Tortuguero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let me tell you what's shaping up for Tortuguero.

First off, the water temp is running about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The pattern starts out a bit slow. Saturday the 8th and Sunday morning the 9th are pretty average, with a mix of onshore winds and marginal conditions. The combined swell energy is low, around 203 to 377. Not worth getting wet for.

Then we get a real window of opportunity. Sunday morning, August 9th is the first stand-out. The wind goes dead glassy, calm, and we’ve got a clean 7ft ENE swell with a moderate 10-second period. The combined energy jumps to 763, and the surf is glassy. This is a proper session for the intermediate crowd. The swell direction is ENE, and the spot is exposed to NE, so it's a solid match.

The good run continues through Monday morning, August 10th with glassy conditions and a 6ft swell (energy 578). Tuesday morning the 11th sees clean cross-offshore wind and a 6ft swell (energy 469). Wednesday morning the 12th is another glassy, clean 6ft swell (energy 697). Thursday morning the 13th has clean cross-offshore wind and a 6ft swell (energy 622). You get a string of good mornings.

Now, the real headline. Saturday, August 15th is the highlight of the whole forecast. We’re talking a solid 8ft ENE swell early, with a 10-second period, and the combined energy hits 1358. That’s strong. The wind is glassy, and the surf is excellent for experienced surfers. This is a proper, powerful swell. The afternoon stays glassy with a 8ft swell (energy 1102). This is the one to circle on the calendar. Word of warning though: this is heavy. At 8ft, it’s expert territory only.

Sunday morning, August 16th carries it on with clean cross-offshore wind and a 8ft swell (energy 1193). Still excellent for the experienced crew.

Then Monday morning, August 17th brings a 7ft swell, but the period stretches to 12 seconds, giving it a lot of push. The combined energy is 1216. The wind is cross-offshore, so it’s clean. This is a long-period groundswell, which will be more lined-up and powerful, better for the point or reef sections if there are any around. It’s still excellent, but the longer period means it could be a bit more challenging at the beach break.

After that, the size drops off. From Tuesday the 18th onward, we’re looking at 4ft to 6ft swell with clean cross-offshore winds on many mornings, through to the 23rd. The energy drops back to 228-441. It’s not the pumping stuff of the 15th, but it’s still fun and clean for the beginner to intermediate surfer, especially with those glassy or cross-offshore mornings. The consistency is fairly consistent, so there’s always a chance of a wave.

One thing to note: the spot is exposed to NE swell, and the dominant swell direction is ENE. That’s close enough to the optimum to work well. Crowds are sometimes an issue, so don’t expect it empty.

So, to sum it up: the real standout is the weekend of August 15th-17th for the experts. The week before that has clean, fun waves for everyone else. A solid outlook.

Rusty.

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