Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – the outlook for Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun) over the next 16 days is a tough one to write. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with hardly any surf worth paddling out for. The first real chance of anything rideable doesn’t pop up until Wednesday 22 July, and even then it’s ordinary. Before that, from Wednesday 15 July right through to Tuesday 21 July, it’s all tiny waves and poor conditions – think knee-high slop, cross-on breezes, and glassy mornings that still deliver nothing. The surf is just not there.

For the first recommendation, it’s Wednesday 22 July morning. The swell is a meagre 2ft from the N, with a period of 6 seconds, so it’s weak and short-period. The combined energy is only 50 (weak). The wind is glassy though – clean as a whistle – and that’s a major positive. But honestly, the waves are so small and gutless, you’ll be scratching for a ride. The break is a beach/jetty setup, so it’s forgiving for beginners, but there’s nothing to get excited about. The water is 77°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, a real anomaly. The break is exposed, and the optimum swell direction is NNW, but this swell is from the N, so it’s not ideal.

The standout, if you can call it that, is Thursday 23 July morning. Again we’ve got 3ft from the WNW, period 6 seconds, and combined energy of 73 (weak). The wind is glassy, so it’s clean, but the swell is still short and weak. The break is fairly consistent, so it’ll break, but it’s not going to be memorable. The morning of Saturday 25 July might get your attention – 7ft from the WNW, period 6 seconds, and combined energy of 302 (moderate). That’s a decent size, but the wind is cross-on at 9 mph, making it choppy. For a beach/jetty, that’s messy and not great for paddle surfing. The size is over 5ft, so it’s too big for beginners, and the conditions are poor. Honestly, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Sunday 26 July afternoon has 4ft from the NNW, period 8 seconds, and combined energy of 194 (moderate). The wind is onshore, so it’s not clean. The last glimmer is Monday 27 July morning – 3ft from the NNW, period 7 seconds, combined energy of 72 (weak), and glassy wind. It’s small but clean.

Overall, the best on offer is probably Thursday 23 July morning for the cleanest conditions, or Saturday 25 July morning if you want size, but the quality is poor. Crowds are often here, so expect company. The break is fairly consistent, so it doesn’t tend to stay poor for long, but this run is a real bore. Hang in there.

Rusty

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