Reef
right
Level 6/10

Tropicana

St Alban's, Barbados
🪸Sharp reef

Tropicana is a quality west coast reef break that turns on when N swells wrap around Barbados. Less consistent than the east coast spots but offers uncrowded waves when conditions align. A good option for surfers exploring beyond Bathsheba.

Tropicana surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast
Sat19
7
Poor
0.7m@8s
13km/h
Today20
10
Poor
0.5m@8s
11km/h
Mon21
7
Poor
0.6m@7s
16km/h
Tue22
0
Poor
0.5m@7s
16km/h
Wed23
25
Poor
0.8m@12s
20km/h
Thu24
26
Poor
0.9m@12s
20km/h
Fri25
13
Poor
1.0m@11s
23km/h
Sat26
31
Poor
1.0m@12s
20km/h
Sun27
18
Poor
0.9m@11s
18km/h
Mon28
30
Poor
0.7m@13s
18km/h
Groomed 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 13 km/h · PM 13 km/h · High tide at 11am (0.3m)
Groomed
Clean faces from offshore winds
Swell
0.7m
ENE(64°)
Score: 2/25
Period
8s
Short period / windswell
Score: 2/25
Wind
13km/h
ESE(104°)
Score: 24/25
Weather
31°C
0.0mm8%
First light 5:17amSunrise 5:47amSunset 5:56pmLast light 6:26pm
Windswell0.2m@2sSecondary0.3mConfidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

No ideal tide during daylight todayIdeal tide: 0.6–1.8m
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
°C
26°
31°
33°
32°
28°
26°
30°
32°
31°
28°
27°
30°
32°
31°
28°
28°
31°
32°
31°
28°
26°
28°
32°
31°
29°
26°
29°
30°
29°
29°
28°
29°
31°
31°
29°
28°
29°
31°
30°
28°
26°
27°
30°
31°
29°
27°
30°
31°
31°
29°
2m1.0
sec
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
7s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
12s
12s
12s
12s
12s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
13s
13s
13s
13s
13s
swell
windkm/h
12g23
14g33
14g35
13g33
14g30
8g16
10g28
8g28
12g30
14g30
13g23
16g37
16g39
17g40
14g32
13g25
16g37
13g37
17g40
15g32
20g44
20g46
19g46
20g45
20g44
17g39
21g45
20g50
21g52
20g44
22g44
24g49
24g54
21g53
21g52
22g45
24g49
21g54
19g55
15g52
17g40
16g42
18g44
19g44
18g43
16g35
17g37
19g44
19g48
18g48
tidem
4:00am0.1m
11:30am0.3m
8:30pm0.5m
5:30am0.1m
12:30pm0.4m
4:00pm0.3m
6:15am0.1m
1:10pm0.4m
5:30pm0.3m
6:54am0.1m
1:30pm0.5m
6:30pm0.3m
12:45am0.6m
7:30am0.1m
1:54pm0.5m
7:30pm0.2m
1:30am0.6m
7:50am0.1m
2:10pm0.6m
7:50pm0.2m
2:00am0.7m
8:12am0.1m
2:30pm0.7m
8:22pm0.1m
2:30am0.7m
8:40am0.1m
2:47pm0.7m
9:00pm0.1m
3:15am0.7m
9:07am0.1m
3:21pm0.7m
9:38pm0.0m
4:00am0.6m
9:40am0.1m
3:52pm0.7m
Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

4:00 am
Low tide - 0.15m
11:30 am
High tide - 0.35m
1:30 pm
Low tide - 0.34m
8:30 pm
High tide - 0.48m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

7
Poor
Components
Swell Direction0/25
Swell Size2/25
Swell Period2/25
Wind24/25
Raw Score28/100
Adjustments
Wind History+6
🌊 Tide-2
💨 Gusty Wind-5
⚠️ Weak Component-10
📉 Undersized Swell-11
⚖️ Penalty Stack Cap+1
🚫 Undersized Capmax 30
Adjusted Score7/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score7
✨ Groomed🌊 Too low for this tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to BGI, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

Search Flights on Skyscanner
See where's firing right nowToday's best waves worldwide, scored live
Free Strike Report

Know when Caribbean is about to fire

Get the best strike windows in Caribbean — and worldwide — in your inbox every Monday & Thursday. Live Strike Scores, the swell behind them, zero fluff.

Free forever. Two emails a week. Unsubscribe anytime.

For real surf travel

Get the full Tropicana trip window

Pro unlocks the 10-day forecast window, unlimited alerts, and custom spot tracking that help turn a good-looking surf report into a better travel decision.

10-day window

See the trip window before flights get expensive.

Unlimited alerts

Let the app watch your score threshold for you.

Custom spots

Track the breaks that actually matter to your travel plans.

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
N (350°)
Direction range
320° - 20°
Size range
1.2m - 2.5m
Ideal size
1.8m - 2.2m
Height multiplier
0.97×
Ideal period
14s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
E (90°)
Offshore range
60° - 120°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid to high
Optimal range
0.6m - 1.8m

Water temp

27°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

2/10

Access: Northwest Barbados. Works on N swells.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Tropicana?

The Tropicana profile favors mid to high tide, ideally between 0.6m and 1.8m on the local tide chart. Compare this preference with the forecast tide and local conditions before choosing a session.

What wind direction is offshore at Tropicana?

The Tropicana profile uses wind from E (90°) as its preferred direction, with an offshore range of 60° to 120°. Wind speed matters too: light winds outside that range can still produce surfable conditions, while strong offshore winds can make takeoffs difficult.

What swell size and direction work best at Tropicana?

The Tropicana scoring profile favors swell from N (320° to 20°), a swell-height range of 1.2m to 2.5m, and a reference period of 14s. These are model inputs, not guaranteed breaking-wave heights or a promise that the surf will suit every ability.

When is the best time of year to surf Tropicana?

The main season at Tropicana is Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. Quality west coast option on N swells.

How do I get to Tropicana?

The spot profile lists BGI as a nearby airport. The estimated road transfer is 35 minutes. Northwest Barbados. Works on N swells.

What kind of wave is Tropicana?

Tropicana is a reef break, a right-hander. Difficulty is rated 6/10.

Best Season

Peak: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Quality west coast option on N swells.

Getting There

Airport
BGI
Drive time
35 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion