Rincon, Puerto Rico Surf Forecast – Sept 3, 2022

Tropical Storm Earl will make surf for Puerto Rico.

Looks like the persistent disturbance has finally got itself organized into a Tropical Storm. The current track is a little closer to Puerto Rico than originally hoped for, but this won’t change things too much. Earl will fight some shear in the next day or two but after that, he should have favorable conditions. So expect an initial pulse to fill in tomorrow from the movement of the storm. By Wednesday we could see groundswell fill in. The Isabela area should already start to see some waves showing up, but the offshore winds won’t show up until Sunday. Have fun out there and stay safe!

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.