Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean, not far from famous holiday destinations like Jamaica and Cuba. This area in the Caribbean gets enough swell throughout these islands, but only Puerto Rico has the surf banks for great surf.
You can surf in Puerto Rico all year round, on Rincon beach. Puerto Rico has mainly sand breaks that are on average only two foot in size, which makes it perfect for beginner surfers. There’s no need to wear a wetsuit as the ocean is warm and clear. There is surf in Puerto Rico and it’s a great spot for your next surfing trip.
Let’s get into the finer details of surfing in Puerto Rico now, read on if you have more questions that you need answers to.
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Basic Information About Puerto Rico
- Capital City: San Juan
- Languages Spoken: Spanish and English
- Currency: US Dollar
- Population: 3.3 Million
- GDP: $113 Billion USD
- GDP per capita $35,000
- Religion: Catholic and protestant
- Cuisine: Heavily influenced by Spain and the United States
- Most Popular Sports: Baseball, boxing and basketball. Surfing isn’t that popular in Puerto Rico
Where Can I Surf In Puerto Rico For Beginners?
I asked the locals for the best beach for beginners to learn to surf on and they all told me: Isabela beach.
Puerto Rico is mostly known for it’s smaller swell and surfing waves. If you are a beginner surfer, I recommend you learn on smaller waves, like the surf that’s in Isabela beach.
Isabela beach in Puerto Rico is known by locals as the best for learning to surf. The swell that hits Isabela beach is small and safe for beginner surfers to learn on. You can hire a surfboard right there on the beach, the weather is warm, so you won’t need a wetsuit and you can get in the surf straight away.
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Is Puerto Rico Cheap For A Surf Trip?
If you are looking for a super cheap surf trip location, I’d recommend you travel to Portugal or Indonesia. These are two of the cheapest surf trip locations in the world, but that doesn’t mean Puerto Rico isn’t affordable.
Puerto Rico is a little more expensive than traveling to Cuba or Jamaica. So, I wouldn’t say a surf trip to Puerto Rico is cheap. However, it is still cheap when compared to the majority of other surf destinations around the world.
Hotels in Puerto Rico will range on average between $30 USD to $100 USD which is quite affordable, depending on how luxurious the accommodation you require is.
How Much Does It Cost To Rent A Surfboard In Puerto Rico?
I went through all the current websites that have surfboard renting costs and averaged the costs for you. Renting a surfboard in Puerto Rico can cost on average:
- $30 USD per day
- $170 USD per week
How Big Are The Waves In Puerto Rico?
All year round, the swell that hits Puerto Rico is generally quite small, except through December to April, where the swell can reach 15 feet in some cases. Some locals have reported surf of 20 foot or more, but it’s too big for Rinco beach to handle such large waves.
This massive swell will mostly come from the north, which will wrap around the east coast of the United States down to Puerto Rico. The best beach break to surf a big swell in Rinco beach, this is where the locals say the best surf is.
Do I Need A Wetsuit To Surf In Puerto Rico?
There is no need for a surfer to wear a wetsuit while surfing in Puerto Rico due to the warm ocean temperature and the warm weather in general. I recommend wearing a rash vest to avoid board shorts only.
The water temperature will never drop below 24 degrees all year and will often reach 30 degrees between June and October. The only reason for wearing a wetsuit in Puerto Rico would be to avoid being sunburnt or perhaps to assist in floating.
Other than those reasons, you do not need to wear a wetsuit surfing in Puerto Rico.
Best Surf Breaks In Puerto Rico
Although there are many beaches that a great for surfing in Puerto Rico, I’d recommend only two surf spots. Isabela for beginner surfers and Rincon for advanced surfers.
- Middles Isabela Beach: This beach break is great for beginner surfers who are learning.
- Rincon surf break: This surf break has the best surf in Puerto Rico and is where surf competitions are held.
- Aguadilla surf break: Aguadilla is known as a beautiful beach. There is a long paddle out to the surf break, so make sure you have your cardio up to scratch.
- San Juan surf break: Escambron beach is an advanced surfing break
When Can You Surf In Rincon Puerto Rico?
What months of the year are best for surfing in Rincon Puerto Rico beach? Between June and October are the best months to surf in Rincon because the swell is at it’s largest during those months.
Not to mention between June and October is the warmest times of the year too.
Hopefully this article has been a helpful source of information for you.
Happy surfing