Zarautz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about the waves at Zarautz.

It's a pretty quiet stretch ahead for the Basque coast, to be honest. We're looking at a solid week and a half of small, weak conditions before we see any energy worth getting excited about. The first week is mostly a write-off for anyone looking for a proper surf.

The waves from August 4th right through to the 13th are tiny, with swell heights barely scraping past 3 ft and the combined energy mostly sitting under 100, which is weak. The wind is also a problem, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, turning the ocean into a mess. There are a few glassy moments – like Friday morning the 7th and Sunday morning the 9th – but with swell under 2 ft and a period of just 7 seconds, it's a dribbler. Not worth paddling out for.

We get a glimmer on Tuesday morning the 11th – dead calm, glassy conditions with a 2 ft NW swell at 10 seconds. The energy is weak (88), but it's the cleanest the lineup will look for a while. Still, it's a wave for a longboard and a quiet paddle, not a session to write home about. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no wetsuit surprises there.

The real change, and the only true standout in this 16-day window, comes late. From Saturday the 15th onward, the forecast starts to show some proper grunt. The swell builds from 3 ft on Saturday morning to 5 ft by Monday morning the 17th, with the combined energy climbing into the 100s and even hitting 201 on Saturday afternoon. The period is short, around 6 to 8 seconds, which means these are windswell waves, not groundswell, so they’ll be a bit crumbly and less powerful than the numbers suggest.

The best window looks to be Sunday morning the 16th and Monday morning the 17th. Both mornings have glassy conditions with a 4 ft to 5 ft NW swell. The energy is solid (174 and 188), which is a moderate wave energy. The swell direction from the NW is a good match for Zarautz's exposed setup. This is too big for beginners, but for the average surfer, it'll be fun. Be aware of the crowds here – it's a consistent spot and often busy, so expect a few people in the water. The shorter period means the waves will be a bit walled up at the beach, but there will be plenty of them.

So, the call is: grind through the first nine days of weak, small surf. If you’re desperate, the glassy Tuesday morning the 11th offers a clean ankle-snapper. But the real action, the best on offer, is the glassy Sunday and Monday mornings (16th and 17th) with waist-to-chest high NW swell. It's a solid end to a slow outlook.

Rusty.

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