the wave energy hits moderate (649–729). But with the wind blowing straight onshore at 16–19 mph, it’s going to be a lumpy, blown-out mess. That’s expert territory just for the size, but the quality just isn’t there.

There’s one interesting little pulse right at the end on Monday the 14th of September. A long-period groundswell sneaks in from the NNW with a 14-second period. The height is only 2 ft in the morning, but the energy reading jumps to 308 (moderate), which shows there’s some push in those long lines. For a reef like San Juan, that long period could mean some clean lines if the wind ever plays ball. But by afternoon it’s gone, replaced by a messy 5 ft north swell and cross-onshore wind. That’s a tease, not a session.

Overall, save the energy. The water’s sitting at 75°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only bright spot. If you’re desperate for a paddle, the 7th and 8th of September have some size (5 ft–7 ft), but with those onshore winds and short 6–8 second periods, it’s more of a wind-chop workout than real surfing.

Rusty.

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