Playa Varesse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let's have a look at what's on offer for the Varese area over the next couple of weeks. To be straight with you, it's a lean run. The forecast is a bit of a mixed bag with a lot of average to poor conditions, but there are a couple of blips of interest if you're patient.

The first few days are pretty flat and messy. Tuesday morning, the 28th of July, is small with a weak 1ft swell from the ENE and a short period of 6 seconds. The wind is offshore, which is a plus, but the combined energy is only 19 – that's weak. The water is sitting at 50°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. It's poor surf, nothing to get excited about.

Wednesday the 29th sees a little bump in the morning with a 2ft swell from the south, but the wind turns offshore and the waves are clean. Still, the energy is low (84), and the conditions are "very ordinary." The afternoon glass-off is a beauty, with a light 1ft swell from the SSE and a long 14-second period, but it's tiny. That longer period does suggest better shape, but it's just too small for a proper wave.

Thursday through to the following Monday, the 30th of July to the 4th of August, is a write-off. We get a bit of a bump in swell size on the Sunday the 2nd of August, with a 5ft SSE swell and moderate energy (366), but the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy and poor. The 3rd of August has a 5ft SE swell but onshore wind, so forget it. The wind finally swings offshore again on the morning of Tuesday the 4th of August, but the swell is only 3ft from the ESE. It's surfable, but "very ordinary."

There's then a major gap. From the 5th of August right through to the morning of the 8th of August, it's a desert of small, weak swell with mostly cross-offshore winds. The waves are just too small and weak to bother with.

Then, on Sunday, the 9th of August, things get interesting. That morning, we've got a solid 8ft swell from the south, with a long 14-second period. The combined energy jumps to 2766 – that's strong wave energy. The wind is light and offshore from the WSW. Playa Varesse will be the spot to watch, but this is for experienced surfers only. The swell is over 8ft, so it's a big, powerful groundswell. With that long period, the waves will have plenty of energy and shape, perfect for a point break or reef, but at a beach break, it might be a bit walled-up. The morning window is the standout, with clean conditions. The afternoon sees a cross-on wind, so that morning session is the one.

The early part of the following week, from the 10th to the 12th of August, the swell drops back but remains in the 5ft to 6ft range from the south. However, the wind is onshore or cross-onshore the whole time, making conditions poor. The energy is still moderate to strong (711 to 1041), but the wind will ruin it. It's a frustrating end to the forecast.

So, to sum it up: there's very little on offer for the next week. The one true standout is the Sunday morning, the 9th of August, at Playa Varesse (Varese). Big, clean, powerful swell – but only for the experts. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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