Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what we’ve got on offer for Zumaya (Playa de Itxurun). Straight up, the first week is a bit of a struggle. You’re staring down a lot of small, weak swell with poor winds, so don’t rush to wet a suit just yet. The water temp sits at a very warm 76° right now, which is notably warmer than usual for this time of year.

We start with a bit of surf on Saturday morning, the 22nd. It’s 4ft from the NW with a light cross breeze, so it's rideable, but the combined energy is only moderate (208), and the whole setup feels marginal. That tiny window closes fast, and we run into a dry spell from Saturday afternoon all the way through to Wednesday morning, the 26th. That’s a few days of flat, mostly messy conditions you'll want to skip.

Come Wednesday the 26th morning, there’s a whisper of something – 2ft from the WNW, clean but super weak (58 energy). It’s surfable but nothing to write home about. Thursday the 27th sees a bump in size to 6ft, but the cross-onshore wind and a moderate (466) energy reading turn it into a choppy mess. Not our day.

Now hang on, because Friday the 28th afternoon throws up a big 10ft WNW swell with a solid 11-second period, but the energy is massive (2052), and the cross-onshore wind is too much. That wave is just too big for this break and the wind ruins it – honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddling out.

The real standout appears on Saturday morning, the 29th of August. This is the one. We’ve got a clean 8ft NW groundswell, 10-second period, and glassy conditions with an easterly breeze. The energy is strong at 1090. For experienced surfers, this is excellent – clean lines, decent power. The only catch? It’s a beach/jetty setup with a long-period swell, so it might wall up a bit straight, but with the glass, it’s top quality.

Sunday the 30th morning stays clean at 5ft from the NW with glassy conditions again, offering a nice follow-up session, but the energy drops to moderate (343). From there, we trickle into smaller, weaker surf through the start of September.

The next true highlight is Thursday morning, the 3rd of September. Mark it. Another glassy morning with a 7ft NW swell, but this time the period stretches to a very long 13 seconds. The combined energy is strong (1435). This is a proper groundswell – long lines, plenty of punch. That kind of long period can be a bit too straight for a beach-beach setup, but for the experienced surfer, it’s prime. The next few days stay solid but the wind gets messy, holding around 7ft to 8ft, but with cross and cross-onshore winds, it loses that sparkle.

So, if you’re picking your moment, Saturday the 29th and Thursday the 3rd of September are the absolute standouts. The 29th for the glassy, powerful peak, and the 3rd for that long-period groundswell.

Rusty.

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