Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the line for Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun).

Right off the bat, we're in a bit of a waiting game. The water is sitting at a warm 74°, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, a nice little bonus. But the surf itself? For the first few days, it's struggling. Friday afternoon sees a tiny 2ft NW swell with a weak energy reading of just 73 and a short 8-second period, topped off with onshore wind. It's a write-off.

The first real sign of life shows up on Saturday morning, the 5th. We get a jump to 4ft from the NW with a period of 11 seconds, and the combined energy hits 367. It's a marginal call though, with a cross-on breeze messing with the surface. Saturday afternoon pushes up to 5ft from the NW with a much better 13-second period and a solid energy reading of 892, but again, the onshore wind is the problem.

Now, Sunday morning, the 6th. This is the standout of the whole outlook. The swell is still a solid 5ft from the NW, with a 12-second period and 723 energy. But the key here is the glassy conditions. That NW wind is a glass-off, meaning the surface will be clean as a whistle. This is where you want to be. The water is clean, the waves have some push, and the morning session is looking like the best on offer. It's a shame the afternoon goes a bit messy with the wind swinging cross-on again.

The surf drops off significantly after that. Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, the 7th, see a glassy 2ft wave with a very long 16-second period, which is a groundswell. That long period means it'll be straight and sectiony at this beach/jetty setup, but the energy is only 277, so it's a small, tricky wave for the patient.

We get a few more promising windows, but nothing quite as clean as that Sunday morning. Thursday morning, the 10th, offers a glassy 4ft NW swell with 11 seconds and 354 energy. That's a decent morning session, but the size is a step down. Then again on Sunday the 13th, we see a glassy morning with 4ft and 11-second NW swell, energy at 304. These are good, clean, small-to-medium waves.

The back half of the outlook is a mixed bag of small, weak, or wind-affected swell. By the 18th and 19th, the swell is back up to 5ft-6ft from the NW, with periods of 11-12 seconds and energy climbing up to 923. That's the biggest energy of the whole period, but the wind is all cross-on or onshore, so it's going to be a bumpy, messy affair. The 19th afternoon looks like the biggest of the lot, but it's for experts only, and even then, the wind will make it a battle.

So, to sum it up: The window is narrow. The absolute best session is Sunday morning, the 6th. That glassy, 5ft NW swell is the prize. After that, keep an eye on Thursday morning the 10th and Sunday morning the 13th for clean, smaller waves. The rest is a lot of waiting for the wind to play ball.

Rusty out.

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