
Surf Forecasts:
The Reef (Culebra) surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, E swell with 318 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 1.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Reef (Culebra) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, listen up. Let's talk about The Reef (Culebra). I've got to be honest with you, it's been a while since I've seen it this quiet. The water's warm, a balmy 85°F, which is about right for this time of year, so it's all about board shorts.
The first few days are a total washout. We're looking at peaks of around 2 feet with a weak, short-period swell. The wind is okay, mostly cross-offshore, but there's a bit of a bump on it. The energy is weak, only registering 59. It's just not worth the paddle.
On Monday the 7th, there's a hint of a long-period groundswell from the NE, but it's tiny, only 1 feet. The period is a nice 12 seconds, but it's just not enough to get anything going. It's a big tease.
Then things get a little more interesting on Tuesday afternoon, the 8th. The swell starts to push up to 4 feet, and the energy jumps to 181. But, it's a junky easterly swell with a period of only 6 seconds. It's all bump and no push. Wednesday the 9th sees the swell max out at 5 feet with energy at 259, but the wind turns more cross and it gets lumpy. It's not a clean wave at all. This continues into Thursday the 10th, with more 5-foot surf, but it's still that same short-period mess.
You know, for a reef like this, we need a proper long-period swell to make it sing, but we're just getting hammered with this disorganized east windswell. And by the end of the week, it all just gives up.
From Friday the 11th onward, it's a flat-out desert. The swell drops to almost nothing, and the energy falls off a cliff. We're looking at a solid 8-day stretch of tiny, weak waves that won't even break properly. The wind will be up, 18-22 mph, which is going to make it even more of a chore. There's a brief moment on the 17th when the wind drops to a light 9 mph, but with only 1-foot waves, it's a glassy lake, not a surf.
To put it simply: the next week has a few pulses of size but terrible quality, followed by a long stretch of flatness. If you're not a masochist, I'd leave the board in the car. This looks a lot more like a kitesurfing wind farm than a surf break. But hey, the forecast can change, so keep an eye on it.
This is Rusty. Stay salty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Fri afternoon, min 28°C on Fri afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Mon night. Warm (max 29°C on Mon afternoon, min 28°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | NE 12 | NE 11 | NE 10 | NE 10 | E 6 | NE 11 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
51 | 76 | 44 | 44 | 47 | 45 | 43 | 32 | 35 | 29 | 54 | 52 | 126 | 58 | 202 | 215 | 206 | 250 | 287 | 257 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 3:04PM0.39m | 1:01AM0.21m | 4:15PM0.40m | 2:18AM0.21m | 5:21PM0.41m | 3:50AM0.22m | 6:18PM0.42m | 5:17AM0.24m | 7:06PM0.42m | 6:31AM0.28m | 7:49PM0.41m | 7:36AM0.32m | 8:26PM0.39m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:25PM0.20m | 8:08AM-0.01m | 11:40PM0.19m | 9:22AM0.00m | 00:31AM0.18m | 10:39AM0.01m | 1:10AM0.17m | 11:50AM0.03m | 1:44AM0.16m | 12:57PM0.05m | 2:17AM0.14m | 1:58PM0.07m | 2:48AM0.12m | |||||||
— | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
6:32 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 |
Feels °C | 31 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 28 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | NE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | NE 11 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NNE 10 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 11 | N 11 | N 10 | N 9 | N 9 |
51 | 3 | 44 | 44 | 47 | 45 | 43 | 32 | 20 | 29 | 54 | 52 | 38 | 58 | 32 | 30 | 35 | 29 | 43 | 41 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 9 | S 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NNE 9 | NE 12 | NNE 8 | N 9 | N 8 | NNE 12 | N 7 | N 7 | N 11 | NE 11 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 |
8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 35 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 18 | 11 | 10 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | NE 11 | NNE 8 | N 10 | N 9 | — | N 8 | — | — | N 7 | N 7 | N 11 | N 6 | N 13 |
— | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | — | 4 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 4 | E 8 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 |
3 | 76 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 19 | 31 | 42 | 66 | 94 | 126 | 132 | 202 | 215 | 206 | 250 | 287 | 257 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 105 | 68 | 105 | 105 | 68 | 105 | 105 | 68 | 105 | 105 | 98 | 193 | 204 | 98 | 796 | 200 | 149 | 196 | 105 | 90 |
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.










