Playa de Gaztetape Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty bleak for Playa de Gaztetape, to be honest. We’ve got a real flat spell on the horizon for the most part. I’m not seeing anything that gets the heart racing for a while, so manage your expectations. We’re in for a long stretch of small, poor-quality surf before we finally see something with a bit of life on the 27th.

The good news is the water is sitting at a balmy 76°F, which is a solid 5° warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s notable – you won’t need much more than a spring suit, if that.

Right, so the next week and a half is the doldrums. From the 15th right through to the 24th, we’ve got tiny waves – mostly between 1ft and 3ft – and the wind is just all over the shop, mostly cross-onshore or onshore. Not good. There’s a little pulse of longer-period swell arriving on the morning of the 20th – that 11-second groundswell from the NW bumps the energy up to 150, but it’s still only 2ft and it’s messy. Not worth paddling out for.

The 21st sees the swell actually get to a more respectable 5ft on the Friday morning, with the energy jumping up to a strong 515. But the period drops to 11 seconds and the wind is cross-onshore, creating bumps. That one’s a maybe at best, and the finder’s not rating it. Looks better for the kite crew than us.

We lose the size after that, dropping back under 3ft for the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. The morning of the 25th is clean – the wind goes glassy from the east – but the swell is only 3ft and the energy is a weak 183. It’s surfable but nothing special. The same goes for the morning of the 26th, with 3ft and glassy conditions, but again, it’s just ordinary.

Now, finally, a glimmer of hope. On the 27th of August, Thursday morning, things might actually line up. The swell is 4ft from the NW with an 11-second period, and the energy is a solid 326. The wind is glassy from the SSW. This is the one morning in this whole stretch where it looks like it might actually be clean and have a bit of push. This is the standout – small, clean, slightly glassy day with a proper NW groundswell. For a spot that’s fairly exposed to that NW direction, this could be a lot of fun. It’s not big, but it’s the best we’ve got on offer, and it’s a full week and a half away, so while it’s promising, don’t book your flights yet. The afternoon sees the wind swing onshore and wreck it, so it’s a morning mission.

After that, the 28th and 29th are back to small, weak, and average at best. The 30th is just a write-off with a moderate onshore breeze.

So, bottom line: it’s a lean fortnight with one clean, surfable morning on the 27th. Hang in there.

Rusty.

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