Surf Forecasts:
The Reef (Culebra) surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, ENE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period, ENE swell with 625 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 8s period with ENE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Reef (Culebra) this week:
The surf forecast for The Reef (Culebra) over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 2PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Reef (Culebra) in the next 16 days are 1.9m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Reef (Culebra) over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s cookin’ for The Reef over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, this outlook is a tough one. The pattern that’s setting up is mostly crossed-up and blown-out for this exposed reef, with only a couple of sessions that might give you a window of clean shape. The water temp is sitting pretty much average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
We start the run with the first recommendation on Saturday morning, August 29th. The swell is running 5ft from the east, but that’s a short-period 7-second windswell, and the easterly breeze is a fresh 30 km/h cross-offshore. The combined energy is moderate at 265. It’s clean, but the quality is poor – those short lines just won’t stand up on this reef the way you want. It’s a skippable morning.
Sunday the 30th is a bit of a tease. The morning has risk of thunderstorms and a choppy cross-onshore, so forget it. But Sunday afternoon brings a jump in swell to 6ft from the east-northeast, with a longer 10-second period and a cleaner cross-off wind from the south-southeast at 35 km/h. The combined energy cranks up to 638 – that’s strong, solid wave energy. The guidance calls it marginal, and I’d agree: the size is there, but it’s right on the edge of being too unruly for this spot. The swell direction (ENE) isn’t the optimal north, so it’ll be a bit walled and bumpy. Still, if you’re a confident intermediate, that Sunday afternoon might be your best bet in the whole window.
Monday the 31st drops back to 4ft of ENE swell with a 9-second period and clean cross-off wind. Combined energy is moderate at 223. It’s cleaner and smaller, better for a longer board, but it’s not going to blow your mind.
After that, we hit a long, dry spell. From the 1st of September right through to the 8th, the swell all but disappears. Heights linger between 0.7ft and 4ft, mostly with weak energy readings (under 100), and while the wind stays cross-off or clean for many of those sessions, there’s just no power. The period is mostly in the 5-10 second range, meaning weak windswell at best. You’d be bobbing around more than riding.
Then around Wednesday the 9th of September, things get interesting again, but not in a good way for paddle surfing. The swell pushes back up to 6ft from the east, with a short 7-8 second period, and the combined energy is strong (339-397). But the wind is a fresh cross-off or cross-shore at 25-35 km/h, and the wave comment is “poor surf conditions” across the board. That much east wind with that size creates a lumpy, bumpy mess. Honestly, if you’re a kite surfer, the setup on the 9th and 10th looks far more appealing than trying to paddle into that choppy beast. The swell direction is far from the optimum north.
So, calling it straight: the standout session is Sunday afternoon, August 30th. It’s the only time you get that blend of moderate size, reasonable period, and clean wind. Everything else is either too small, too messy, or both. If you miss that window, you’re looking at a long wait until the second week, and that second-week pulse is just too wind-affected to recommend for a paddle.
Rusty signing off.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 75mm), heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 29°C on Fri night, min 26°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 39mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 27°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NE 11 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | NNE 11 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | E 5 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
94 | 199 | 183 | 135 | 310 | 625 | 408 | 211 | 120 | 73 | 23 | 6 | 20 | 11 | 32 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 34 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 9:11PM0.38m | 9:15AM0.31m | 9:37PM0.36m | 10:05AM0.34m | 10:04PM0.33m | 10:56AM0.36m | 10:31PM0.30m | 11:50AM0.37m | 11:00PM0.27m | 12:49PM0.38m | 11:31PM0.24m | 1:53PM0.38m | 00:09AM0.23m | ||||||
Low Tide | 3:40AM0.13m | 3:21PM0.10m | 4:02AM0.10m | 4:12PM0.12m | 4:26AM0.08m | 5:07PM0.15m | 4:54AM0.05m | 6:09PM0.17m | 5:28AM0.02m | 7:22PM0.19m | 6:11AM0.00m | 8:51PM0.20m | |||||||
— | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
6:38 | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:36 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:34 | — | |
mm | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | 5 | 17 | 42 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 |
Feels °C | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 30 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 11 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 8 | SE 5 | NNE 10 |
73 | 63 | 33 | 33 | 31 | 625 | 408 | 211 | 120 | 73 | 23 | 6 | 20 | 11 | 24 | 15 | 6 | 18 | 10 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 15 | N 13 | N 13 | ESE 9 | NE 12 | NNE 12 | NNE 11 | NNE 11 | NNE 10 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 10 | NE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | NNE 10 | ENE 7 | E 9 |
4 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | N 13 | NE 12 | NE 12 | — | — | SE 10 | NE 9 | NE 10 | NE 10 | S 8 | N 12 | NE 7 | NNE 11 | NNE 11 | NE 7 | NNE 10 | S 8 |
— | — | 3 | 6 | 6 | — | — | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | E 7 | E 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | SE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ENE 8 | E 4 | E 4 | ENE 4 | E 5 |
94 | 199 | 183 | 135 | 310 | 14 | 90 | 20 | 41 | 47 | 51 | 66 | 65 | 47 | 32 | 7 | 20 | 6 | 34 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 80 | 79 | 204 | 168 | 69 | 39 | 68 | 30 | 68 | 39 | 79 | 98 | 68 | 79 | 105 | 105 | 270 | 270 | 68 |
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.











