Playa de Arrigunaga Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I've got some honest news for you – the first week or so is a bit of a write-off. We're looking at a real slow start with tiny, messy waves that aren't worth paddling out for. The good news is, things turn around in the second week, and there's a couple of proper sessions on the horizon, but you'll need some patience.

Playa de Arrigunaga is a sandbar break that's fairly consistent and fairly exposed to the swell. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.

The outlook kicks off Wednesday the 15th with absolute dross – barely 0.7ft of swell, weak energy (18), and onshore winds. That sets the tone for the next several days. We get a few glassy mornings on the 16th, 18th, and 19th, but the swell is pathetic, under 2ft, with periods as short as 5 or 6 seconds. It's just not doing anything. The combined energy sits in the weak teens to low thirties – it's a flat spell, plain and simple.

This drought runs right through until Monday the 20th. On Monday morning, we finally see a pulse of 3ft from the NNW, with a clean cross-offshore breeze, and the energy bumps up to 80 (moderate). It's surfable, but very ordinary. Tuesday the 21st sees a bigger jump in height to 4ft, but the wind is all wrong, cross-shore, and the period is still only 7 seconds. The energy is moderate at 171, but the conditions are poor.

Wednesday the 22nd is more of the same, with a clean morning but a drop in size. Thursday the 23rd is a write-off with strong onshore winds and a messy 4ft – not worth it.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. Friday the 24th is the first real standout. The morning session sees a solid 6ft swell from the WNW, with a clean cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy jumps to a strong 299, and the wave comment says "expect good surf conditions." That's a proper size for intermediate surfers, and the wind will have it clean. It's a fair size, but not too big for experienced paddlers.

Saturday the 25th morning is another good one. The swell drops to 3ft, but it's a long-period groundswell at 12 seconds from the NW, which is the optimum direction for this break. The energy is still strong at 293, and the wind is clean and cross-offshore. This is a classic point-break style wave – the longer period means better shaped waves and more energy, but at a beach break it might be a bit straight. Still, it's a clean, fun wave.

Sunday the 26th morning is also worth a mention – 4ft from the NW, 10-second period, clean cross-offshore wind, and strong energy at 281. It's a consistent run of clean mornings.

The biggest standout, the one you really want to mark, is Tuesday the 28th morning. The swell is 5ft from the NW, with a 10-second period, and the wind is glassy – absolutely dead calm. The combined energy is a massive 520 (strong to very strong). This is the best of the lot. That size is getting into the expert zone, but the glassy conditions will make it epic. It's a big, powerful swell, but it will be clean as a whistle.

The final morning on the 30th is a smaller, clean 4ft from the NW, but with a 9-second period and energy at 184, it's a solid, surfable wave to finish the run.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a dud. The standout sessions are the mornings of the 24th, 25th, 26th, and especially the 28th of July. The 28th is the one to circle – big, glassy, and powerful. The long-range stuff on the 25th and 26th is promising but slightly less certain. Get out there for those clean windows.

Rusty.

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