Arrieta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what we've got on the table for Arrieta. It's a sheltered reef break that's inconsistent, so you have to pick your moments. Water temp is sitting at 71°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises in the wetsuit department.

Straight up, I'll be honest with you – the next week and a half is a struggle. From Sunday the 5th right through to Wednesday the 15th, it's all "poor surf conditions" with scores through the floor. We're talking days and days of small, weak junk with moderate to fresh cross-shore winds messing things up. The swell energy is low – mostly two-digit numbers in the brackets, like 165 on that first Sunday morning, which is weak. That combined with cross-off winds and short periods around 6 to 9 seconds is not doing us any favours. It's surfable but ordinary. You'll see a tiny bump on Saturday the 11th with 5ft from the north and period down to 6 seconds, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore with lumpy chop – that's a hard pass.

The only glimmer in this whole 16-day window comes right at the end. On Thursday the 16th of July, we start to see something. The morning is still messy with a moderate cross-shore chop on 6ft swell, but the afternoon cleans up. Swell height hits 7ft from the north-northeast, period stretching to 8 seconds, and the wind turns cross-off from the north at 16 mph, keeping things clean. The combined energy bumps up to 421 (moderate). It's still labelled as "marginal," but it's the best we've seen.

Then Friday the 17th of July morning is your standout. This is the one to circle. We get 7ft from the north-northeast with an 8-second period, cross-off wind from the north-northeast at 16 mph, and the combined energy is a solid 622 (strong). That's a proper amount of juice. The water will be clean. Now, at 7ft, this is getting into expert territory – not for the groms or weekend warriors. And remember, Arrieta is a reef, so that's a good thing for a longer-period swell like this; it should hold up and offer some decent shape, even if the period isn't super long. Crowds can show up here sometimes, so with it being the best in the window, expect a crew.

After that, the swell drops back under 7ft and the winds stay cross-off, but the energy fades. So, if you're looking for a wave, forget the next ten days. Keep your eye on Friday the 17th of July morning at Arrieta. That's your window. Everything else is a waiting game.

- Rusty

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