The Reef (Culebra) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the outlook for The Reef (Culebra) over the next couple of weeks is a real mixed bag, and for the most part, it's a bit of a waiting game. The water's sitting at a warm 85°F which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The forecast kicks off with a long dry spell. From Sunday the 13th right through to Wednesday the 24th of September, it's pretty much a no-go. The swell is tiny, the wind is howling from the east at 15-19 mph, and it's mostly cross-shore, putting a nasty chop on the surface. You'll see small waves around 1 to 4 ft but with those easterly winds, the conditions are just poor. Honestly, for a solid 11 days, there's nothing worth paddling out for at this spot.

Then, things start to look up around Thursday the 24th of September. The first real glimmer of hope comes Thursday morning with a clean swell from the NNE. We're looking at 3 ft of swell with a period of 13 seconds, which is a nice, long-period groundswell. The combined wave energy jumps to a moderate 422, and the wind is a light cross-offshore breeze from the ESE at 9 mph, so it should be clean. This is a promising setup for a reef break like The Reef, but be warned, the long period means sets might be a bit more spaced out. The swell picks up to 4 ft Thursday afternoon, still with good energy (656), but the wind goes a bit cross, which might put a slight crinkle on the face.

Friday the 25th of September looks like the standout, at least for the experienced crew. The morning brings a solid 5 ft NNE swell, with a period of 13 seconds and strong wave energy of 760. The wind is a clean cross-offshore at 16 mph, making for some good, powerful waves. That 5 ft is right on the cusp of being too big for beginners, but for intermediate and above, this is the pick of the bunch. The afternoon drops slightly to 5 ft but the wind swings more cross, so the morning session is the call. It's a point-break style swell, so The Reef should handle it well.

After that high point, the swell drops back down over the weekend and into the following week, with the energy falling and the east wind returning. It won't be flat, but the quality drops off, and the conditions get choppier. So, to sum it up: sit tight for the next week and a half, then get ready for a couple of decent days around the 24th and 25th of September. The 25th morning is your best bet for some proper waves. Keep an eye on it, but don't hold your breath for much else.

Rusty.

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