On the Water · Surf
Surfing in Puerto Rico
The breaks, the swell and tide each one takes and who teaches, and when the swell really comes: seven years of NOAA buoy readings, measured by 787daily.
Swell at the buoys now
- Rincón buoyOff RincónNo reading yet
- Arecibo buoyOff AreciboNo reading yet
- San Juan buoyOff San JuanNo reading yet
- Ponce buoySoutheast of PonceNo reading yet
Station readings, not conditions at a beach. From CariCOOS, NOAA buoys and the National Weather Service.
Coming up on the water
All eventsWhat the swell does
September to March is the swell season
At the Rincón buoy, 37% of December's readings are groundswell (3 ft or more at 10 seconds or longer). In July, 0%.
The south coast waits for a storm
At the Ponce buoy, groundswell is never more than 1% of a month's readings: the south's waves are mostly short trade-wind chop.
Water 81 to 86°F
The Rincón buoy's monthly average runs from 80.6°F in February to 86.1°F in September.
High season, heavy crowds
Surfline puts the north and west coasts' high season at November to February, with shoulder months in September and October and from March to May, and summer as the low season. Discover Puerto Rico says October to April.Surfline Travel; Discover Puerto Rico
Go early
Mornings are calm or lightly offshore; the east-northeast trades kick in late in the morning. A winter cold front's south wind cleans up the north-facing breaks.Surfline Travel
Summer belongs to the south
Inches, near Patillas, works from summer into fall, best when a tropical cyclone passes south of the island; surfers rode Tropical Storm Karen's swell at Pozuelo, Guayama, in September 2019.Surfline; El Nuevo Día
Tres Palmas, the big one
It does not start breaking until about double overhead, Surfline says, and holds "beautiful form up to 20 feet", Surfrider says: experts only.Surfline Travel; Surfrider Foundation
The 1968 world championships
Rincón held the World Surfing Championships from November 8 to 14, 1968, won by Fred Hemmings and Margo Godfrey; the semifinals ran at Domes and the final at the right now called Maria's.Encyclopedia of Surfing; surfresearch.com.au
World events since
Middles, in Isabela, held the 2010 Rip Curl Pro Search on the world tour; La Marginal, in Arecibo, the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games, the last surfing qualifier for the Paris Olympics.Wavescape; Wikipedia; Primera Hora
A surf reserve at Punta Borinquen
Unconfirmed Save The Waves approved the Aguadilla coast from Crash Boat to Surfer's Beach as its 11th World Surfing Reserve in 2018. Whether it is still managed as one is unconfirmed: Save The Waves' 2026 list of reserves does not name Puerto Rico.Save The Waves; Discover Puerto Rico; Save The Waves
The buoy facts are 787daily's analysis of NOAA NDBC buoy data, 2019–2025. A buoy measures open water, not the break.
When to come
The share of each month's buoy readings that are groundswell: 3 ft or more at 10 seconds or longer. Deeper is more.
