Arrieta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks – Rusty here, with the long-range look at the only spot worth talking about.

We’ve only got one break in the game for the whole sixteen-day stretch, and it’s Arrieta. Now, Arrieta is an inconsistent little reef setup that needs the groundswell to be just right. If you’re hoping for a week of pumping waves, you’ll likely be disappointed – this is a spot you check on a whim, not plan a trip around.

We kick off on Monday the 14th. A real tease, this one. There’s a tiny 3.6ft swell from the NNE, but with glassy conditions thanks to a gentle 3 mph easterly, coupled with a clean morning, the water temp sits at 74.1° and about average for this time of year. Don’t get excited just yet, that’s the best it gets, and the combined energy is weak (273). By the afternoon, it’s falling apart.

Tuesday the 15th through to Thursday the 17th? Honestly, forget it. We’ve got a building swell from the NNE, but it’s pummelled by strong offshore winds. The swell height jumps to 6.6ft on the 17th, plenty of energy building (595), but the wind is just too nasty for a sheltered reef like Arrieta. It’s clean but bumpy, and not worth your time.

Then we get a weird run from Friday the 18th up to Sunday the 20th. The swell from the north stays solid, around 5.6ft to 6.6ft, with moderate cross-offshore winds. The combined energy rockets up to 855 by Friday morning – that’s a fair bit of juice! But the forecast keeps tossing up “poor surf conditions” or “marginal” notes. It’s frustrating because there’s potential, but the tide or the exact wind angle keeps it from clicking. Sunday the 20th morning might be the pick of this mess – a 3.9ft north swell with light winds and a 420 combined energy reading – it could offer a few clean, workable waves, but it’s a gamble.

After that, the second week is a tail-off. Monday the 21st to Wednesday the 23rd has small, weak NNW swells, mostly around 3ft, with messy cross-shore winds. The energy readings are medium (around 300-500), but it’s inconsistent and not great. A slight improvement on the 21st morning with light offshore winds, but still tiny. The period gets long – up to 16 seconds on the 21st afternoon – which is a beautiful long-period groundswell, but the height is only 2ft combined with a cross-shore wind. Not much to ride.

The last few days, from Thursday the 24th through Sunday the 27th, are a quiet end. Swell drops below 3.3ft, winds are variable and mostly cross-off or onshore, and the energy is gone. We get a tiny window on the 26th afternoon with a gentle, clean offshore from the WNW, but again, it’s a 3ft wave. Monday the 28th and Tuesday the 29th are practically flat. A pretty bleak two-week forecast.

The only faint glimmer of hope in the entire window is the Sunday the 20th morning. If you’re desperate, that’s your best bet for a few clean lines at Arrieta. Otherwise, it’s a long, dry spell.

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