Playa de Arrigunaga Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for Playa de Arrigunaga over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow burner, so don’t rush out just yet.

The overall pattern is quiet to start, with a real standout window opening up in the second week. Right now, the ocean is flat and gutless, but toward the end of the month and into September, we get a proper pulse of energy that’s worth circling on the calendar.

We kick off Tuesday the 18th with tiny 2ft NNW windswell and a pathetic combined energy of only 45. It’s clean and glassy in the morning, but there’s just nothing to ride. Wednesday the 19th is even smaller, with 1ft and energy down to 12. Honestly, you’d be better off having a sleep-in.

Thursday the 20th is where we finally see a flicker of life. The morning brings 4ft NW swell with a period of 11 seconds, and combined energy jumps to 278. That’s moderate energy, and with glassy conditions, it’s the first chance at a worthwhile session. The wind is light and off the land – clean. But get out early because the afternoon gets ruined by a strong onshore breeze and that same 4ft swell gets chopped up.

Friday the 21st sees the swell bump up to 5ft early and 5ft in the afternoon (energy 477 to 551), but it’s all onshore wind. The morning is questionable with rain, and the afternoon is a write-off. Not worth it.

Saturday the 22nd is frustrating. The morning is dead flat calm and glassy with only 3ft and weak energy of 135. It’s surfable but ordinary. The afternoon gets sloppy again.

From Sunday the 23rd all the way through to Thursday the 27th, we hit a serious dry spell. There’s a long gap with multiple days where the surf is just too poor to recommend. Swell stays below 4ft, periods are short, and combined energy mostly sits under 100. The winds aren’t kind either. It’s a dead zone.

Friday the 28th offers a small tease. A 3ft NW swell with 172 energy and a clean, light cross-offshore breeze makes for surfable but very ordinary waves. Not a standout, but if you’re desperate it’s better than the previous days.

Then we roll into Monday the 31st. Another 4ft NW swell with 204 energy and clean, light ESE cross-offshore wind in the morning. It’s ordinary, not special, but the signal is improving.

Now here’s the real standout. Mark your calendars for Tuesday the 1st of September. Early morning we get 5ft NNW swell, period of 11 seconds, and combined energy of 425 – that’s solid moderate energy. The wind is light and glassy from the southeast. This is clean, lined-up groundswell. It’s a proper session. But keep in mind the tide and the sandbar setup here at Arrigunaga.

If that doesn’t get you going, look at Wednesday the 2nd of September. This is the big one. The morning shows 7ft NNW swell with a period of 12 seconds and a massive combined energy of 1427 – that’s strong energy. The wind is glassy from the east. This is excellent surf, but at 7ft, it’s pushing into expert territory. The long period (12 seconds) means the waves will have real power and shape, and the sets will be less frequent but more rewarding. Paddling out will be easier between sets, but this is definitely one for the experienced surfers only.

The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual to report.

So to sum it up: the first week is mostly a washout with a few small windows. The real prizes are the morning of Tuesday the 1st of September and especially Wednesday the 2nd of September. That Wednesday morning with the glassy 7ft groundswell is the best bet on the whole forecast. Get on it.

Rusty.

Read more