San Juan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for the San Juan stretch. We’re looking at a pretty bleak run, honestly. The whole 16-day window is a write-off for decent surf. The conditions are just plain poor from start to finish, with nothing that I’d even consider paddling out for.

The issue is persistent onshore wind. From Tuesday the 18th of August right through to Wednesday the 2nd of September, every single entry shows the wind hammering from the north or north-northeast, blowing straight onto the shore. Swell height does bump up, but it’s all short-period, choppy windswell. The period barely gets above 8 seconds, and most of the time it’s down around 7 seconds or even 6 seconds. That’s weak, messy energy that doesn’t stand a chance against the wind. The combined swell energy (138) starts off weak, builds to a moderate peak around Monday the 24th of August (683) and Tuesday the 25th (364), but it’s all for nothing with that wind. By the time we get to the last few days, the energy drops back into the low hundreds.

The lack of any clean conditions means there’s simply no standout. The swell direction is mostly from the north, which is the wrong way for San Juan’s optimum NNW direction. While the water temperature at the start is 74.3°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, that’s small comfort when the surf is unrideable. For a spot that’s a consistent reef break, having this much onshore wind is a real shame. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing given the strong, consistent breezes.

If you’re looking for a silver lining, it’s that this is an exposed, consistent reef. It tends not to stay this poor for long, and forecasts can change. But for now, there’s nothing to recommend. I’ll be giving this one a miss.

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