🇧🇧 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 6s 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 100° — matches the ideal 90° window for this spot

Swell Period

6s — this is wind chop, not groundswell. Waves will be weak and disorganized.

Wind

10mph onshore — will chop up the surface and ruin wave shape

Season

September is off-season — rare for this spot to get quality waves

Data Confidence

Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby

At the Break

4.7ft

LOW CONFIDENCE

Model-only forecast, no buoy nearby

Period

✗ Wind swell

Wind

10mph

ONSHORE

Water

86°F

Boardshorts

Swell Direction

100%

Wind Direction

Primary Swell

3.2ft @ 5.3s

E 100°

Secondary Swell

0.7ft @ 9.3s

NNE 30°

10 Day Outlook

5.0ft

TODAY

Sep 9

(7s)

5.1ft

TMRW

Sep 10

(8s)

5.1ft

FRI

Sep 11

(8s)

5.2ft

SAT

Sep 12

(8s)

4.7ft

SUN

Sep 13

(8s)

4.4ft

MON

Sep 14

(7s)

4.3ft

TUE

Sep 15

(7s)

4.5ft

WED

Sep 16

(7s)

5.5ft

THU

Sep 17

(8s)

5.4ft

FRI

Sep 18

(9s)

Best this week: SAT Sep 12 — 5.2ft

Best next week: FRI Sep 18 — 5.4ft

Incoming Swell Events

Today

moderate

Swell building to 5.0ft @ 7s

Model Breakdown

ECMWF (45%)5.4ft

ICON (35%)3.8ft

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: Sep

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

The rock shelf at Soup Bowls is shallow at low tide — know where to paddle out and where not to wipe out.

The east coast is the wild side — the west and south coasts are for tourists, the east is for surfers.

North-swell season (November to March) lines up with winter in the North Atlantic — heavy, consistent surf.

Local surfers are excellent and respected — be gracious in the lineup.

Flying fish is the national dish and everywhere — eat it at a rum shop for authentic Bajan culture.