Playa de Arrigunaga Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The forecast for Playa de Arrigunaga is a bit of a mixed bag early on, but there’s some real firepower waiting for us if we’re patient. The first week is mostly a write-off, with a few glimmers of hope way down the line.

The first real chance to get wet comes on Saturday the 22nd of August. The morning will see some clean, cross-off wind from the east with swell around 4ft from the northwest, period at 9 seconds. The combined energy of all swells is moderate at 206. It’s surfable, but honestly, it’s pretty ordinary. The water temperature is a notable 75°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 4° above average, so you can leave the thick suit at home.

After that, we hit a dry spell. The next several days are a total bust. From Sunday the 23rd all the way through to Thursday the 28th, the conditions are poor. We’re looking at tiny, weak waves, messy onshore winds, and a lot of chop. The wind shifts around, but nothing lines up. There’s a moment on Thursday the 27th where the swell jumps up to 6ft from the northwest with a period of 8 to 9 seconds and energy hitting 522 to 626, but it’s all onshore and messy. That’s a pass.

Now, Friday the 28th afternoon gets interesting, but not for the right reasons. We’ve got a solid 12ft of NW swell with a period of 11 seconds and massive energy of 2393. That’s way too big for this break. It’s strictly for experts, and even then, the wind is onshore, so it’s gonna be a washing machine. Not recommended.

The true standout finally arrives on Saturday the 29th of August. The morning is glassy with a light easterly breeze, and we’ve got a clean 7ft NW swell with a period of 10 seconds and energy at 986. This is the best on offer. The wind is glassy, the swell has some punch, and it’s not too big for experienced intermediates. This is your window.

Sunday the 30th morning is also glassy and clean, with a smaller 4ft NW swell (9 seconds, energy 300). It’s a good follow-up session, but the Saturday morning is the highlight.

The first few days of September are a return to small, ordinary waves. There’s a glassy morning here and there, but nothing to write home about until Thursday the 3rd of September. That morning, we see a 7ft NW swell with a very long period of 13 seconds and massive energy of 1452. The wind is glassy. This is a groundswell, and it’s going to be powerful and clean. It’s excellent for experienced surfers, but that long period means it might be a bit too fast and straight for a beach break like this – it’ll be better if you can find a sandbar that handles it. The afternoon gets a bit cross-on, so go early.

The swell holds through Friday the 4th, but the wind turns more onshore, making it marginal. By Saturday the 5th, the wind is howling from the WNW at 19 mph with rain, and the swell is 8ft with a 12-second period. That’s a messy, blown-out mess for paddle surfing, but with that much energy (1787), it’s a setup that looks more interesting for kite surfing than a paddle session.

The forecast then fades out into the second week with mostly onshore winds and rain-showers, and the swell drops back. The two clear standouts are the mornings of Saturday the 29th of August and Thursday the 3rd of September. Saturday the 29th is the most reliable of the two, being closer in. Thursday the 3rd is a long-range promise, and it looks good, but keep an eye on the wind the day before.

Rusty.

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