Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun) over the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, buddy, the outlook is pretty grim. There’s a big fat gap at the start with no real surf to speak of. From Thursday the 16th all the way through Sunday the 19th, the swell is tiny – nothing over 3 ft – and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, so the conditions are just poor. It’s flat and messy, not worth paddling out for.

We finally get a bit of a pulse on Monday the 20th. The morning shows 3 ft of swell from the N, with a period of 6 seconds, and the combined swell energy is still weak at 98. The wind goes glassy, which is a beautiful thing, so the surf will be clean. But the quality is still just “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s not a standout, but it’s the best we’ve seen. The afternoon stays similar, but the wind picks up onshore, killing it.

Tuesday the 21st sees a little more size – 4 ft from the NNW in the morning, with energy at 113 (moderate). But again, the wind is onshore, and the period is short, so it’s just a sloppy mess. Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd are similar: onshore or cross-onshore wind, small swell, nothing to get excited about.

The next real window of promise is around Monday the 27th of July. The morning shows 1 ft of swell from the WNW, but the period jumps to 10 seconds, and the wind is glassy. The energy is 63, still weak. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” That’s the best we’ve got. The glassy wind is a huge plus, but the size is tiny. Not a standout, just a window.

Then later in the week, around Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th, the swell picks up to 5 ft from the NW, with periods of 8-9 seconds. The energy climbs to 309 (moderate). But the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, 12-13 mph, and the comment is “poor surf conditions” or “gentle cross-onshore and fairly choppy.” That’s a no-go for a clean ride. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.

Honestly, there’s no proper standout in this whole 16-day window. The only day that even flirts with being okay is Monday the 27th if you’re desperate for a glassy morning on a tiny wave. The rest is blown out or too small. If you’re a kiter, the days with 5 ft and cross-onshore wind might look more interesting than paddle surfing.

Rusty.

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