Arrieta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s heading for Arrieta.

Honestly, this 16-day stretch is a tough watch. We’ve got a solid ten days of nothing but poor surf before anything remotely rideable shows up. The water’s a touch warmer than average at 75°F, which feels nice, but don’t let that fool you – the waves are in a bad mood.

From Thursday August 20th right through to around Wednesday September 2nd, it’s a dead zone. Northerly winds blowing 15 to 28 mph, mostly cross or cross-off, are just wrecking the surface. Swell heights bounce between 3 ft and a messy 8 ft, but it’s all short-period junk under 8 seconds, and the wind-chop is ugly. The combined wave energy is moderate at best, hanging in the 165–260 range, but quality is zero. This break is sheltered and rare on a good day, so a blank run like this is pretty normal for Arrieta.

First sign of life comes on Sunday August 23rd afternoon. A pulse of groundswell from the NNW at 4 ft with a long 14-second period pushes the energy up to a strong 717. The wind goes cross-off from the north at 12 mph, cleaning it up. It’s only rated marginal and the tide will be key, but if you’re really itching, that’s your first chance. The long period might make the reef link up, and crowds are possible.

Monday August 24th morning is the real standout. We get a solid 6 ft of NNW groundswell with a 12-second period, and the combined energy sits at 939 – that’s strong. The wind is cross-off from the north at 12 mph, keeping things clean. For this spot, that’s the best you’re going to get. After that, it’s back to fresh northerly winds and sloppy seas through the week.

Into the second week, from late August to early September, we see bigger swell – 6 to 8 ft from the NNE on the 28th, 29th, and 30th – but the wind doesn’t let up, howling at 22 to 28 mph, creating strong cross-shore mess. Energy spikes into the 800–1000 range, but it’s all short period (6-8 seconds) and blown out. Some clean windows show up on the 30th afternoon and September 1st morning, but the wind is still strong. Anything over 8 ft is expert-only, and with this wind, it’s kite-surf territory.

So, the only real window is Monday August 24th morning. That 6 ft NNW groundswell with clean cross-off winds is your best bet. The Sunday 23rd afternoon might be a lucky punt if the tides fall right. Otherwise, it’s a long wait.

Rusty.

Read more