Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at the coming weeks for Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun). It’s mostly a waiting game with a couple of proper sessions to get excited about.

The water is currently sitting at 77°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s a real bonus for the skin.

The first week is pretty flat and uninspiring. There’s very little on offer until Thursday, 20th August. That Wednesday before it, you’ll be staring at a glassy, knee-high dribble of 1ft with a short 6-second period – not worth a paddle.

Thursday the 20th is where things finally wake up. Morning brings a clean 4ft from the NW with an 11-second period and glassy conditions. The combined swell energy is moderate at 315. It’s a bit of a standout simply because it’s the first real window. A good one for a longboard or a funboard. The afternoon sees it nudge up to 4ft, but the wind goes onshore so the morning is the clear call.

Friday the 21st is the true first highlight. The morning session is the best of the first week: 5ft of clean NW groundswell, glassy offshores from the WNW and a solid moderate energy reading of 498. The period is a nice 10 seconds so the waves will have some push. It’s a good session for an intermediate surfer – the size is punchy but not intimidating.

We then hit a few days of slop and onshore wind through the weekend and into the start of the following week. Another small, clean window arrives on Monday the 24th with a glassy 3ft from the NNW, but it’s really just a fizzle.

A marked uptick arrives on Friday, 28th August. This is the first real standout of the whole outlook. The Friday morning session is a proper event: 6ft of NW swell with a long 12-second period, glassy conditions, and a very strong combined swell energy of 1042. This is confident, powerful groundswell – excellent conditions for experienced surfers. The wave energy is significant, so the beach break might have some straightening out sets, but the quality is rated as excellent. Crowds are often at this break, so get there early.

A week later, on Tuesday, 1st September, we get a potential bomb. The morning shows a solid 8ft swell from the NW with a very long 14-second period – that’s a proper groundswell with serious energy at 2570. It’s glassy and clean. This is strictly for expert surfers only due to the size and power. The period is very long, so the sets might be a bit straight at the beach, but if it lines up, it’ll be a session to remember. The afternoon picks up a bit of cross-onshore wind, so the morning is the only window.

There’s a bit of a build from Monday the 31st August, with 8ft coming in, but the conditions are marginal with a cross-onshore breeze and a shorter 8-second period.

Overall, the two true standouts are the Friday 28th August morning and Tuesday 1st September morning. The 28th is the most reliable of the two for quality. The 1st September is a big, powerful prospect but remember, long-range forecasts can shift, so keep an eye on it.

– Rusty

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