Arrieta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.

Alright, straight up, this is gonna be a tough one. There’s good swell on the way, but the wind is gonna be a real problem for most of the 16-day window. The only break on the cards is Arrieta, a sheltered reef that handles a north swell, but the wind is just never going to let it line up clean. You’re looking at a long stretch of messy, lumpy conditions. The whole forecast is a bit of a heartbreaker.

We start on Friday morning, August 7th, with a 5ft swell from the NNE at a short 7 seconds. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 74°F. The wind is a moderate 16 mph cross-offshore, which is the best we’ll see, but the combined energy is weak (374) and the comment is “poor surf conditions.” The swell bumps up to 6ft in the afternoon, but the wind picks up to 19 mph, still cross-off, and it’s still no good.

This is the story for the next week. Swell stays between 5ft and 7ft, all from the NNE, with periods of just 6 to 8 seconds. That’s short-period, wind-driven stuff. The wind is relentless, mostly a fresh 19-22 mph, sometimes cross-off, sometimes more cross. By Tuesday, August 11th, it’s a full-on cross-shore breeze, creating a lumpy cross-chop. The energy is moderate at best, between 257 and 506, but it’s all for nothing. Saturday, August 15th, sees the biggest combined energy of the whole period at 506, with a 6ft swell, but the wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-shore and the waves are described as “fresh cross-shore with lumpy cross-chop.” It’s a mess.

There’s no standout day. The closest thing to a hope is late on Monday, August 17th, and into Tuesday morning, August 18th, when the wind drops to a moderate 12 mph and the conditions are clean. The swell is 5ft from the north, still short-period at 8 seconds. It’s the best on offer, but it’s still a weak, small wave. The real spike in size comes on Wednesday, August 19th, with a 7ft swell from the NNE and the biggest combined energy of 581. But the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-off in the morning, turning cross and lumpy in the afternoon. At 7ft, that’s expert territory, and with that wind, it’s not going to be anything but a washing machine.

The last few days of the window, from August 20th to the 22nd, are the same story: decent swell, nasty wind. The 22nd brings a 7ft swell from the north with a moderate 493 energy, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-shore, so it’s another write-off.

Honestly, for a normal surfer, there’s nothing to get excited about here. The wind has the reef already sheltered, but it’s just too strong and from the wrong angle to make anything rideable. If you’re into kite surfing, this northerly wind and that 5ft to 7ft of chop might be your jam, but for a paddle, it’s a hard pass. The entire 16 days is a bust.

Rusty.

Read more