Show the numbers
| Buoy | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rincón buoy | 36% (avg 3.8 ft) | 36% (avg 3.8 ft) | 32% (avg 3.8 ft) | 22% (avg 3.2 ft) | 12% (avg 2.4 ft) | 1% (avg 2.1 ft) | 0% (avg 2.1 ft) | 4% (avg 2.2 ft) | 25% (avg 3.0 ft) | 30% (avg 3.1 ft) | 37% (avg 3.7 ft) | 37% (avg 4.1 ft) |
| Arecibo buoy | 47% (avg 4.4 ft) | 45% (avg 5.1 ft) | 30% (avg 4.7 ft) | 25% (avg 4.7 ft) | 12% (avg 3.4 ft) | 5% (avg 3.2 ft) | 0% (avg 3.7 ft) | 1% (avg 3.5 ft) | 49% (avg 3.9 ft) | 37% (avg 3.5 ft) | 47% (avg 4.4 ft) | 34% (avg 5.1 ft) |
| San Juan buoy | 46% (avg 4.7 ft) | 36% (avg 4.9 ft) | 42% (avg 4.7 ft) | 29% (avg 4.2 ft) | 15% (avg 3.3 ft) | 2% (avg 3.1 ft) | 0% (avg 3.6 ft) | 7% (avg 3.4 ft) | 35% (avg 3.7 ft) | 41% (avg 3.8 ft) | 46% (avg 4.6 ft) | 50% (avg 5.2 ft) |
| Ponce buoy | 0% (avg 3.0 ft) | 0% (avg 3.5 ft) | 0% (avg 3.0 ft) | 0% (avg 3.0 ft) | 0% (avg 3.1 ft) | 0% (avg 3.5 ft) | 1% (avg 3.6 ft) | 0% (avg 3.0 ft) | 0% (avg 2.3 ft) | 0% (avg 2.6 ft) | 1% (avg 2.8 ft) | 0% (avg 2.9 ft) |
Every buoy, month by month
| Buoy | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rincón buoyAverage wave height, ft | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.1 |
| 9 in 10 readings under, ft | 6.2 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.1 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 5.8 | 6.2 |
| Groundswell from | N | N | N | N | N | – | – | – | N | N | N | N |
| Water, °F | 81 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 83 | 84 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 86 | 84 | 83 |
| Arecibo buoyAverage wave height, ft | 4.4 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 5.1 |
| 9 in 10 readings under, ft | 6.0 | 7.2 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 7.4 |
| Groundswell from | NNE | NNE | N | NNE | NNE | NNE | – | – | NNE | NNE | NNE | NNE |
| Water, °F | 81 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 82 | 84 | 84 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 84 | 83 |
| San Juan buoyAverage wave height, ft | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 5.2 |
| 9 in 10 readings under, ft | 6.9 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 5.9 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 6.2 | 7.5 |
| Groundswell from | NE | NE | NNE | NNE | NE | – | – | NE | NNE | NNE | NNE | NNE |
| Water, °F | 81 | 80 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 86 | 84 | 83 |
| Ponce buoyAverage wave height, ft | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.9 |
| 9 in 10 readings under, ft | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.3 |
| Groundswell from | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Water, °F | 81 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 84 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 84 | 82 |
Every valid reading in NOAA NDBC's historical standard meteorological files for buoys 41115 (Rincón), 41053 (San Juan) and 42085 (Ponce), 2019–2025, and 41121 (Arecibo), 2021–2024 (the years it reported), grouped by calendar month. Readings come every 30 or 60 minutes; the share counts readings, not days. The direction is the most common mean wave direction (where the waves come from) among a month's groundswell readings, on 16 compass points; shown only where at least 5% of the month's readings are groundswell. A buoy measures open water. The surf at a break depends on its exposure, the reef and the tide: a north swell at the Rincón buoy wraps into some breaks and misses others.
Where to surf
The shaded rose shows the swell directions a break works on, as its guides describe it; the dot's color on the map is the level it takes.
