Arrieta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty. Let’s be straight with you – the next 16 days at Arrieta are a tough watch. We’ve got almost a complete blank run for proper surf. The first real glimmer doesn’t show up until Tuesday the 18th of August, and even then it’s only marginal. The whole stretch from now until then is plagued by a messy, short-period NNE swell that’s all around 5ft to 6ft, with period sitting at just 7 seconds – that’s windswell junk. The wind is a constant fresh breeze out of the north or north-northeast, mostly cross-off or cross, which keeps the surface clean but the wave quality is just poor. The combined swell energy is moderate, ranging from 236 to 395 (moderate energy), but it’s not translating into anything rideable. The water temp is 74°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

The only faint pulse comes on Tuesday the 18th of August. The swell height bumps up to 7ft from the north, with the period stretching to 8 seconds – still short, but a little more push. The wind drops to a moderate breeze out of the north, cross-off, so the surface will be clean. Combined energy hits 465 (moderate energy). The call is marginal surf, questionable tide. This is for advanced surfers only – 7ft is getting too big for beginners, and the short period means it’ll be fat and crumbly. The spot is a sheltered reef, inconsistent, and crowds are possible. The optimum swell direction is N, and this matches nicely. If you’re an expert and you’re desperate, this is the only window.

After that, the 20th and 21st of August see the swell drop to 4ft to 4ft from the north, with a period of 7–8 seconds. The wind goes light, with a light breeze on the 20th morning and gentle breeze on the 21st. The combined energy drops to 170–212 (weak to moderate). The conditions are described as “surfable but very ordinary” – small, weak, clean but nothing to get excited about. The 22nd of August picks up a little to 4ft–5ft from the north with a 9-second period, but the wind is back up to a moderate breeze, and it’s still poor.

Overall, there’s a long gap of over a week with no good surf. The one standout is the morning of Tuesday the 18th of August – that’s your best bet, but it’s marginal. For the rest, the setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing given the strong cross-shore winds and lumpy chop. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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