The Reef (Culebra) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up for The Reef (Culebra). Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – this 16-day window is a tough one. We’ve got a real dry spell on our hands, so don’t go clearing your schedule just yet. The first recommendation is for Saturday the 15th, but it’s a no-go from the start.

Right out of the gate on Saturday morning, we’ve got a 8ft swell coming from the east, but the wind is howling at 25 mph straight out of the east too, putting it right in the cross position. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird there, but the combined energy is a strong 636 – you can feel that power – but it’s all messy cross-chop. You’d be battling just to get a half-decent wave. That afternoon and into Sunday, the swell drops to 6ft, but the cross-wind stays stiff, keeping everything lumpy. The energy drops to 447 (still moderate), but the quality is gone. We’re looking at a real poor surf situation for the whole opening weekend.

Through the middle of next week, Monday into Tuesday (the 17th and 18th), the swell fades fast. We’re talking chest-high at best, dropping to 3ft by Tuesday morning, but the cross-wind from the east just won’t let up. The energy falls to a pretty weak 93 on Tuesday morning. It’s just not worth paddling out for. Wednesday and Thursday (the 19th and 20th) see the swell bottom out completely, with the wave energy hitting as low as 53. We get a brief moment on Thursday afternoon with a light cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is only 2ft – barely a ripple.

Now, there’s a stretch from about Saturday the 22nd through to the end of the month where things get a little more interesting, but we’re still not looking at anything to shout about. The swell tries to pick up on Monday the 24th with a 5ft swell from the ENE, and the energy jumps to 247. It’s still cross-shore wind, though. By Monday afternoon, we see a 6ft swell with a 10-second period making the energy 611, but the wind is still cross-shore, so it’s choppy. That’s a strong showing of energy, but it’s wasted. There’s a brief window on Tuesday the 25th afternoon where the wind goes cross-offshore, but the swell is only 5ft, and the energy is 282. It’s clean, but it’s not the kind of swell that will get you out of bed.

Looking further out to the 28th and 29th, the swell just disappears. We’re talking 1.0ft, 0.3ft – it’s flat. The energy on the 29th afternoon is a pitiful 6. There’s just nothing on the table here.

To be straight with you, there are zero standout days in this entire forecast. The wind and swell are constantly out of sync. The best look is probably that Monday afternoon the 24th, with a 6ft, 10-second swell from the ENE, but the cross-shore wind means it’ll be a messy affair. If you’re desperate, that’s your only shot, but don’t expect perfection. This is a real blank run for The Reef – it happens. Forecasts can change, but right now, save your energy.

Rusty.

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