Rincón and the west
Rincón
Antonio's
W, WNW, NW, NNW, N swell
Reef and beach · left and right
Beginner to advanced
Rincón
Dogman's
W, WNW, NW swell
Reef · left and right
Intermediate to advanced
Rincón
Domes
WNW, NW, NNW, N, NNE swell
Point · left and right
Beginner to advanced
Rincón
Indicators
W, WNW, NW, NNW swell
Reef point · right
Advanced
Rincón
Little Malibu
WNW, NW swell
Reef point · right
Intermediate to advanced
Rincón
Maria's
W, WNW, NW, NNW swell
Reef point · right
Beginner to advanced
Rincón
Pools
WNW, NW, NNW, N swell
Reef · left and right
Intermediate to advanced
Rincón
Sandy Beach
W, WNW, NW, NNW, N swell
Reef and beach · left
Beginner to advanced
Rincón
Tres Palmas
WNW, NW, NNW, N swell
Reef point · right
Expert
Aguadilla and Isabela
Aguadilla
Bridges
W, WNW, NW, NNW swell
Point · right
Beginner to advanced
Aguadilla
Crash Boat
W, WNW, NW swell
Beach · right
Intermediate to advanced
Aguadilla
Gas Chambers
W, WNW, NW swell
Reef · right
Expert
Isabela
Jobos
NW, NNW, N, NNE, NE, ENE swell
Reef point · left and right
Beginner to advanced
Isabela
Middles
N, NNE, NE, ENE swell
Reef · right
Intermediate to advanced
Aguadilla
Surfer's Beach
WNW, NW, NNW, N, NNE, NE swell
Reef · left and right
Beginner to advanced
Aguadilla
Table Top
NW, NNW, N, NNE, NE swell
Reef · right
Intermediate to advanced
Aguadilla
Wilderness
NW, NNW, N, NNE, NE swell
Reef · left and right
Beginner to advanced
Aguadilla
Wishing Well
W, WNW, NW, NNW, N swell
Reef · right
Intermediate to advanced
The north coast
Camuy
El Peñón Amador
NW, N, NE swell
Reef · right
Expert
Quebradillas
Guajataca
NNW, N, NNE, NE swell
Beach · left and right
Beginner to advanced
Manatí
Los Tubos
WNW, NW, NNW, N, NNE swell
Reef · left and right
Intermediate to advanced
Arecibo
Margara
NW, NNW, N swell
Reef point · left and right
Intermediate to advanced
San Juan and Loíza
Loíza
Aviones
NW, N, NE swell
Reef · left and right
Intermediate to advanced
San Juan
La Ocho
NW, NNW, N, NNE, NE swell
Reef · left and right
Beginner to advanced
Carolina
Pine Grove
NW, N, NE swell
Beach · left and right
Beginner
The east
Luquillo
La Pared
NNW, N, NNE, NE swell
Beach · left and right
Beginner to advanced
The south coast
No break matches all of those. Try fewer chips.
The level chip is the least experience a guide says the break takes: green opens to beginners, amber starts at intermediate, red is for advanced and expert surfers. 25 more breaks named in surf guides wait on a second source before we list them.
Today's call
The conditions page's surf call at the spots it scores, from the newest buoy reading or the marine forecast: the spot's call, not a reading at each break.
- RincónSmall2.2 ft, 10-second swell · light offshore windFor Antonio's, Indicators, Maria's, Pools, Sandy Beach
- Tres Palmas / Steps BeachSmall2.2 ft, 10-second swell · light offshore windFor Dogman's, Little Malibu, Tres Palmas
- Playa DomesSmall2.2 ft, 10-second swell · light offshore windFor Domes
- Aguadilla / Crash BoatFun2.5 ft, 10-second swell · light offshore windFor Bridges, Crash Boat, Gas Chambers
- Jobos & Shacks, IsabelaFun2.5 ft, 10-second swell · light cross-shore windFor Jobos, Middles
- WildernessFun2.5 ft, 10-second swell · light cross-shore windFor Surfer's Beach, Table Top, Wilderness, Wishing Well
- Manatí / Mar ChiquitaFun3.3 ft, 10-second swell · light cross-shore windFor Los Tubos
- AreciboFun3.3 ft, 10-second swell · light cross-shore windFor Margara
- Piñones / LoízaFun2.9 ft, 10-second swell · light cross-shore windFor Aviones, Pine Grove
- San Juan / CondadoFun2.9 ft, 10-second swell · light cross-shore windFor La Ocho
Every spot's full card, its wind and tide: conditions, spot by spot.
