Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening for Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun). The water’s a warm 76°, which is really unusual for this time of year – more than five degrees warmer than normal, so you won’t need a thick suit.

The Overall Pattern
We’re looking at a pretty flat spell to start. The first proper surfable day isn’t until Tuesday, July 28. Things are small and weak for the first week, with a real punch finally arriving on Friday, August 7. That’s the day to circle, but it comes with a huge caveat.

Tuesday, July 28
This is the only real standout in the near term. The morning brings a clean 4ft swell from the NW, with a period of 10 seconds, giving moderate wave energy (362). The wind is light and cross off the E – a slight cross-shore ripple. By the afternoon, the wind swings to NE and goes glassy. That afternoon slot is the pick of the first week. The swell direction matches the optimum (NNW) well enough, and the water is calm. The crowd factor is “often” here, so expect company.

Wednesday, July 29 through Thursday, August 6
From Wednesday morning onward, the surf drops off hard. We’re looking at waist-high slop or smaller, with periods dropping to 8 seconds or less. The wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the combined energy drops to the 30-100 range. There are a few glassy moments (like Friday morning, July 31, and Sunday morning, August 2), but the swell is just too small to get excited about – under 3ft. This is a real flat spell for about ten days. The morning of Thursday, August 6, has rain showers and a cross-onshore breeze, so it’s just messy.

Friday, August 7 – The Big One
Alright, this is where it gets interesting, but you need to be careful. The morning of Friday, August 7, sees a massive jump: a 10ft swell from the WNW, with a period of just 8 seconds, and very strong wave energy (1108). The wind is a light cross-shore from the WNW. The problem is, 10ft is way too big for this beach/jetty break – it’s deep into expert-only territory. The file says it’s too big for this break. This is a day where the raw power is there, but the quality for a standard paddle session is zero. The afternoon has 8ft and onshore wind, making it even worse. If you’re a kite surfer, this setup might be more interesting than for a paddle surfer.

Saturday, August 8 through Tuesday, August 12
The swell drops quickly. Saturday morning still has a solid 6ft from the NNW, but with onshore wind, it’s messy. It drops to 5ft by afternoon. The rest of the window is small again, with 3ft or less, and periods below 8 seconds. The best of the leftovers is Tuesday, August 11, with a glassy morning and a 2ft NW swell, but it’s very ordinary.

The Bottom Line
The one true standout is Tuesday afternoon, July 28 – clean, glassy, and 4ft. For the long range, Friday, August 7 is the biggest swell of the period, but it’s too big for this spot. If you’re an expert and can handle the size, it’s a raw power day, but the shape will be poor. The rest of the 16 days is mostly flat or mediocre.

Rusty.

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