Surf spot

The Search

Forecast conditions and map view for The Search in Puerto Rico. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: Puerto Rico
Coordinates: 18.0682, -65.7961

Metric
Metric	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00
Wave height (m)	0.9	1	1	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.6	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.9	1	1	1.1	1	1	1	1	0.9	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.8
Wave direction	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	E	SE	SE	SE	E	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE
Wave period (s)	4.8	4.8	4.8	5.1	5	5.1	5	5	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.8	4.7	4.5	4.4	4.5	4.5	4.6	4.5	4.3	4.4	4.4	4.4	4.4	4.7	4.4	4.2	4.3	4.3	4	4	4.5	4.3	4.4	4.3	4.3	4.5	4.3	4.5	4.5	4.6	4.6	4.7	4.6	4.7	4.7	4.6	4.5	4.5	4.5	4.5	4.5
Wave energy (kJ)	41	48	51	37	35	32	31	29	42	43	36	35	33	30	27	20	19	21	27	21	20	18	18	19	17	17	16	13	13	12	15	14	12	16	11	13	12	14	20	25	28	33	34	35	39	46	49	39	48	43	39	35	33	30	29	27
Wind speed (km/h)	15.7	18.6	19.1	20.5	25.5	24.1	15.9	12	18.6	15.6	21	25.6	23.8	20.2	15.6	13.7	15.2	13.1	16.1	18.7	18.5	16.6	13	11.2	9.5	7.9	16.3	24.9	15.1	18.6	12.1	8.2	8.3	10.2	21.1	25.5	23.2	18.7	14.2	15	12.4	15.2	19.9	24.6	21.5	19.7	19.1	19.1	17.3	15.5	19.8	23.7	18.9	21.6	14.5	11.8
Wind direction	ECross	ECross	ECross	ECross	ENECross-off	ENECross-off	NECross-off	NECross-off	ENECross-off	ENECross-off	ENECross	ECross	ECross	ECross	ENECross-off	ENECross-off	ECross	ECross	ECross	ECross	ECross	ECross	ECross	ECross	ECross	NECross-off	ECross	ECross	ECross	ECross	ENECross-off	ENECross-off	NOffshore	NNECross-off	ENECross	ECross	ESECross	ECross	ECross	ECross	ENECross-off	ECross	ECross	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	ECross	ECross	ECross	ESECross	ECross	ECross	ECross	ECross	ECross	ECross	ENECross-off

The Search is a well-known surf spot in Puerto Rico that’s most often associated with the island’s northwest coast near Rincón, where many of Puerto Rico’s best reef breaks are found.

What it’s like

Type of break: Reef break
Wave quality: Powerful, fast, and often hollow when conditions line up
Best swell: Typically handles north and northwest swells well
Wind: Prefers light offshore winds; onshore winds can make it messy quickly
Skill level: Usually best for intermediate to advanced surfers, especially when it gets heavy

Wave character

The Search is known for having a critical takeoff and a wave that can break with a lot of speed over shallow reef. When it’s working, it can produce long, clean walls and makeable tubes, but it can also be unforgiving and inconsistent if swell direction or tide aren’t right.

Conditions and hazards

Shallow reef means good waves but also a real risk of cuts and reef contact
Can be strong and punchy
Crowds can build when conditions are good
Local knowledge helps a lot for positioning and timing

Best time to surf

Winter months generally bring the most reliable north swells in Puerto Rico
Mid-tide to tide-specific windows often matter a lot, depending on reef exposure and swell size