Zarautz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at the surf over the next couple of weeks for our local stretch. It’s a tale of one standout morning, followed by a long, drawn-out dry spell.

The best bet by a long shot is Monday, 27 July at Zarautz. We’re looking at a solid 5 ft swell out of the NW, with a period of 11 seconds giving it some proper grunt – a solid groundswell. The combined wave energy is sitting at a healthy 548 (moderate energy). What really sells it is the wind: glassy, offshore conditions in the morning with a light NW breeze at just 3 mph. That means clean, peeling faces. For an exposed beach break like this, a clean 5 ft NW swell is about as good as it gets. Crowds will be a factor, it’s often busy here, but for that quality, you paddle out. Water temps are about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

After that Monday morning, things fall off a cliff. The size drops quickly, and the wind turns onshore or cross-shore for days. Tuesday and Wednesday see waves dropping to around 3-4 ft, but with cross and cross-on winds, it’s just messy.

From Thursday, 30 July, right through the first week of August, it’s a real struggle. We’re looking at waves shrinking down to 1 ft to 2 ft, with weak energy readings mostly under 100. Most afternoons have onshore or cross-onshore breezes, leaving the surf poor. The morning of Saturday, 1 August shows a little bump of 3 ft from the NNW with zero wind, but the period is only 9 seconds and the energy is low at 129 – it’s surfable but very ordinary. To be honest, much of this period looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, with small, choppy waves and onshore wind.

The second week, from about 4 August onwards, is a ghost town. Wave heights are tiny, mostly under 2 ft, and what little swell there is comes from the WNW with periods of 8-9 seconds. There is a small uptick on the morning of Sunday, 9 August, with a 2 ft NW groundswell and glassy winds, but again, the energy is low (70) – a last gasp of summer fun. Tuesday, 11 August has a similar 3 ft NNW swell and clean conditions in the morning, but the period is short at 7 seconds, so it’ll be weak and lumpy.

For the long-range (second week): Keep an eye on the mornings of 9, 10, and 11 August. They’re promising for clean conditions with glassy winds, but the swell is minimal and the period is short, so don’t get your hopes up. It’s a long gap of small surf, but forecasts can change.

Stay stoked, Rusty.

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