Rincon Puerto Rico Surf Forecast – Friday, Sept 9, 2016

Wow! What a good week of surf! More to come?

This past week couldn’t have played out any better. Though crowded spots did have a nice wave, plenty of empty spots were just as good or better. It was a great event! We’ll stay small to flat for the next 5 to 7 days, but there is plenty of weather in the mix that can change that. We have a long trail of tropical activity that will inevitably work it’s way into our swell generation window. Worst case scenario we see another fun swell event in a week or so. We’re looking to have a decent tropical surf season after all.

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.