
Surf Forecasts:
Plentzia surf forecast from 10 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 17 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period, NNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 7s period, NNW swell with 164 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period with NNW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Plentzia this week:
The surf forecast for Plentzia over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Plentzia in the next 16 days are 1.3m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 2s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Plentzia over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk about the Basque coast. Rusty here, and I’m looking at what’s on offer at Plentzia. Gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks look pretty flat and quiet for the most part. There’s a long stretch of nothing much happening, so don’t get your hopes up for the first week and a half. That said, things do eventually start to look interesting right at the tail end of the outlook.
The guidance file tells us Plentzia is a sheltered spot, needs a good WNW swell to work, and it rarely breaks. That’s a tough combo. The few tiny pulses that roll through the first week are just not doing the job. We’re talking weak, messy, and small. The water temp is sitting at 74°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – nice for a paddle, but not much wave action to go with it.
From Monday the 10th right through to Sunday the 17th, we’ve got a solid run of “poor surf conditions” with heights barely cracking 3 ft. The combined swell energy is pretty weak, mostly in the 50 to 120 range. Winds are a mixed bag – some glassy mornings, but mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore breezes that mess up what little wave there is. The swell period is short too, 7 to 10 seconds, so you’re not getting any real grunt.
Monday the 17th morning shows a tiny uptick – 3 ft from the NW, period 7 seconds, glassy. The energy is moderate (107). It’s surfable, but just barely. The afternoon gets a bit more size (4 ft) with a light cross-offshore from the NE, keeping things clean. That’s the first real window, but it’s still very ordinary.
Tuesday the 18th morning is glassy again with 3 ft from the NNW, but the period is only 6 seconds and the energy is weak (82). The afternoon builds a little with 4 ft and a clean cross-offshore, but again, it’s not lighting the world on fire.
Then we hit a flat spell from Wednesday the 19th through Sunday the 24th. Swell drops to 1 ft to 3 ft, periods are all over the place, and winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore. The combined energy is low, barely hitting 200. Honestly, don’t bother.
Now here’s the standout. The real action, if you can wait, is on Tuesday the 25th. That morning, Plentzia gets a solid 5 ft swell from the NW, period 10 seconds, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the ENE. The water will be clean. The combined swell energy jumps to 502 – that’s proper moderate energy. The afternoon builds even more, hitting 6 ft from the NW with a 616 energy reading and clean conditions. That’s the pick of the entire forecast. This is the one to aim for. It’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it, but if it holds, that’s your day.
Overall, Plentzia is a rare-breaker, and this outlook proves it. There’s a long gap of poor surf from the 10th to the 24th, but that last Tuesday could be a gem. It’s a break that needs everything to line up, and for a moment there, it might just.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed afternoon, min 19°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 24°C on Thu afternoon, min 19°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | NW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
81 | 65 | 58 | 46 | 72 | 44 | 35 | 18 | 37 | 33 | 76 | 64 | 58 | 55 | 48 | 77 | 53 | 32 | 66 | 102 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 3:31PM3.44m | 4:06AM3.39m | 4:26PM3.74m | 4:57AM3.60m | 5:14PM3.99m | 5:42AM3.74m | 5:58PM4.12m | 6:23AM3.80m | 6:39PM4.13m | 7:03AM3.76m | 7:19PM4.02m | 7:41AM3.65m | 7:57PM3.80m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:43PM0.42m | 10:02AM0.46m | 10:36PM0.15m | 10:51AM0.22m | 11:23PM-0.05m | 11:36AM0.06m | 00:07AM-0.15m | 12:17PM-0.01m | 00:47AM-0.12m | 12:58PM0.02m | 1:26AM0.01m | 1:38PM0.16m | 2:04AM0.23m | |||||||
— | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | |
— | 9:22 | — | — | 9:21 | — | — | 9:20 | — | — | 9:17 | — | — | 9:16 | — | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:14 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 22 |
Feels °C | 24 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 |
81 | 65 | 58 | 46 | 72 | 44 | 35 | 18 | 37 | 33 | 76 | 64 | 58 | 55 | 47 | 77 | 53 | 26 | 66 | 102 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 5 | N 4 | N 4 | W 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 12 | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 |
— | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 6 | 23 | — | — | — | — | 48 | 35 | 48 | 32 | 55 | 42 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 12 | NW 9 | — | — | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | WNW 10 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 3 | WNW 3 | NW 3 | WNW 4 | NW 4 | NW 6 | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 36 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 21 | 4 | 4 | 89 | 4 | 4 | 89 | 79 | 64 | 88 | 6 | 250 | 88 | 6 | 17 | 89 | 6 | 88 | 21 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Pais Vasco | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Spain (Europe) | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Plentzia Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Plentzia provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Plentzia can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Plentzia surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Plentzia) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Plentzia may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Plentzia is 8 km (5 miles) from the city of Getxo. If you plan a holiday in Pais Vasco, look for hotels and other accommodation in Getxo. Getxo has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











