Playa Varesse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, looking at the surf situation for Varese over the next couple of weeks. Let’s be straight with each other – it’s not looking like a classic run, with some big gaps where you’d be better off doing something else.

We start the forecast period with a pulse of south swell on Friday, August 21st. Playa Varesse is a beginner-friendly spot and fairly exposed to the swell, but the wind is howling from the southwest at 16 mph – cross-off, not clean. The swell is a blocky 7 ft from the south with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined wave energy is moderate (600 to 749). The water temp anomaly isn't given, so figure it's about average for this time of year. Honestly, poor surf conditions. You’d be battling the wind more than riding waves.

Then we hit a blank. Saturday, August 22nd, brings no swell at all. Zero energy. Nothing. Just fresh offshore winds. A day to wax the board and wait.

Sunday, August 23rd, things get interesting, but only for the brave. A proper groundswell arrives from the SSE, 12 ft on the morning with a period of 15 seconds. The combined energy hits a very strong 4827. This is big, powerful swell – over 8 ft, so it’s for experts only. The period is long, which means it'll be lining up nicely here but might be a bit straight at the beach, and the sets will be widely spaced. The wind is cross-off from the south at 16 mph, dropping to 12 mph in the afternoon. The surf quality is marginal, but there’ll be some bombs for those who can handle it. This is your one true standout for the whole outlook, but it's a serious one.

Monday, August 24th, the swell drops to a more manageable 7 ft from the SSE, still a long period 12 seconds, and the energy is strong at 1084. The morning is the pick: glassy conditions with a light westerly wind at 3 mph, and the forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is clean, lined-up, and perfect for the experienced surfer who wants quality without the Sunday monster. But watch the wind swing onshore from the ENE in the afternoon, turning it messy.

From Tuesday, August 25th, it’s a slow decline. The swell fades into the 4 ft range, winds go cross-shore or onshore, and the energy drops to the moderate 506–761 range. Nothing worth getting excited about. A little window on Thursday, August 27th, with a clean, moderate offshore from the west, but the swell is small – 3 ft, period 13 seconds, only moderate energy of 311. Surfable but ordinary.

From Friday, August 28th, we hit another gap. The swell bottoms out – 2 ft and below for days. The combined energy drops into the weak tens and forties. There’s a sniff of small swell on Monday, September 1st, with 2 ft clean offshore winds, but it’s barely a ripple. Then more poor conditions right through to Saturday, September 5th.

The standout is undeniably Sunday, August 23rd, for the expert crew, with that huge 12 ft groundswell. The close second is Monday morning, August 24th, for some glassy, cleaner conditions on a smaller, but still good, 7 ft swell. After that, save your energy for another week.

Rusty.

Read more