Barinatxe - La Salvaje Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks at Barinatxe - La Salvaje, out on the exposed coast.

Right off the bat, Sunday morning the 30th of August is actually a little teaser. We’ve got a glassy, clean 4ft NW swell rolling in with a period of 10 seconds and a combined energy of 327 (moderate). The water is sitting at 73°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. But it’s a one-off; the afternoon turns to junk with onshore wind, so that morning window is really the only chance that day.

Monday the 31st is where it starts to get interesting. That morning, we’ve got glassy conditions again, with the swell bumping up to 6ft from the NW, still a 10-second period, and the energy is strong at 542. This is looking like very good surf, and the offshore wind from the WNW will keep it clean. That’s a proper standout for the week. The afternoon gets a bit messy with the wind swinging onshore, so get out early.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. Tuesday and Wednesday are small and crossed up, with energy dropping to 299 and then right down to 72. Thursday the 3rd of September is tiny, and while Friday the 4th sees a longer-period swell (13-14 seconds) and some energy (544 in the afternoon), it’s coming in with cross-onshore winds, so it’s marginal at best.

Now, keep your eyes on Saturday the 5th of September. That morning is a proper standout. We’ve got a glassy surface, a 5ft swell from the NNW, but check this out: the period is 14 seconds and the combined energy is a massive 1211 (strong). That’s groundswell with real push. For a beach and reef setup like La Salvaje, that long period can make the waves a bit straight, but the conditions are clean and it’s an expert-only wave at this size. It’s going to be a treat for the experienced crew. The afternoon jumps to 7ft, but the wind turns onshore, so it’s a morning mission.

Sunday the 6th of September still has some leftover energy (467) with a clean cross-offshore wind in the morning, so it’s good, but not as punchy as Saturday.

After that, the surf drops off hard. From Monday the 7th right through to the end of the forecast on the 14th of September, we’re looking at tiny waves. Mostly under 3ft, with low energy readings (often under 100), and the wind is rarely kind. There’s a brief moment on the morning of Tuesday the 8th with a clean 3ft, 12-second swell, but it’s weak. The 13th of September morning has a clean 2ft, but it’s just ordinary.

So, to wrap it up: the standout window is absolutely Monday morning the 31st of August for the clean, solid NW swell, and then Saturday morning the 5th of September for the powerful, long-period groundswell for the experts. Get on it early, because the second week looks mostly flat and quiet.

Rusty.

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