Rincon, Puerto Rico Surf Forecast – April 20, 2015

Rincon about to get hit with a 1.21 Gigawatt Swell

Did you see the latest satellite loop?!?

I can’t believe my eyes. We have back to back systems pulling out into the Atlantic. A new NE long period swell is headed our way already with a possible N swell for the weekend. Rincon is looking like it should be going off for a while. Granted, the swell will drop off a bit tomorrow and Wednesday, but after that we should be in for another five days of non-stop action.

How to stay having fun with long period swells:

With most long period NE swells, many tucked away spots will be kind of boring in between sets. This is because there is no real wave in between the sets. The wait might be 10 minutes in between each set of 3 or 4 waves. This means if you’re at a crowded spot you probably won’t catch any waves. The solution – go somewhere else. The wind is forecast to stay light. There will be plenty of options. Find a spot without people and you will have the time of your life. Even if the wave quality isn’t as good as the super crowded breaks, you’ll have more fun actually catching waves. Trust me.

Today

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Wave Watch III from NOAA wave prediction model for surfing Puerto Rico.

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Fri

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Wave Watch III from NOAA wave prediction model for surfing Puerto Rico.

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Sat

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Wave Watch III from NOAA wave prediction model for surfing Puerto Rico.

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Sun

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Wave Watch III from NOAA wave prediction model for surfing Puerto Rico.

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Mon

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Wave Watch III from NOAA wave prediction model for surfing Puerto Rico.

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Tue

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Wave Watch III from NOAA wave prediction model for surfing Puerto Rico.

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Wed

NOAA WaveWatch III Wave Model:

Wave Watch III from NOAA wave prediction model for surfing Puerto Rico.

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Thu

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Wave Watch III from NOAA wave prediction model for surfing Puerto Rico.

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Atlantic Ocean Satellite Loop

Using Automated Forecast Tools:

Remember that no matter what a computer model tells you, what you see on the beach might be completely different. That's why i go take pictures of the beach every day. These tools help give an idea of what to expect, but weather prediction is not always exact especially the further out you try to forecast. Surf forecasting takes into account the general correlation between past weather data and resulting surf conditions. Another thing to keep in mind is the difference between actual swell height and the face height of the rideable wave it creates. For example. When the waves are forecast to have a 6ft swell at 13 seconds or higher with a NW angle we normally get waves that most people would call double over-head on sets. Swell angle is also important, especially for shorter period swell (9-11 seconds). For example 3ft at 11 seconds from the NW will make a bigger wave than 4ft at 9 seconds from the NE. Normally longer period swell (13+ seconds) will be more powerful and keep the surf size a little better even if the angle isn't a direct hit to Rincon. Generally any swell less than 9 seconds is super weak here in Rincon unless it has a lot of west in it. Also, most NE swell under 12 seconds is weak and mushy. 2ft at 8 seconds is generally small to flat. ENE swell will almost never make it into Rincon unless it was something like 10ft at 18 seconds from the ENE.