Zarautz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s break down what’s in store for Zarautz over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the first few days are pretty slim pickings. We’ve got a bit of knee-to-waist high swell, around 1ft to 2ft, coming from the NW and WNW. The period is all over the place, from 8 to 12 seconds. The real saving grace for the start of the run is the wind. Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th are showing early morning glass-offs (3 mph from the NNE and NE), making for clean, crumbly little waves. The water is a warm 75°, which is 4° above average – much warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick suit at home. Energy levels are weak. These are very beginner-friendly, learner waves. Not a standout but a nice paddle if you’re just getting wet.

Thursday the 13th morning stays small with a similar glassy window (1ft, WNW), but the period jumps to 10 seconds, giving it a bit more shape. Still low energy.

The weekend from Friday the 14th through Sunday the 16th is a write-off. Onshore and cross-onshore winds from the N and NW mess up the small swell. Energy stays low, wave comments say "poor." No point paddling out.

Monday the 17th morning shows a slight pulse. Swell picks up to 4ft from the NW, period a short 7 seconds, but the wind is dead calm (0 mph) and glassy. That’s a rare window. Energy hits moderate. It’s still a short-period windswell, so it’ll be a bit lumpy at the beach, but with absolutely no wind, you might get a few clean little lefts and rights off the sandbanks. Not a standout, but the best of a quiet week.

Tuesday the 18th keeps the small NW swell (4ft to 4ft) with early glass and rain showers. Energy is moderate. The morning session could offer some clean if junky waves.

Then we hit a dead zone from Wednesday the 19th through Friday the 21st. Swell drops to 1ft to 2ft, energy falls off a cliff, and winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore. A brief calm window on Friday the 21st morning (0 mph, glassy) with 2ft, WNW, 9-second swell – surfable, but barely.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Hold on for Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd. This is the real deal. On Saturday the 22nd, the swell builds to 4ft in the morning and 5ft by the afternoon from the NW, with the period stretching out to 11 seconds. The energy jumps to strong. Wind is the problem though – cross-onshore from the NW at 9 mph, making it choppy. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle, especially with that amount of juice in the water.

Sunday the 23rd keeps the 4ft NW swell with a 10-second period. Energy stays strong. The morning has a light cross-onshore from the WNW (3 mph), but the afternoon cleans up with a true onshore from the NNW. This will be a big, powerful beach break. At over 5ft, it’s starting to get too much for beginners, and with that cross-shore wind in the morning, you’ll have to pick your bank. But the energy is there.

Finally, the standout window arrives on Tuesday the 25th of August. This is the one to mark on the calendar. The morning brings in a 6ft WNW swell with a short 6-second period, but the energy is solid. The wind is a perfect glass-off from the east (3 mph). By the afternoon, the swell jumps to 7ft from the WNW, 7-second period, energy hits very strong, and the wind stays glassy from the NE. This is a very clean, high-energy groundswell day. At 7ft, this is expert territory – powerful, dumping waves. The water will still be warm. The wind is offshore and light, so expect clean faces. This is the only true standout in the whole 16-day window. Get after it if you’ve got the skill.

The rest of the run after that drops off again into small, onshore slop.

So, the long story short: the next week and a half are mostly small and weak. The clear winner is Tuesday the 25th of August – big, glassy, powerful WNW swell for experts only. If you’re a beginner, the Tuesday 11th or Wednesday 12th mornings are your best bet for a clean, safe paddle. For the rest of us, hold out for that 25th.

Rusty.

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