🇧🇧 BATHSHEBA, BARBADOS
Soup Bowls
The Caribbean's best wave — a raw Atlantic reef break on Barbados's wild east coast
SMALL
Live Conditions
Conditions Summary
5ft waves — but short 7s period indicates wind swell, expect choppy conditions — hitting at the ideal angle — 10mph onshore wind roughing up the surface — Note: this is outside the peak season for this spot
LOW CONFIDENCEModel-only forecast, no buoy nearby
Why it's SMALL
Swell Direction
Primary swell is 109° — matches the ideal 90° window for this spot
Swell Period
7s — this is wind chop, not groundswell. Waves will be weak and disorganized.
Wind
10mph onshore — light but will soften wave shape
Season
May is off-season — rare for this spot to get quality waves
Data Confidence
Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby
At the Break
4.9ft
LOW CONFIDENCE
Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby
Period
7s
✗ Wind swell
Wind
10mph
E
ONSHORE
Water
82°F
Boardshorts
Swell Direction
85%
Wind Direction
5%
Primary Swell
3.8ft @ 5.8s
ESE 109°
Secondary Swell
0.5ft @ 4.5s
NNW 346°
10 Day Outlook
4.9ft
TODAY
May 24
(8s)
4.9ft
TMRW
May 25
(8s)
4.7ft
TUE
May 26
(8s)
4.5ft
WED
May 27
(7s)
4.7ft
THU
May 28
(9s)
4.7ft
FRI
May 29
(9s)
4.3ft
SAT
May 30
(8s)
4.6ft
SUN
May 31
(8s)
4.7ft
MON
Jun 1
(8s)
4.9ft
TUE
Jun 2
(8s)
Best this week: TUE May 26 — 4.7ft
Best next week: SUN May 31 — 4.6ft
Model Breakdown
ECMWF (45%)5.7ft
ICON (35%)4.1ft
GFS (20%)4.7ft
Model confidence45%
Updated every 30 mins · Open-Meteo ECMWF + ICON + GFS
About
Soup Bowls at Bathsheba is the finest wave in the Caribbean — a powerful, hollow right-hand reef break that receives direct North Atlantic swells with nothing between it and Europe. The wave breaks over a spectacular rock shelf, and the surrounding landscape of mushroom-shaped boulders and crashing Atlantic surf is one of the most dramatic in surfing.
The Break
The main peak at Bathsheba — hollow right that barrels off the rock shelf.
Ideal Conditions
6-10ft N or NE groundswell, light SW trade winds, mid tide
Best Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Best months highlighted · Current: May
Trip Planner
Barbados Surf Weekend
Weekend · 3 Days
Friday
Fly into Bridgetown (BGI), rent a car, drive the east coast highway to Bathsheba. Flying fish cutter sandwich dinner.
Saturday
Dawn patrol at Soup Bowls. Afternoon relax at the surf camp, explore Bathsheba village.
Sunday
Morning session at Soup Bowls or Parlors (the left nearby). Fly back from BGI.
Barbados East Coast Week
Full Week · 7 Days
Day 1
Arrive Bridgetown, drive east to Bathsheba, settle in.
Day 2
Soup Bowls — learn the take-off zone and the rock shelf timing.
Day 3
Parlors (the left next door) — often less crowded, equally fun.
Day 4
Explore the south coast — more mellow reef/beach breaks, good for a change of pace.
Day 5
Soup Bowls again if swell is pumping — winter North Atlantic swells are relentless.
Day 6
Rest day — rum shops, Oistins Fish Fry on Friday, explore Bridgetown.
Day 7
Final morning surf, fly home from BGI.
Local Knowledge
01
The rock shelf at Soup Bowls is shallow at low tide — know where to paddle out and where not to wipe out.
02
The east coast is the wild side — the west and south coasts are for tourists, the east is for surfers.
03
North-swell season (November to March) lines up with winter in the North Atlantic — heavy, consistent surf.
04
Local surfers are excellent and respected — be gracious in the lineup.
05
Flying fish is the national dish and everywhere — eat it at a rum shop for authentic Bajan culture.
Best Window
Day 1 · May 24
4.9ft @ 8s
GOOD
Trip Cost Estimate
Flights from NYC~$320
Hotel per night~$90
Weekend est.~$590
5 day est.~$770
Week est.~$950