The Reef (Culebra) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me give it to you straight. The Reef (Culebra) is the only spot in the mix for the next 16 days, and it’s looking like a long, quiet stretch. The water temp is about normal for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

We kick off Monday, July 20, with a weak, short-period swell around 4ft from the east, but the period is a puny 6 seconds. The combined energy is only 106 (moderate), and with a cross-shore breeze kicking up a lumpy chop, the waves are just messy and small. That’s the story through Tuesday and Wednesday, with waves staying in the 3ft to 3ft range, same short period, and the wind making a mess of things. Even when the wind turns a little offshore on Wednesday and Thursday, the swell is just too tiny to bother.

By Saturday, July 25, the swell bump up to about 5ft from the east, and the energy climbs to 231 (moderate), but the period is still a weak 7 seconds. The wind is cross-shore and fresh, so it’s lumpy. For a reef, this short-period windswell just doesn’t wrap in cleanly. Not worth the drive.

The following week, from July 27 through August 4, it’s more of the same. There are a few cleaner moments when the wind goes cross-offshore, like on the afternoon of July 31, but the swell is still small and short. The energy never gets strong enough to really make the reef work. There’s a little spike on July 29 and 30 with waves around 5ft from the east, but the period is a miserable 6 seconds, and the wind is cross-shore, so expect lumpy, unorganized lines.

Bottom line, there’s no standout day in this whole 16-day window. The swell is too small, the period is too short, and the wind is too often wrong for this north-facing reef. If you’re really itching to get wet, keep an eye on those cleaner cross-offshore windows, but don’t expect any quality. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a big zero for surf.

Rusty.

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