The Reef (Culebra) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at this one. The swell is running, but the wind is a bit of a nightmare for The Reef (Culebra).

The pattern for the next 16 days is a bit of a tease. We’ve got consistent energy in the water, but the wind is the real story, and it’s not a good one. For the first several days, the east-southeast breeze is blowing cross-off or cross-shore, which is going to mess up what should be a clean, lined-up reef wave. The water is warm at 84°F and right around the norm for this time of year, about average.

Starting from Monday, July 27th, we’ve got some swell around 3 ft from the east, but the cross-offshore wind is gonna make it bumpy. The combined energy is moderate, around 128, but the poor surf conditions are clearly the main call. Tuesday, July 28th, drops right off to 1 ft, and the wind is still a problem. The whole first week is a write-off really, with the wind constantly in the 15 to 22 mph range, mostly cross or cross-off, and the swell heights are all over the place. The energy gets a bit of a kick on Wednesday the 29th afternoon, with a 6 ft wave from the east and a combined energy of 263, but the fresh cross-shore wind is just going to chop it up. That continues through Thursday and Friday, with the same 5 ft to 6 ft swell and consistent cross-shore wind.

The weekend of August 1st and 2nd is no better, with risk of thunderstorms and the wind still cross-shore. The swell drops to 4 ft on Sunday afternoon, but the vibe is still poor. The following week, from August 3rd to 5th, we get a massive drop in swell, with tiny 0.3 ft to 3 ft waves, and the wind is still a problem. The energy is near zero.

If you’re looking for a standout, it’s a tough call. The best window is actually further out, on Saturday, August 8th and Sunday, August 9th. The swell is back up to 6 ft from the east, with a moderate combined energy of 242 to 260. This is a reef break, so it can handle the east swell, but the wind is forecast to be a fresh cross-shore from the east-northeast, which is a real bummer. It’s not going to be glassy or clean. The crowds are only “sometimes” a problem here, so if you’re desperate, you might get a few lumpy ones. The swell direction is east, and the guidance says the optimum for this spot is north, so it’s not a perfect match.

The only other glimmer is on Tuesday, August 11th, when the swell drops to 2 ft, but the period jumps to 10 seconds and the wind is cross-off from the east-southeast, which is cleaner. But the wave size is tiny.

There’s a big gap in quality surf for the first two weeks, honestly. The wind is the villain. It’s not until the second week of August that we see any real size, but the wind ruins it. The setup here is a reef, so with the strong cross-shore wind and the decent size, a kitesurfer might have a better time on a day like August 8th than a surfer.

Rusty.

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