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Morning Brief

Rincón and the west

Tres Palmas

A reef point break in Rincón. Rights. Expert.

Also called Tres.

Swell that worksWNW, NW, NNW, N: Works on west-northwest, northwest, north-northwest and north swellSurf-forecast.com gives west-northwest as its ideal swell; any west in the swell brings "gigantic sneaker sets", Surfline warns.Surfline
BreakReef point · rightSurfline; surf-forecast.com; wannasurf.com
Size10 to 30 ft, by Surfline: it does not start breaking until about double overhead. Surfrider and Discover Puerto Rico say it holds up to 20 ft.Surfline; Surfline Travel; Surfrider Foundation; Discover Puerto Rico
TideLow to mid-low.Surfline; wannasurf.com
WindEast; Surfline's range runs northeast to east-southeast.Surfline; surf-forecast.com
SeasonLate fall to early spring for consistency; late summer and fall on tropical-cyclone swells.Surfline
LevelExpert"Experts and those with big wave experience."Surfline
18.3505, -67.2696Surfline

Today's call

Small2.2 ft, 10-second swell · light offshore windAt Tres Palmas / Steps Beach, on the conditions page

Swell at the nearest buoy now

Station readings, not conditions at a beach. From CariCOOS, NOAA buoys and the National Weather Service.

Hazards

  • Sneaker sets whenever the swell has some west in it.Surfline Travel
  • Urchins and rocks.surf-forecast.com; wannasurf.com
  • A 72-year-old surfer died here in October 2025, struck by his board during a high-surf advisory for waves of 10 to 15 ft.Cadena 3

What the guides say

  • The Caribbean's premier big-wave break: an open-ocean right, where a deepwater trench focuses long-period swell.Surfline Travel
  • The Surf Atlas says it needs at least 15 ft to show its teeth, a handful of times a winter.The Surf Atlas
  • Surf-forecast.com's statistics put January as its most frequent month.surf-forecast.com

When the swell comes

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec RincónRincón buoy, January: 36% of readings groundswell, mostly from the N; average wave height 3.8 ft36Rincón buoy, February: 36% of readings groundswell, mostly from the N; average wave height 3.8 ft36Rincón buoy, March: 32% of readings groundswell, mostly from the N; average wave height 3.8 ft32Rincón buoy, April: 22% of readings groundswell, mostly from the N; average wave height 3.2 ft22Rincón buoy, May: 12% of readings groundswell, mostly from the N; average wave height 2.4 ft12Rincón buoy, June: 1% of readings groundswell; average wave height 2.1 ft1Rincón buoy, July: 0% of readings groundswell; average wave height 2.1 ft0Rincón buoy, August: 4% of readings groundswell; average wave height 2.2 ft4Rincón buoy, September: 25% of readings groundswell, mostly from the N; average wave height 3.0 ft25Rincón buoy, October: 30% of readings groundswell, mostly from the N; average wave height 3.1 ft30Rincón buoy, November: 37% of readings groundswell, mostly from the N; average wave height 3.7 ft37Rincón buoy, December: 37% of readings groundswell, mostly from the N; average wave height 4.1 ft37
Rincón buoy: share of readings that are groundswell (3 ft or more at 10 seconds or longer), by month. 787daily's analysis of NOAA NDBC buoy data, 2019–2025. The nearest buoy, not the break.
Show the numbers
BuoyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rincón buoy36% (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)

Every buoy and month: when to come.

Who teaches or rents here

Rules that apply

  • 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

Everywhere: rules and safety and rules on the water.