The Reef (Culebra) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a pretty quiet stretch ahead for The Reef (Culebra). This is a consistent, exposed reef break that handles north swell best, but over the next 16 days the swell energy is just not there. The water is sitting at 85°F which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The forecast starts off flat and messy. From Monday the 31st of August right through the first week of September, it’s all small, weak, and crumbly. Swell heights barely tickle 3 ft with combined energy readings mostly in the double digits – as low as 17 – and the period is short, around 5 to 8 seconds. Winds are cross or cross-off, moderate to fresh, so nothing to get excited about. It’s a long stretch of “poor surf conditions” with scores of 0. That’s nearly a week of nothing worth paddling out for.

You get a tiny flicker on Sunday the 6th of September. The afternoon shows a small 2 ft swell from the east, period at 8 seconds, combined energy at 75 (still weak), but the wind swings to a light offshore from the SSE – that’s a gentle breeze and clean. It’s “surfable but very ordinary,” the best of a bad lot, but still pretty underwhelming. That’s the only highlight in the whole run.

After that, it’s back to the same story. From the 7th through the 15th of September, it’s all tiny waves – 0.3 ft to 2 ft – with cross-off winds, combined energy often in the teens or twenties, and the occasional bit of energy pushing 143 on the 11th of September from a 4 ft easterly with a 6-second period, but that’s short and weak. The quality is still rated poor. The clean conditions are there, but without swell, it’s just a flat, polished lake.

Honestly, for a reef that’s usually reliable, this is a tough run. If you’re desperate, the Sunday afternoon on the 6th is your best shot, but don’t expect much. The rest of the 16 days is a write-off. Bring a towel.

Rusty.

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