Mundaka Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s be straight with you about Mundaka.

First thing you need to know: the water is sitting at a balmy 75°, which is a full 5° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s a big deal, feels like a warm bath.

Right now, there’s a big fat nothing happening. The forecast shows a long, dry stretch of tiny, weak swell with poor conditions. From now through to the 20th of August, we’re just waiting. The combined swell energy is pathetically low, mostly in the 20 to 100 range, and the swell is too small to do anything with. The wind is mostly cross or onshore, making it even messier. There are a few mornings with glassy conditions, like on the 13th, but the swell is only 1 ft – not enough to ride.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on the morning of Friday the 21st of August. We finally see a north-west swell at 3 ft, with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 156. The wind is a cross-offshore from the east, keeping things clean. It’s only described as "surfable but very ordinary", so keep your expectations in check. It’s a faint pulse, not a classic Mundaka tube.

The only standout worth mentioning is for the morning of Saturday the 22nd of August. The swell jumps to 4 ft from the north-west, with a 10-second period, and the combined energy rockets up to 512. That’s a proper pulse of energy. However, the wind absolutely ruins it. We’re looking at a fresh cross-shore from the west-northwest, which will make it choppy and lumpy. This is a classic case of the swell arriving but the wind being a bastard. For a wave this size, it's getting into the territory where beginners might struggle, and the onshore wind will make it a battle. If you’re a local expert, you might still find a few, but it’s not the clean, lined-up Mundaka we dream of. Given the onshore wind and the size, this setup might actually be more interesting for kite surfers.

So, in short: the next two weeks are mostly a write-off, with a tiny, clean window on the 21st and a bigger, wind-chopped pulse on the 22nd. It’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

Read more