Sun Beach • Surf Spot Statistics

Best Surf Season (November - February)

Sun Beach is a north-northwest-facing stretch along Cuba's north coast, so it sits at the wrong end of the Atlantic trade wind spectrum for most of the year. The surf is always small and short-period, but the best stretch is November through February. Average heights nudge up to 1.5ft (0.5m), periods reach 4.5-4.9 seconds, and the roses show an increased frequency of N, NNW, NW and WNW swell directions. These are not long-period groundswells but rather windswell generated by cold fronts and low-pressure systems driving into the Gulf of Mexico and the western North Atlantic. A negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation can push these fronts farther south and give the north coast of Cuba a better than average run of NNW swells. Still, when an NNW pulse lines up, Sun Beach can produce rideable peaks up to 3-5ft (1-1.5m), which is as good as it gets here.

Fair Surf Season (March - April & October)

March, April and October form a transitional bridge between winter and summer. Average swell heights hold around 1.2-1.5ft (0.4-0.5m) and periods run 4.1-4.5 seconds. Favorable NNW/NW energy is still present but weaker, while ENE trade wind swell starts to dominate the spectrum. The short-period nature of the surf means it remains a grovel-and-scramble affair, yet a passing cold front in March or October can briefly bring a more organised NNW windswell and lighter southwest winds.

Low Surf Season (May - September)

Between May and September, the Bermuda-Azores High takes a firm grip on the Caribbean. Easterly winds from E, ENE and ESE dominate over 60% of the time, and the swell at Sun Beach collapses to an average of 1ft (0.3m) with periods of 3.1-3.6 seconds. These are textbook conditions for bumpy, low-energy, messy surf. Favorable N/NNW swells become rare and, when they do appear, they are almost always under 0.5m. Tropical waves and hurricanes can stir up the ocean, but their E/SE angles rarely work on this NNW-facing beach. Summer is a time for flat spells, not waves.