Forecasts surfers use
The official surf and rip-current forecast and the buoys first, then the models.
| Forecast | What it gives | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| NWS Surf Zone Forecast (opens in a new tab) | Rip-current risk (low, moderate or high), surf height, weather and wind for today and tomorrow, then surf height for days 3 to 5, for each of Puerto Rico's ten coastal zones. Rincón is in "Mayagüez and vicinity". | Not stated |
| NWS beach and rip currents (opens in a new tab) | Today's rip-current risk on a map of the coast; its graphical surf forecast is experimental. | Not stated |
| NWS Coastal Waters Forecast (opens in a new tab) | Seas out to 10 nautical miles, with a synopsis that names the swells on the way. | Not stated |
| NWS coastal statements (opens in a new tab) | Coastal flood warnings, watches and statements; it reads "none issued" when nothing is in force. | Not stated |
| CariCOOS SWAN wave model (opens in a new tab) | Maps of wave height, peak period and swell height, 120 hours ahead (72 on its 12 nearshore grids, down to 240 m). | Twice a day (00 and 12 UTC) |
| CariCOOS breaker forecast (opens in a new tab) | Experimental breaking-wave heights at many of the most popular beaches. Not an official warning; its estimates "tend to be conservative". | Daily |
| CariCOOS buoys (opens in a new tab) | Wave, swell and wind-wave heights and periods, wind and water temperature at the Rincón, San Juan and Arecibo buoys. | Every 5 minutes |
| NOAA nearshore wave model (NWPS) (opens in a new tab) | The Weather Service's nearshore wave model for the San Juan area, at 1.8 km to 500 m. | When forecasters run it |
| NOAA buoy 41043 (opens in a new tab) | Out in the open Atlantic, 170 nautical miles north-northeast of San Juan. | Not stated |
| surf-forecast.com (opens in a new tab) | A commercial model: 6-day and 16-day forecasts for 55 Puerto Rico breaks. | Not stated |
| Surfline (opens in a new tab) | A commercial model, with spot forecasts and cams at Rincón's breaks. | Twice a day, it says |
Sources (12)
- NWS San Juan, Surf Zone Forecast (opens in a new tab), October 18, 2026
- NWS San Juan, beach and rip currents (opens in a new tab), checked October 18, 2026
- NWS San Juan, Coastal Waters Forecast (opens in a new tab), October 18, 2026
- NWS San Juan, coastal flood warnings, watches and statements (opens in a new tab), checked October 18, 2026
- CariCOOS, SWAN wave model (opens in a new tab), checked October 18, 2026
- CariCOOS, breaker height forecast (experimental) (opens in a new tab), checked October 18, 2026
- CariCOOS, Rincón buoy (opens in a new tab), checked October 18, 2026
- NOAA NCEP, Nearshore Wave Prediction System (opens in a new tab), checked October 18, 2026
- NOAA NWPS viewer, San Juan (opens in a new tab), checked October 18, 2026
- NOAA NDBC, buoy 41043, northeast of Puerto Rico (opens in a new tab), checked October 18, 2026
- surf-forecast.com, Puerto Rico breaks (opens in a new tab), checked October 18, 2026
- Surfline, Rincón forecasts and cams (opens in a new tab), checked October 18, 2026
Rules and safety
- Tres Palmas Marine Reserve. Created by Law 17 of January 8, 2004: from the shore at Steps and Tres Palmas out to the 60-ft contour. Fishing of any kind is banned inside it, spearfishing included (DRNA's fishing regulation, articles 8.5 and 8.9); the law calls surfing compatible with the reef. A ban on anchoring and on taking shells or dead coral is reported by one source only: unconfirmed.Ley 17-2004; DRNA; Plan de Manejo de la Reserva Marina Tres Palmas; A Rinconvenient Truth
- Non-motor craft, boards with or without a sail included, may not operate, pass or anchor in a buoyed bathing area or a natural-resource protection area.Ley 430, art. 3(L) and 7(1)
- Check the surf zone forecast's rip-current risk before you go in, and swim near a lifeguard. Rip currents "often form on calm, sunny days".NWS; NWS
- Caught in a rip: swim parallel to the shore, out of it, then in.NWS San Juan
- After heavy rain the water runs dirty at several breaks: Surfline names Maria's, Sandy Beach and Bridges. DRNA tests beach water for bacteria; this week's results are on our beach water page.Surfline; Surfline; DRNA
The rest of the rules: rules on the water.