The Reef (Culebra) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, looking at the options for Culebra over the next couple of weeks. To be honest, the first week or so is a write-off – we’ve got a run of poor surf conditions starting from Sunday and running right through til Monday the 18th. The wind is mostly a fresh cross-shore breeze coming out of the east at 19 mph, just chopping everything up, so the water's a mess. The swell is around 4 ft to 5 ft from the east, but with a short period of 6 seconds and weak to moderate energy (228), it's not doing us any favours. It’s a bit of a frustrating start, but we do have some light at the end of the tunnel.

The standout of the whole forecast arrives on Tuesday the 18th of August with a solid pulse of easterly groundswell. We’re looking at The Reef (Culebra) getting a clean, 4 ft swell from the ENE (optimum for the break) with a period stretching out to 10 seconds and a combined energy of 369 (moderate). The wind swings around to a light breeze from the ESE at 6 to 9 mph, which is a clean cross-offshore, meaning the wave faces will be smooth and groomed. This is the best on offer – the wind is light and clean, the swell direction lines up perfectly, and it’s a very consistent reef break. Just a heads up, it’s intermediate-level and can get crowded sometimes, but with this quality, it’s worth it. The sea temps are sitting at 84°, which is about normal for this time of year.

Beyond that, the swell drops off quickly. Wednesday the 19th has a tiny 2 ft wave from the ENE, and from Thursday the 20th through to the end of the window, it’s all under 2 ft with very low energy (below 100), so we’re looking at a flat spell for over a week. Some of those days are glassy, but there’s just nothing coming through to ride.

So, to wrap it up: the whole first week is a no-go, but if you can hold on, Monday the 18th of August and that Tuesday are your window. After that, it’s time to get the gear out and wait for the next swell.

Rusty

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