Barinatxe - La Salvaje Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it for Barinatxe - La Salvaje. The next couple of weeks look tough.

The first two weeks of August are basically a total loss. Day after day of tiny, weak swell and poor conditions. The water is running much warmer than normal for this time of year, coming in at 75°, but that’s the only thing that’s out of the ordinary.

We start on Friday, 7th August. The morning is glassy, but the swell is a pathetic 2ft from the NNW with a short period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is a weak 38. Not worth getting wet for. That same tiny, poor-quality pattern just keeps going through the weekend, all of the next week, and into the second week. We get a few glassy mornings, but the swell is just too small to do anything with.

There’s a big gap of nothing until we get towards the end of the second week. On Thursday, 20th August, we finally see a little bump. The morning shows a 4ft swell from the NW with an 8-second period, and the combined energy hits 153 (moderate). The wind is glassy, which is a major plus. The report says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s not a standout, but it’s the first bit of life.

Your best bet, and it’s a long-range call, is Friday, 21st August. The morning session looks like the pick. We’ve got a 3ft NW swell with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is 162. The wind is from the ESE at 6 mph, which is a clean cross-offshore breeze. That’s a real positive – the waves should be clean and well-shaped. It’s only a few feet, so it’s fine for most surfers, but not a big day.

After that, it gets messy. Saturday, 22nd August sees a bigger pulse of swell, hitting 5ft from the NW with an 11-second period and a strong combined energy of 734. But the wind is a howling cross-onshore from the WNW at 15-18 mph, making it choppy and lumpy. At that size with that wind, this setup is honestly looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. This is an expert-only day if you’re determined, and even then, the quality will be poor.

So, to wrap it up: the first two weeks are a total bust. The only real window to keep an eye on is the morning of Friday, 21st August. That’s your best shot, but it’s a long way off, so keep checking. The rest of the run is either flat, windy, or just plain ugly.

Rusty.

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