Arrieta Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's talk about Arrieta.

Honestly, looking at the next 16 days, it's a tough stretch for this spot. We're looking at a long gap of poor conditions before a very brief window of potential. The water is a touch warmer than normal for late August, sitting around 75°, which is nice, but it doesn't mean much when the wind is howling.

For the first several days, from Thursday the 20th through to the end of the month, it's nearly all cross-off and cross-shore winds, mostly from the north and north-northeast, running at 12 to 28 mph. That's messy. The swell is there, but it's short-period windswell, mostly 3 to 5 feet, with weak to moderate combined energy (220 to 613). The conditions are just too chopped up for a good paddle.

Now, there's a glimmer on Sunday the 23rd. The afternoon shows a clean-up with a gentler 9 mph cross-off breeze from the north. The swell bumps up to 4 feet from the NNW, but the big story is the period jumping to 14 seconds. That's a long-period groundswell, and the combined energy hits a strong 762. The forecast says "expect good surf conditions," and for a reef break, that long-period energy could really line up. This is the standout of the whole forecast. A long period like this at a reef break like Arrieta often means better shaped, more powerful waves, though the sets will be more spaced out.

Monday the 24th morning still has some potential with that same NNW swell, a bit bigger at 6 feet, and a 12-second period pushing energy up to 776. The wind is still light and cross-off from the north, keeping it clean. This is the only other session that looks worth a look. However, that swell height is over 5 feet, so it's getting a bit much for true beginners. The wind shifts in the afternoon, picking up and coming cross-shore, which ruins it.

From Tuesday the 25th onward, the winds back to the north-northeast and freshen up again. The swell gets bigger, but it's all short-period, choppy junk. We see some serious energy values in the thousands by the end of August and into September, but with 22 to 28 mph cross-shore winds, this is more of a windsurfing or kitesurfing show than a surf session. The waves will be big and ugly.

So, to sum it up: the entire 16-day window is a bust except for Sunday afternoon the 23rd and maybe Monday morning the 24th. Sunday is the pick. For a wave that's inconsistent naturally, it's a rare treat when it turns on, so keep your eyes on that one. The rest of the time, you're better off finding something else to do.

Rusty.

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