Tortuguero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a good look at what's coming up for Tortuguero over the next couple of weeks. It’s not going to be a non-stop party, but there are a few windows where it’ll be worth paddling out.

The overall pattern is one of waiting. We’ve got some inconsistent, smaller, short-period swell rolling in, mostly from the ENE. The quality is hit and miss, mostly due to those afternoon sea breezes and the odd squall. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird going on there.

Let’s kick things off this Saturday morning, 22 August. We’ve got a 5ft swell from the ENE with a period of 9 seconds. It’s not huge, but the wind is glassy – dead calm – so the conditions will be clean. The wave energy is moderate, reading 333. It’s a good chance for a beginner to get some fun, forgiving waves.

Sunday the 23rd looks a bit messier. The swell bumps up to 6ft on Sunday morning, but the wind goes cross-shore, and the energy jumps up to 566, which is solidly moderate. It’s not going to be as clean, though, and the period is still short at 10 seconds. Not the best.

Monday the 24th could be a little gem. The morning shows 5ft from the ENE with a 9-second period, but here’s the kicker: the wind is completely glassy again. Zero wind. That combined energy is a moderate 330, and it’ll be super clean. This is one of the best calls over the whole period – just good, clean, manageable surf.

Things settle down for the middle of the week. Tuesday through Thursday (25th to 27th) we’re hanging in the 5ft to 5ft range. The winds are mostly light and variable, sometimes cross or cross-off, leading to okay conditions. Nothing to get too excited about, but if you’re desperate, the Thursday morning (27 August) look is clean with a 5ft ENE swell reading 362 on the energy scale.

Now, keep your eyes peeled for Friday the 28th. That’s your standout of the whole run. The morning swell ticks up to a solid 7ft from the ENE, with a moderate 9-second period. The wind is a clean cross-off, the energy reads a chunky 680, and it’s described as very good. This is the day for anyone who’s comfortable in a bit more size. That 7ft is pushing into intermediate territory, but the clean conditions will make it a lot of fun. The afternoon gets a bit bumpy, so get on it early.

We drop back down over the weekend and into the first week of September. The swell backs off to the 4ft to 6ft range. Again, the morning slots are your friend. The Sunday morning of 30 August with a clean 5ft swell (307 energy) is another decent look, as is the Tuesday morning of 1 September with a smaller but glassy 4ft from the NE (251 energy). The standout in the second week is that Wednesday morning, 2 September. The swell is only 3ft, but the period stretches out to 11 seconds, and it’s glassy. That longer period gives the waves a bit more shape for the size, and the energy is a moderate 374. A sneaky good session for a log or a funboard.

The very end of the run on 6 September (Sunday morning) shows a clean 5ft ENE swell with a reading of 280. It’s a consistent pattern of clean mornings, but nothing else really screams “drop everything and go” after that Friday the 28th.

So, to put it simply: Best on offer is Friday morning, 28 August at Tortuguero. That 7ft ENE swell with clean, cross-off wind is the pick of the bunch. The runner-up is the glassy Monday morning of 24 August for the smaller, cleaner conditions. Get after it.

- Rusty

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