The Reef (Culebra) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cookin’ for The Reef (Culebra).

Look, I’m gonna level with you. The next 16 days are a tough beat for The Reef. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing to write home about, but that’s about the only thing that’s average. The swell is on the small side, the wind is mostly cross or cross-off, and the conditions are just plain messy or weak. There’s no standout day in this whole run. The first few days have some chest-high lumps but the wind is all wrong, and by the middle of the month it just drains away.

Tuesday the 7th and Wednesday the 8th, you’re looking at 6 ft of short-period, wind-affected swell. The wind is a fresh cross-shore from the east at 22 mph, and the combined energy is moderate (244-260). That’s not fun. It’s bumpy, lumpy, and just not worth paddling out for. Thursday the 9th tries to clean up in the morning with a cross-off breeze, but the swell drops to 1.0 ft by the afternoon, and the energy just vanishes (17). That’s a tease.

Through the rest of the week and into the weekend, the swell hovers between 3 ft and 6 ft, with periods around 8 seconds, but it’s all cross-shore wind. It’s weak to moderate energy (up to 356), but the quality is just poor. By Sunday the 12th, the swell is almost gone, with 0.7 ft and 0.3 ft waves. That’s a flat spell for sure.

The whole second week, from the 13th to the 22nd, is a real struggle. There’s a few glimpses of clean conditions with cross-off winds on the 14th, 18th, and 19th, but the swell is tiny – 0.3 ft to 1.0 ft for most of it. The energy is barely registering (under 22). The 19th and 20th see a little bump back to 4 ft-5 ft, with moderate energy (131-151), but the period is short (6-7 seconds) and the wind is back to being a problem. The 21st has a nasty cross-shore at 25 mph. It’s just not happening.

For a reef break that’s very consistent and exposed to the north, this is a real dry spell. The best you can say is that the 19th morning might have a few clean but weak waves, but don’t hold your breath. This is a kite surfer’s window more than a paddle surfer’s, honestly. The setup looks more interesting for a kite than a longboard right now.

Rusty.

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