
Surf Forecasts:
The Reef (Culebra) surf forecast from 28 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 30 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, E swell with 358 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Reef (Culebra) this week:
The most powerful waves expected at The Reef (Culebra) in the next 16 days are 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 30) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Reef (Culebra) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you – this forecast for The Reef (Culebra) is a tough one.
Overall, the entire 16-day window looks pretty bleak. We’ve got a run of poor surf conditions stretching from right now, all the way through to the middle of August. The first week is particularly painful, with a long stretch of days where the waves are just too weak or too messy to get excited about. There is no standout day, and no standout session in this whole period.
Looking at the details, Tuesday the 28th of July kicks things off with tiny 1ft to 2ft swells from the ENE and ESE winds blowing at 19 mph. That's weak combined wave energy (37) and the water temp is a pleasant 84°, which is about average for this time of year. Wednesday the 29th gets a bit of a bump in size to 5ft by the afternoon, but that comes with a short, weak 6-second period and a fresh cross-shore wind that’ll chop things up. The energy picks up (208), but it's a messy cross-chop.
Thursday July 30th has the biggest swells of the whole run, hitting 6ft from the east with a bit more energy (359), but again, the winds are cross-offshore or cross, and the period is short (7 seconds). The surf might be clean, but the wave quality is still marked as poor. This pattern repeats right through the end of July and into the first few days of August – waist-high waves, inconsistent periods, and fresh winds that never really go glassy.
From Monday August 3rd, the swell completely drops out, with 0.3ft junk. It stays small and weak for several days, with some tiny 0.7ft to 3ft dribble. By August 5th, we see another little pulse to 5ft, but again, the period is short (6 seconds) and the direction is east, which isn't a classic for this spot. The whole second half of the forecast window, from August 6th onward, is just low energy dribble, with combined energy barely cracking 15.
Honestly, if you're looking for a paddle, there is nothing here. A reef like Culebra needs a decent groundswell with some south in it, and we're getting none of that. With the persistent east winds and the mostly cross-orientation, this setup looks way more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It's a bummer, but these blank runs happen sometimes.
Stay patient, check back in a week or so – forecasts can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 28°C on Tue morning, min 28°C on Tue morning). Mainly strong winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Fri night. Warm (max 28°C on Fri morning, min 27°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | NE 9 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 6 | E 6 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 6 | NW 8 | E 7 | E 5 | E 7 | NW 7 | N 7 | E 5 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
37 | 26 | 11 | 21 | 196 | 315 | 358 | 318 | 185 | 213 | 284 | 246 | 181 | 95 | 3 | 155 | 88 | 183 | 2 | 1 | 68 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 8:54PM0.38m | 7:34AM0.19m | 9:26PM0.39m | 8:27AM0.20m | 9:55PM0.39m | 9:20AM0.22m | 10:23PM0.38m | 10:14AM0.24m | 10:50PM0.36m | 11:09AM0.26m | 11:16PM0.33m | 12:07PM0.28m | 11:42PM0.30m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:18PM-0.02m | 3:53AM0.14m | 1:58PM-0.00m | 4:23AM0.13m | 2:38PM0.02m | 4:49AM0.13m | 3:18PM0.05m | 5:12AM0.12m | 4:02PM0.07m | 5:33AM0.10m | 4:52PM0.10m | 5:55AM0.07m | 5:50PM0.13m | ||||||||
5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | |
— | 6:57 | — | — | 6:57 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:55 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | — | — | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | NE 9 | NE 9 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | — | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | S 8 | SE 8 | S 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | N 7 | N 10 |
37 | 26 | 11 | 21 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 15 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 10 | ENE 10 | — | — | — | — | N 6 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 9 | — | S 8 | — | S 8 | — | — | — |
— | 4 | 10 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 7 | — |
— | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 4 | ESE 5 | E 5 | ESE 5 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 6 | E 6 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 5 | E 7 | E 5 | E 6 | E 5 |
22 | 42 | 54 | 102 | 196 | 315 | 358 | 318 | 185 | 213 | 284 | 246 | 181 | 95 | 96 | 155 | 88 | 183 | 83 | 82 | 68 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 931 | 105 | 139 | 878 | 878 | 79 | 193 | 198 | 487 | 853 | 871 | 68 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 79 | 79 | 69 | 105 | 878 | 149 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Puerto Rico | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Puerto Rico | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Reef (Culebra) Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Reef (Culebra) provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Reef (Culebra) can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Reef (Culebra) surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (The Reef (Culebra)) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for The Reef (Culebra) may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.










