Playa de Traba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Playa de Traba. Gotta be straight with you, the next week and a half is pretty grim. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor conditions, with only a glimmer of something special right at the tail end.

The water’s sitting at 65°, which is about 1° cooler than usual for this time of year – nothing to write home about, just a touch on the fresh side.

So, from Monday the 17th right through to about Wednesday the 26th, it’s a write-off. You’ve got a steady northeast wind, mostly cross-shore, but it’s carrying a fresh breeze that’s just lumping up the surface. The swell is small and weak – we’re talking combined energy values below 300 for much of it, with short, weak periods around 6 to 8 seconds. It’s just messy. On Thursday the 20th, there’s a little spike in energy (up to 737) with a longer 12-second period swell from the NNW, but the wind is still cross-onshore and choppy, so the quality is still poor.

The 28th of August is where things get interesting, but only for the brave. Friday the 28th sees a big jump: a 8ft to 12ft WNW groundswell rolling in, with a period of 10 seconds. Combined energy is massive – 1203 and then 2299 in the afternoon. The wind is a cross-on moderate breeze, so it’ll be a bit choppy. But the real issue is the size. At 12ft, this is expert-only territory, and even then, the forecast notes the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. It’s a beach setup, so at that size it’s going to be a washing machine. Might be more interesting for the kite crew than paddle surfers.

Then Saturday the 29th is the real standout, if you can handle it. Morning brings a 13ft swell from the NNW with a very long 12-second period and a combined energy reading of 4899 – that’s serious power. The wind is light and cross-onshore, just 3 mph, which will keep it reasonably clean. But again, at 13ft, this is not for beginners. That long period groundswell will be lining up nicely and holding its shape, but at a beach break like Playa de Traba, that long period can make it break too straight and close out. Get out there if you’re an expert and you know the bank, otherwise just watch from the sand.

After that, it settles back down into more marginal, messy conditions through the end of the month.

So, if you’re a beginner, you’re out of luck for the whole 16 days. For the more experienced crew, the best window is the morning of Saturday the 29th, with that big, powerful NNW swell and light winds. It’s a promise, but a long way off, so don’t book your flights yet.

Rusty.

Read more