Arrieta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’.

Honestly, this is a tough one to write. We’ve got a full 16-day window ahead, and for the entire run, from Monday the 13th of July right through to Tuesday the 28th, every single session is flagged as poor surf conditions. That means I can’t point you to a single standout day or tell you to paddle out. There’s a long, flat gap here with no real recommendations on offer.

Let’s break down what the charts are saying anyway, because it’s interesting. Arrieta, a sheltered reef break that’s inconsistent, will see a building trend through the week. Early on, Monday the 13th, we’re looking at a weak 4ft swell from the NNW with a moderate 206 (combined energy of all swells directed here) and a period of 9 seconds. The wind is a cross-shore from the NNE at 9 mph, making for some slight cross-chop. It’s not clean at all.

The swell bumps up around Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th, hitting 6ft to 8ft from the NNE, with the energy jumping into the strong range (347 to 713). The period stays short though, around 7 to 8 seconds, so it’ll be lumpy and weak in shape. The winds are still cross or cross-off, but it’s blowing fresh at 22 mph, so you’re fighting a messy, choppy surface. By Friday afternoon and into Saturday the 18th, the wind actually cleans up and goes cross-off from the north, but the quality is still rated poor. We’ve got a solid 7ft to 8ft of swell but with that short period, it’s not holding any real power. That’s really only for experienced surfers if anyone’s mad enough to try, but even then, the shape looks rough.

The next week, from Monday the 20th onwards, the swell drops back to a more modest 5ft to 6ft, with energy settling to moderate levels (around 182 to 407). The wind stays mostly cross or cross-off from the north or NNE, but speeds are still up around 16 to 25 mph. It’s cleaner at times, but the surf is consistently described as poor. There’s no moment where everything clicks.

Because the consistency here is “inconsistent” by nature and the scores are all zeros, a blank run like this isn’t that unusual for this area. The reef might be picky and the winds are just not cooperating. For a paddle surfer, there’s nothing to get excited about. With the combination of moderate to strong wind and steady swell, this setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Keep your wetsuit dry for now, folks. Forecasts can change, but this one is looking like a long wait.

Rusty.

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