Arrieta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Arrieta over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I gotta be straight with you – this stretch is a tough one. We’re looking at a long, dry spell. The first real chance of anything remotely surfable doesn’t show up until Thursday morning, the 3rd of September. Before that, it’s all strong cross-shore winds and lumpy, messy conditions. From Monday the 31st of August right through to Wednesday the 2nd of September, it’s just a write-off with poor surf and fresh breezes ruining any chance of a clean wave.

So, the first glimmer of hope comes Thursday morning, the 3rd of September. Arrieta is a sheltered reef break, and it’s inconsistent, so it’s not an easy one to call. But on that morning we’ve got a 5 ft swell from the north with a short period of 8 seconds, and the wind is a gentle 9 mph cross-offshore from the north. It’s clean, but the combined wave energy is only moderate (309). The water temp is sitting at 75°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. This is a “surfable but very ordinary” situation, so don’t expect fireworks. It’s an advanced wave, so only for the experienced crew.

After that, the outlook doesn’t really improve. The rest of the first week and into the second week is plagued by consistent cross-shore winds and poor surf conditions. Winds are mostly from the NNE at 16 to 25 mph, making a mess of things. The swells stay small, between 3 ft and 5 ft, and the period is short, rarely getting above 8 seconds. The combined energy fluctuates between weak and moderate (89 to 534), but the wind commentary is “poor surf conditions” for almost every session.

We do see a shift in the very last entry. On Tuesday afternoon, the 15th of September, the wind drops to a mere 3 mph from the NNW, making it glassy. The swell is a tiny 4 ft from the NE with a period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy is weak (159). It’s described as “surfable but very ordinary” again. But with that light wind, it’s the cleanest window we’ve seen in the whole forecast. Still, it’s hardly a standout.

The best on offer? It’s a toss-up between Thursday morning the 3rd for the slightly bigger swell, and Tuesday afternoon the 15th for the glassy conditions. Neither is a barnstormer. If you’re desperate, chase the cleanest window on the 15th, but keep your expectations in check. The inconsistency of this reef means you’ll be waiting for sets.

All in all, it’s a pretty quiet period for Arrieta. The consistent wind and short-period swell mean the surf quality is just not there. We’ll have to wait for a proper change in the pattern.

Rusty, signing off.

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