Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun) on the Basque coast. The water’s a warm 77°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a real nice surprise.

The first few days are a bust. Friday the 24th starts with a glassy 1ft wave from the NNW, but it’s just too small and weak. The afternoon gets choppy with cross-onshore wind. Saturday and Sunday are a total mess – the swell builds but the wind is ugly, cross-onshore and lumpy, blowing everything out. The combined energy is moderate at best (249 on Saturday morning, 581 Saturday afternoon), but it’s all junk. Not worth paddling out.

Monday the 27th morning offers a glimmer: a 3ft groundswell from the NW with a period of 11 seconds and light offshore wind from the NNW. The combined energy is moderate (255). It’s marginal, but glassy conditions could give you a few clean little lines. The afternoon gets cross-onshore again, so get in early.

Tuesday the 28th afternoon is the real standout. The wind goes glassy, from the NE at only 3 mph, and the swell is a clean 4ft from the NW with a 10-second period. The combined energy is moderate (286). This is the best you’ll see – clean, glassy, and surfable. That afternoon session is the one.

The rest of the week stays small and ordinary. Wednesday morning the 29th has a glassy 4ft from the NW, but it’s just average. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are tiny, 2-3ft, with glassy windows but no push. The energy drops below 100, which is weak.

Into the first week of August, things get more interesting. Saturday the 2nd morning sees a 5ft groundswell from the NW with an 11-second period, combined energy of 524 (moderate to strong). The wind is light cross-shore from the east. It’s still marginal, but there’s potential. Sunday the 3rd has a similar size (6ft) and longer period (11 seconds), with even more energy (756). The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s not perfect, but the swell is solid. This is probably the best in the second week – a proper, long-period NW groundswell, but it’s a beach-and-jetty setup, so that long period could make it a bit straight. For experienced surfers, it’s worth a look.

After that, it fades. The 4th of August drops to 4ft, and from the 5th onward, it’s back to small, weak, and often cross-onshore. The last few days are poor, with wave heights below 2ft and light winds, but nothing with any grunt.

So, to sum it up: the standout is Tuesday the 28th afternoon – glassy, clean, and a solid 4ft. The second best is Sunday the 3rd of August morning, with a stronger 6ft groundswell, but it’s less clean. There’s a big gap of nothing from Friday the 24th through Sunday the 26th, so don’t bother until Monday the 27th at the earliest. The crowds at Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun) are often around, so expect company on the better days.

Rusty.

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