Zarautz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for Zarautz over the next couple of weeks. It’s gonna be a slow start, but there’s a real nice pulse building for the second week, so don’t write this place off just yet.

Right now, through Thursday and Friday, it’s tiny and pretty average. We’re looking at waist-high mush, weak energy (28 to 73 range), and while Thursday morning is glassy, the swell is just too small to get excited about. Friday morning cleans up again with glassy conditions, but it’s still only about 2ft of short-period NW slop. Not worth paddling out for unless you’re desperate for a water time.

Then, Saturday 5th September morning is where things start to change. The swell jumps to about 3ft, but the period stretches to 14 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. Combined energy hits 338, and with glassy conditions and a light offshore touch from the NNW, Zarautz will have clean, lined-up waves. This is the first real standout. It’s still small, but the quality will be there for longboarders and loggers.

Saturday afternoon gets a bit punchier, with about 5ft of NW swell at 13 seconds, but the wind goes cross-onshore and it gets a bit messy. Still, energy is up at 824, so if you don’t mind a little texture, there’ll be some fun ones.

Sunday and Monday see the swell drop back and the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, so conditions get choppy and ordinary. Not worth chasing.

Now, hold on for the real highlight – Monday 14th September morning. This is the one. The swell builds to about 6ft from the NW with a 14-second period, and the combined energy surges to 1290. That’s strong. And with glassy conditions and a light offshore wind from the NW, Zarautz will be firing. This is proper head-high plus, powerful groundswell with clean faces. It’s going to be too much for beginners, but for experienced surfers, this is excellent. The only downside is that Zarautz is a beach break, and long-period swells can make them close out a bit straight, but with that NW direction and the banks, it should still offer some nice peaks. Crowds are often an issue here, so expect company.

Tuesday 15th September keeps the goodness going. Morning and afternoon both have about 5ft to 6ft NW swell at 13 seconds, combined energy in the 800–984 range, and glassy winds. Another solid day of clean, powerful surf.

After that, the swell fades through Wednesday and into the following week, with smaller waves and more onshore winds returning. The last notable mention is Friday 18th September morning – about 3ft of long-period NW groundswell at 13 seconds, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit bumpy.

Overall, the first week is mostly a write-off. But from Saturday 5th morning, and especially Monday 14th through Tuesday 15th, Zarautz will have some of the best surf we’ve seen in a while. The water temp is about average for early September, nothing unusual there.

So, if you’re keen, pencil in that second week. The early calls look solid, but it’s far enough out that we’ll keep an eye on it. For now, the standout is Monday 14th September morning – get on it.

Rusty.

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