Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is gonna be a tough one to swallow. Honestly, looking at the next 16 days for Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun), the surf outlook is flat. Real flat. There’s almost nothing to get excited about.

We kick off on Friday, the 31st of July, and it’s a washout. Light rain, tiny swell from the NW at a weak 2ft, and a period of only 8 seconds. The combined energy is a measly 53, so there’s just no power in the water. The wind is straight onshore, making it a mess. Not worth paddling out.

Moving into Saturday the 1st of August, we finally get a bit of a window. Saturday morning is our best bet for the whole forecast. The swell picks up slightly to 2ft out of the NW, still with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy nudges up to 71, still weak. The real savior here is the wind: it’s glassy, absolutely dead calm. That means the surface will be clean, even if the waves are small and weak. The water is a very warm 76°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year—over 5° above average, so you won’t need a wetsuit. But the crowds here are often a problem, and with the only decent conditions in weeks, expect a full lineup. It’s surfable, but “very ordinary” is the word.

After that morning, it goes downhill. The rest of Saturday and all of Sunday see the swell drop back to 2ft to 2ft with onshore winds, and the period crashes to 6 or 7 seconds. The energy is in the 30s and 40s. It’s just poor.

Then we hit a long, painful gap. From Monday the 3rd of August all the way through to Tuesday the 11th of August, it’s a desert. The swell is tiny, mostly 1.0ft to 1ft, with periods all over the place but mostly short. The wind is often onshore or cross-onshore, and the combined energy rarely breaks 40. There are a few glassy mornings (like Monday the 3rd, Tuesday the 4th, and Friday the 7th), but with waves that small, it’s just a lake session. Not worth the drive.

We finally see a flicker of life on Wednesday the 12th of August. The morning shows 2ft from the NW with a period of 9 seconds, the combined energy climbs to 62, and the wind is glassy. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s the best of a bad bunch, but still not good.

After that, it’s back to small, weak, and messy. The 14th of August has a similar morning with 3ft and glassy wind, but the period is a horrible 5 seconds, so the waves will be weak and crumbly. The 15th of August sees rain showers and a 12 mph cross-onshore wind, making it choppy and miserable.

Honestly, the only time to even consider it is Saturday the 1st of August in the morning. For a beginner, the 2ft is fine, but for anyone else, it’s a frustrating wait. For the most part, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, especially with the windier afternoons. It’s a blank run, and for this area, that’s just how it goes sometimes. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d keep the board in the car.

Rusty.

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