Plentzia Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what the Basque coast has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – it’s looking pretty grim for a good paddle. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak waves and dodgy winds coming up. There’s a real gap in quality surf starting now and lasting until around the 20th of August. Most days are seeing tiny swell, poor conditions, or onshore slop. The few sessions that have *some* energy are getting ruined by the wind.

Let's break it down. Thursday the 6th of August is about as good as it gets in the near future, which says a lot. Plentzia is seeing a small 3 ft swell from the NW with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined wave energy is a weak 97. The water here is sitting at 75°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 5°F above average. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the NE at 9 mph, so it’ll be clean. But honestly, with that tiny swell and the fact this spot rarely breaks, it’s a real long shot.

The rest of the first week and into the second is a write-off. We get a glassy morning on Friday the 7th with 3 ft, but the period is a pathetic 7 seconds and the energy is a measly 66. The surf is just too poor to get excited about. This pattern of small, weak, and poorly timed swell continues right through until the 17th of August.

Now, there is a little blip on the radar. On the afternoon of Monday the 17th of August, we see a jump in swell to 3 ft from the NW with a period of 10 seconds and the combined energy hits a moderate 119. The problem? The wind is a moderate cross-onshore from the NNW at 12 mph, and there’s a risk of thunderstorms. It’s going to be choppy and messy.

Tuesday the 18th of August afternoon looks a touch cleaner, with a cross-shore wind and the combined energy holding at 104, but the swell is still only 2 ft from the WNW. It's better than nothing, but not a standout.

The only other session worth a mention is Wednesday morning the 19th of August. It’s glassy, with a NE wind at 3 mph, and the swell is back up to 3 ft from the NNW. However, the period is a short 7 seconds and the energy is 90. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

Basically, there are no true standouts here. The surf is tiny, the consistency is poor, and when there is a pulse of energy, the wind is against us. It’s one of those stretches where the forecast can change, but as it stands, I’d keep the board in the car and maybe go for a hike.

Rusty.

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