Playa de Gaztetape Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer. To be honest, the next week or so is looking pretty flat and uninspiring for Playa de Gaztetape. There’s a real gap in decent surf from now until around the middle of the month. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak swell with onshore or cross-onshore winds that just won’t clean up. The first real spark of energy doesn’t show until Monday the 17th of August, and even then it’s a bit of a mixed bag.

For the first few days, from Thursday the 6th right through to the weekend of the 9th and 10th, it’s mostly small dribble. Swell heights are barely pushing 2 ft to 3 ft, with short periods around 7 to 8 seconds, and the combined energy is weak, sitting under 100. The wind is a problem too – cross-onshore or onshore for most of it, making for messy conditions. There are a few glassy moments early on the 7th and 8th, but the swell is just too small to bother with. Not worth paddling out for.

The next week is more of the same. We get a tiny bump on the 15th of August with a 4 ft swell from the WNW, but it’s short period at 6 seconds and the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s going to be a choppy, weak mess. The energy is still moderate at best (139 and 126), but the quality just isn’t there.

Now, the standout – and I mean the only real window here – is the morning of Monday the 17th of August. We finally see a proper pulse of swell. The waves are pushing 5 ft from the WNW, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 241, which is a solid moderate push. The real kicker is the wind: it’s glassy, from the NNE. That’s a major positive. For a beginner-friendly spot like Playa de Gaztetape, 5 ft is right on the edge of being too big for absolute beginners, but it’s manageable. The waves will be clean and have some shape thanks to the glassy conditions. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

After that, the swell builds further on Tuesday the 18th, hitting 8 ft from the WNW with a period of 9 seconds and a combined energy of 868 – that’s strong to very strong energy. But the wind is cross-onshore, and at that size, it’s going to be a messy, powerful beast. This is strictly for experts only, and even then, the conditions are marginal. The rest of the week fades back into mediocrity.

So, if you’re looking for a paddle, the only true window worth getting excited about is the morning of Monday the 17th. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got. The long-range stuff on the 18th is promising in size but the wind kills it for quality. Keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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