Mundaka Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for the Basque Country. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s a window of true magic if you’re patient. We’ve got a solid run of NW swell on the way, but the wind is going to be the real gatekeeper.

For the first few days, it’s a write-off, honestly. The first real pulse of swell hits on Monday, August 31st, with chest to head-high waves at Mundaka at 6ft from the NW, packing moderate energy (577). The water is much warmer than normal for this time of year at 74°, which is a nice bonus. But the wind is cross or onshore, and the conditions are just messy. Tuesday and Wednesday are similar – the swell drops and the wind stays ugly. This is a frustrating start, about four days of nothing you’d want to paddle out into.

Now, hold on to your board. The standout window is the morning of Saturday, September 5th. The forecast is showing a clean, glassy morning with a clean 3ft of swell from the NNW. That period is a very long 13 seconds, which is proper groundswell energy – it’ll offer some real shape and power. The combined energy jumps to 351, which is a solid push. This is the one. For a river mouth like Mundaka, that long period is going to wrap in beautifully, giving you some proper, lined-up walls. The afternoon will be a different story as the wind picks up, so be on it early.

Sunday the 6th still has some size, a solid 5ft from the NW (624 energy), but the wind is more cross-shore, making it less appealing than the Saturday morning dream.

The following week is a letdown. The swell fades and the wind remains a problem. There’s a glimmer on Tuesday, September 8th, with a clean, cross-offshore breeze and a 2ft groundswell from the WNW (321 energy), but it’s small and the afternoon gets ruined by onshore winds. After that, it’s a long stretch of poor conditions and small waves until the middle of the second week.

The only other faint hope is the morning of Saturday, September 12th. It’s small, 2ft from the WNW, but with a clean, cross-offshore breeze. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. Then on Sunday the 13th, there’s a glassy morning with a tiny 3ft, but again, it’s just a mess of small, weak surf.

In short, the Saturday, September 5th, morning session is the absolute standout. Glassy, long-period groundswell, and a break like Mundaka will be on fire. Don’t sleep on it. The rest of the outlook is mostly a waiting game.

Rusty.

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