Arrieta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you about Arrieta – it’s a tough read for the next couple of weeks. We’re looking at a long stretch where the conditions just aren’t playing nice for a good paddle session. The main issue is the wind; it’s blowing hard and from the wrong angles almost the entire time, keeping the surf chopped up and messy.

For the opening days, starting Sunday the 30th of August, we’ve got a northerly swell rolling in, around 6ft to 6ft, but it’s accompanied by a stiff 19 mph cross-shore wind. The water is sitting at 75°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, but that’s where the good news ends. The combined wave energy is moderate (311), but the onshore wind is just killing the quality. This pattern sticks around for days. Monday and Tuesday see the swell bump up to 7ft to 7ft, and while the wind goes a bit cross-off, the surf is still described as poor. The energy climbs into the moderate to strong range (532 on Tuesday), but it’s all for nothing with those winds.

Wednesday the 2nd of September brings the biggest swell of the whole period, hitting 8ft with strong energy (844), and it gets even bigger by the afternoon (1227). But listen, this is serious. At 8ft, this is expert territory, and with 19-22 mph winds, it’s going to be a beast. The afternoon shows a glimmer of hope with a “marginal” call, but it’s not enough to get excited about.

From Thursday the 3rd through the first week of September, the swell drops back to 4ft to 6ft range, but the wind never really lets up. We get some clean-looking conditions, but the wave quality is still poor. The energy stays low to moderate (around 182-481), and nothing is shaping up. There are a few days around the 6th and 7th where it’s described as “surfable but very ordinary,” with a brief pulse of long-period swell (12 seconds) on Monday the 7th, but the swell is tiny at 2ft.

The second week continues the same story. From the 8th of September onwards, we’re looking at small, weak swells (2ft to 5ft) with persistent cross and cross-off winds. The energy is almost all weak, dipping into two-digit values (66, 82) by the 14th. There is just no standout window here. For an inconsistent spot like Arrieta, this kind of blank run isn’t unheard of.

Honestly, with the strong winds and poor quality surf at a sheltered reef break, this setup might be more interesting for kite surfing than for paddling. Keep your eyes on the forecasts, because it tends not to stay this poor for long, but for now, there’s nothing to recommend. Save your energy.

Rusty.

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