Zarautz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey, Rusty here again, giving you the same outlook but in feet and miles per hour.

The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag. There’s some surf on the way, but a lot of it is going to be fighting with the wind. We’ve got a gap in the action after the first week, and the second week looks pretty quiet overall.

First up, we do have some small waves rolling in on Wednesday afternoon the 22nd of July at Zarautz. We’re looking at a weak 2ft swell from the north with a short period of 6 seconds, so it’s coming in as weak windswell (combined energy 40). The wind is light and onshore, so conditions are poor. Not worth paddling out for.

Thursday the 23rd of July starts with some potential. The morning shows a 3ft north swell, still a short period of 6 seconds, but the wind goes glassy from the NNW. That’ll mean the surface is clean, but the surf is still very ordinary. Energy is still low (51).

Friday the 24th of July through Sunday the 26th of July, the swell bumps up a bit, but so does the wind. By Saturday the 25th, we’re seeing a 6ft swell from the WNW, period 7 seconds, and moderate cross-shore winds. The wave energy picks up into the moderate range (292), but those winds are going to chop it all up. By Saturday afternoon, it’s a 8ft swell (657 combined energy) with a fresh cross-onshore breeze. That’s getting into the expert-only zone size-wise, and with that wind, it’s going to be a mess. Not the one.

On Monday the 27th of July, we get a shift. The swell drops back to 5ft from the northwest, but the period jumps to 10 seconds, giving it some groundswell character and better energy (538). The morning has light onshore winds and showers. It’s still marginal. That cleaner long-period energy might make for better shaped waves, but the winds aren’t cooperating yet.

The best chance in this whole outlook looks like Tuesday morning the 28th of July. We’ve got a 4ft northwest groundswell (10-second period) with a moderate combined energy of 303. The wind is light and cross-shore from the ENE, which is manageable. The reports say marginal due to tide, so you’ll need to pick your moment. Still, that’s the standout window for a half-decent paddle in the first week. Keep in mind Zarautz is an exposed beach break, and that longer-period groundswell can sometimes make it a bit straight there.

After that, the surf just dribbles away. There are a few glassy mornings around the 29th of July and again on the 2nd of August, but the swell is tiny—only 3ft to 4ft with weak energy (around 100-200). You’ll get clean surfaces but barely any push.

The second week, into August, is pretty quiet. There’s a brief bump in swell on Saturday the 1st of August—a 3ft swell from the WNW but with a 11-second period, giving it some pulse (energy 214). The wind is onshore, though. That’s really the only thing to even dream about in the second week, and it’s a long way off, so don’t plan your life around it.

Overall, if you’re a beginner, the whole period is mostly small and a bit messy, so not ideal for learning. If you’re an expert, the size on Saturday the 25th might be interesting, but it’s going to be blown out and choppy, so it looks more like a day for the kite crew than a paddler.

Stick with Thursday morning the 23rd of July for a clean, tiny wave, or try to time the tide on Tuesday the 28th of July for the best chance at a proper ride. Everything else is a waiting game.

Stay keen,
Rusty

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