Arrieta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what Arrieta's got cooking.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you—it's a tough outlook. We're looking at a solid run of waves, but the wind is the villain. The whole forecast period is plagued by a strong, persistent northerly breeze, meaning the surf is going to be choppy and blown out for the most part. The first recommendation doesn't pop up until Wednesday morning, the 15th of July, and from there it's a bumpy ride.

For the first week, through about the 20th, the wind is mainly a cross-shore, and at times a fresh cross-offshore, but the swell is short-period windswell, mostly around 2 ft to 6 ft from the N to NNE. The water is sitting at a nice 73°, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but you won't be enjoying it unless you like a messy, lumpy surface. The energy is building from weak (73) up to moderate (406), but the quality just isn't there.

Now, look, there are a few afternoons around Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th where the wind goes cross-off and cleans things up a touch. But even then, the "poor surf conditions" tag sticks. It's not the kind of swell that's going to thrill you. The period is short—between 5 and 8 seconds—so it's just peaky, dumpy little stuff, not the kind of lines you want to draw.

The standout period, if you can call it that, kicks off around Sunday the 19th through to the 30th of July. We see the swell bumping up a notch, sitting consistently between 5 ft and 7 ft from the N or NNE, with a period that finally edges up to 8 seconds. The energy jumps into the strong zone (444 to 506), and the wind finally locks into a more consistent cross-offshore. This cleans the waves up, making them much more rideable. For a break like Arrieta (a sheltered reef), this is when it gets interesting. The optimum swell direction for this spot is from the N, and that's exactly what we've got.

However, a word of warning: once the swell gets over 7 ft, it's big for a reef, and Arrieta is an advanced wave anyway. It's also an inconsistent break, so don't expect a wave every minute. And being a reef, that longer 8-second period means the waves will be more powerful and walled-up. Keep in mind, crowds are possible here sometimes, so on a clean, solid day, don't be surprised if you've got company.

So, the only true standout is the window from around Thursday the 23rd of July through Saturday the 26th. The swell holds around 5 ft to 7 ft from the north, the wind is cross-offshore and clean, and the energy is pumping (295 to 492). This is when Arrieta will have its best, most consistent shape. It's still a week and a half away, so don't bank on it too hard, but it's the only time the whole forecast really lines up. For the rest, expect chop, short-period junk, and a lot of waiting. If you're kitesurfing, the strong, direct cross-shore wind and fat swell might look more appealing than it is for a paddle surfer.

That's about all I can scrape together from this one. Stay patient, or look for a spot that handles a bit of north wind better.

- Rusty

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