Zarautz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at this forecast for Zarautz and it’s a tough read, buddy. For the next week and a half, we’ve got almost nothing to get excited about. We're in a bit of a flat spell with weak, short-period windswell.

Starting from this weekend (Saturday, 4th July) and rolling right through, the waves are tiny. Swell heights are mostly hanging around 1ft to 3ft, with periods under 10 seconds. That’s just not going to give you anything with push or shape. The combined swell energy is weak across the board, struggling to even hit triple digits for most of the first week.

The wind isn’t helping either. It’s mostly onshore or cross-onshore, which is blowing out those already tiny peaks. There are a couple of glimmers, like Thursday morning (9th July) and Friday morning (10th July), where it goes glassy, and the swell is still tiny (2ft to 2ft) and weak (energy in the 50-60 range). You might get a knee-high ripple if you’re desperate, but it’s still pretty ordinary.

The water’s a big talking point though. It’s sitting at 75°F, which is a massive 7°F above the norm for this time of year. That’s very unusual – feels more like a tropical bath than the Bay of Biscay.

The real standout, if you can call it that, comes much later. On Friday 17th July, we finally see a pulse of swell. The morning has a 4ft wave from the WNW with a period of 9 seconds, and by the afternoon it’s 5ft from the NW. The combined swell energy jumps up to 258 and then 275 (moderate energy). It’s still not huge, but it’s the biggest we’ve seen. The wind is light and onshore, but the comments call it “marginal.” For Zarautz, a beach break, that longer-period energy can make the waves a bit straight, but it’s the best on offer.

Frankly, if you’re a kite surfer, some of these afternoons with onshore wind and small, choppy waves might look more interesting than paddling out. But for a surfer, this is a long wait.

The first proper surf recommendation doesn’t show up until Friday 17th July. That’s a gap of nearly two weeks of poor conditions.

Check back closer to that date, because long-range calls like this are promising but less certain.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

Read more