Sun Beach - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

While Sun Beach never sees epic conditions, the winter months from October through March offer the most potential. The North Atlantic storm track shifts south, sending occasional pulses of NNW and NW swell towards Cuba. These swells, though usually short-period and small (averaging around 0.5m), can produce rideable waves in the 0.5-1m range, especially from the NNW direction which is directly in the spot's window. However, the trade winds dominate, blowing consistently from the east and northeast, creating onshore or cross-shore conditions that chop up the wave faces. Offshore winds from the south and southwest are extremely rare, making clean, glassy sessions a true gift. Overall, it's a 'best of a bad bunch' scenario.

Fair Surf Season (April - September)

The summer months mark the low point of the year at Sun Beach. The easterly trade winds strengthen, and the swell window shuts down as the Atlantic storm activity wanes. Swell heights drop to an average of 0.3-0.4m with periods under 4 seconds, resulting in mostly flat, choppy conditions. The rare glimpse of rideable surf comes from brief pulses of ENE windswell, but these are short-lived and blown out by the persistent onshore flow. This is definitely the time to explore other activities or travel to more exposed spots.

May: Flatline Begins

May ushers in the true low season. Average swell height drops to 0.4m and period to a paltry 3.6s. The swell is overwhelmingly from the east: ENE alone accounts for 45.1% of all observations, the vast majority under 0.5m. Optimal NW and NNW swells are almost absent, with NNW at just 6.0% and nearly all below 0.5m. The trade winds are at their strongest, with E and ENE winds making up 50.5% of the record, often gusting 20-40 kph. Southerly offshore winds total a mere 3.8%. The ocean is a washing machine – small, short, and messy. Surfable waves are a rare exception, requiring a perfect alignment of a weak tropical disturbance and a lull in the trades.