Zarautz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long look at what the Basque coast has in store for us starting now and stretching out over the next couple of weeks.

First up, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. Saturday the 5th is looking pretty average, with a small 3ft NW swell rolling in but the wind is cross-onshore and messy, so the vibe is flat. The afternoon pushes up to 5ft NW with a nice long 13-second period, but again, the onshore wind kills the quality. Not worth getting wet for.

Sunday the 6th is where things start to get interesting. We’ve got a solid 5ft NW groundswell with a 12-second period, and the morning is glassy – dead calm. That’s clean, lined-up surf at Zarautz, and the combined energy is healthy at 666 (moderate). This is the best on offer in the near term. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird going on. Zarautz is a very consistent beach break, and it’s a beginner-friendly spot, so crowds are often, especially when it’s clean like this. Get out there early Sunday morning.

Monday the 7th drops back to a tiny 2ft swell, but that’s a 16-second period groundswell – very long lines. Glassy morning means it’ll be clean but tiny. Great for a log or a longboard.

We then hit a dry patch. Tuesday the 8th through to Friday the 11th are mostly poor or marginal, with onshore winds and choppy conditions. There’s a brief window on Thursday the 10th morning – 5ft NW, 11 seconds, and glassy calm. That’s a sneaky good session if you can sneak away. Clean and punchy for the size.

The second week gets a bit weird. From the 12th to the 15th, we’re looking at onshore winds and dropping swell. Saturday the 12th is a write-off. Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th have tiny glassy mornings but the swell is weak – around 3ft. Not worth the paddle for most.

Tuesday the 15th kicks up a bit of energy with a 3ft NW swell but a 17-second period – that’s very long period groundswell. The problem? Strong cross-onshore winds at 12 to 16 mph. This setup at a beach break like Zarautz will be a choppy mess for surfing, but the wind and swell combo might honestly be more interesting for kite surfing than paddling. Wednesday the 16th is similar – 4ft NW, 14 seconds, but cross-onshore winds again.

We finish out the period with small, clean glassy mornings on the 18th, 19th, and 20th. The 20th Sunday morning even has light offshore from the S, but the swell is a pathetic 1ft with an 8-second period. Glassy but basically flat.

Standout pick: Definitely Sunday the 6th morning at Zarautz. That 5ft NW groundswell with glassy conditions is the call. After that, the Thursday 10th morning is a close second for a clean, fun session if the tides line up.

Stay safe, keep your eyes on the horizon.

Rusty.

Read more