Arrieta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's have a look at what's coming up for Arrieta. This is a reef set-up, so it's got a bit of character, but honestly, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf. The water temp is running a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at about 75°, which is a bit of a bonus if you decide to get wet regardless, but the conditions are going to test your patience.

We kick off Monday the 31st of August with some swell on the cards, about 6 ft from the north, but it's a messy, short-period 7 second windswell. The combined energy is weak, sitting at 278, and a fresh 19 mph cross-shore breeze is just chopping it all up. It's a write-off for a decent wave. Tuesday and Wednesday keep the size up, with the swell climbing to 7 ft to 8 ft, and the combined energy gets into the moderate range, hitting 844 on Wednesday morning. The wind swings to a cleaner cross-off shore, but those 8-second periods mean it's still not got much shape, and with that size, it's really just for the experts and even then, the outlook is "poor surf conditions." It's not looking good.

We hit a bit of a lull in size by the 4th of September, dropping under 5 ft, with a brief window of offshore wind on Friday morning. The combined energy is down to 177 though, so it'll be weak and crumbly. The real killer is that the entire first week and into the second week is just a run of "poor surf conditions" or "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions" at best.

If you were hoping for a standout, there really isn't one. The best you could say is around September 9th, where a morning clean-up is on the cards with a 12 mph offshore breeze and 5 ft north swell at 8 seconds. The combined energy is just 371, so it's nothing to write home about, but it'd be the cleanest wave of the period, if you can call it that. Still, the guidance says it's an *inconsistent* spot, which tracks. For a few days, the 10th through 13th, the swell is mostly under 4 ft with clean conditions, but the combined energy is weak, barely crossing 200 most days, and the wind stays moderate to fresh.

The 13th and 14th of September see the swell push back up to 7 ft from the NNE, but it's accompanied by cross-shore and cross-on winds, turning it into a lumpy mess. The combined energy gets up to 649, which is getting into a moderate zone, but with the wrong wind it's just frustrating. If there's any consolation, the 15th of September morning has light cross-off breezes and a 5 ft NNE swell, energy at 378. It's the cleanest in a long time, but still only rated as "very ordinary conditions."

Honestly, if you're kite-surfing, this is a dream run with the steady north winds and moderate to fresh speeds, especially on the bigger, cleaner days. For a paddle surfer, it's a long, tough stretch of nothing special. Forecasts can change, but right now, Arrieta looks like a no-go for any real wave riding.

Rusty.

Read more