Surf Forecasts:
The Reef (Culebra) surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period, E swell with 199 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 1.4m 7s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Reef (Culebra) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – this outlook for The Reef (Culebra) is a tough one to write. The whole 16-day window is pretty much a write-off for a proper surf. There’s no standout best day, no hidden gem. The forecast is stuffed with wind that’s just not playing ball, and the swell is small and weak.
Let’s walk through it. From Friday the 17th of July right through to the end of the month and into the 1st of August, we’re looking at nothing but "poor surf conditions" every single session. The wind is nearly always a cross-shore breeze, sometimes fresh, sometimes moderate, but it’s almost never working in our favour. There’s a few moments of cross-offshore wind on the 22nd, 23rd, 26th, 27th, and the 1st of August, which would clean it up a bit, but the swell is tiny – mostly under 3 ft – and the combined wave energy is weak, often in the double digits (like 15, 13, 59, 62) and only occasionally reaching moderate, like 144 or 189, but even then it’s accompanied by lumpy, chop-filled conditions.
The best you’ll see is around Saturday the 31st of July and Sunday the 1st of August, when the swell pushes up to 5 ft from the east. The energy climbs to 205 and 204, which is moderate, but it’s a 6 to 7 second period – short-period windswell, so it’s gonna be messy, and the wind is still a fresh cross-shore. The 1st of August has that cross-offshore wind, which helps, but the swell is still small and inconsistent for a reef break. Honestly, the setup here looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, because the wind is consistent and there’s some chop.
The water temperature is 83°F on the 17th, which is about normal for the time of year given the anomaly is only +0.4°F. That’s a small comfort.
So, I can’t give you a “go” day. The whole period is a blank run. Sometimes it’s just like that for this area. The Reef is a very consistent spot, but with the wrong wind and weak swell, it’s not worth the paddle. Don’t bother checking the buoys, just keep an eye on the forecast – it tends not to stay poor for long, and things can change. But for now, it’s a no-go.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 28°C on Fri morning, min 27°C on Fri morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 26°C on Tue morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 5 | E 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | E 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 7 | 12 | 89 | 132 | 159 | 199 | 168 | 178 | 110 | 134 | 64 | 56 | 28 | 31 | 42 | 59 | 44 | 61 | 58 | 57 | 146 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross |
High Tide | 10:36AM0.23m | 11:31PM0.37m | 11:44AM0.26m | 00:04AM0.33m | 12:52PM0.28m | 00:34AM0.29m | 2:00PM0.30m | 1:01AM0.25m | 3:07PM0.31m | 1:29AM0.22m | 4:13PM0.32m | 2:01AM0.20m | 5:13PM0.32m | 2:42AM0.18m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:43PM0.02m | 6:15AM0.08m | 5:44PM0.07m | 6:49AM0.06m | 6:51PM0.12m | 7:22AM0.04m | 8:07PM0.15m | 7:58AM0.02m | 9:32PM0.17m | 8:37AM0.01m | 11:00PM0.17m | 9:20AM-0.01m | 00:19AM0.17m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | |  | | | |  | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — |
 | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:59 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 28 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 26 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 | SE 7 | SE 6 | NNE 5 | NE 6 | SSE 5 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | SE 6 |
| kJ | 7 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 54 | 9 | 23 | 31 | 3 | 59 | 44 | 61 | 58 | 57 | 31 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | N 6 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | — | N 10 | N 9 | N 8 | ESE 8 | N 7 | NNE 8 | SE 8 | E 6 | E 7 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | NE 8 | SE 8 | E 7 | — | — |
| kJ | 3 | 1 | 8 | 7 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 16 | 28 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 7 | — | — | — | — | N 10 | N 9 | — | N 8 | N 7 | — | NNE 8 | SE 6 | SE 6 | E 7 | — | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 5 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 6 | 9 | 8 | 4 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 5 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 5 | — | — | NE 6 | SSE 5 | SE 3 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | E 7 |
| kJ | 81 | 83 | 89 | 132 | 159 | 199 | 168 | 178 | 110 | 134 | 64 | 56 | — | — | 42 | 3 | 6 | 22 | 33 | 39 | 146 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 79 | 796 | 422 | 878 | 878 | 487 | 796 | 454 | 149 | 878 | 454 | 270 | 105 | 105 | 68 | 105 | 105 | 68 | 520 | 454 | 344 |
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.
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