Arrieta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’m looking at the outlook for the next couple of weeks up here in the north. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – it’s a tough stretch. We’ve got a solid run of swell at Arrieta, but it’s being absolutely hammered by strong cross-shore winds. Monday the 24th through to the morning of Sunday the 6th of September is pretty much a write-off. The wind is relentless from the NNE, mostly in the 15 to 25 mph range, just tearing up the surface. The water’s a touch warmer than normal at 75.6°F, but that doesn’t help much when the ocean looks like a washing machine. The combined energy peaks at 929 in that first week, but it’s all wind swell with a short period, bringing messy, lumpy conditions. Honestly, for a sheltered reef, this setup is more interesting for the kite surfers than for us paddle guys.

Now, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The real story starts to change on Sunday the 6th of September. You’ll see the afternoon session get a little glassy, and we get our first “surfable” wave, but it’s the morning of Monday the 7th that’s the standout. The wind swings around to a light NW, glassy conditions, and we get a proper groundswell. The swell direction goes WNW, and the period jumps to a very long 19 seconds. That’s serious energy, with a combined energy reading of 780, and it cleans up nicely into the afternoon. The swell is only 3ft to 4ft, so it’s not a big day, but that long period will wrap nicely into Arrieta, offering proper, clean, lined-up waves. It’s a reef, so that long period and good direction will be a treat. This is the best on offer, no question. The Tuesday morning will still be decent with a 14-second period and clean conditions, but the wind picks up a bit in the afternoon. So, if you can wait, the 7th of September is the one to circle on the calendar. Keep your fingers crossed the forecasts hold.

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