Zurriola hondartza Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’.

First up, the water is sitting at 77°, which is a massive 9° warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s not just a little warm, that’s tropical, and it’s gonna feel weirdly pleasant for the Basque coast.

Alright, the honest truth is this forecast is a bit of a tough one. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, or messy waves. Don’t get your hopes up for the first week. The best of a quiet bunch is going to be Friday morning, the 10th of July. It’s only 2 ft of WNW swell, but the wind is totally glassy, so the surface will be smooth as a mirror. The energy is very low (69), so these are little peelers, but for a longboard or a funboard with no wind, it’s the only session that feels like a proper surf. The afternoon picks up a light cross-offshore breeze, which cleans it up even more, but the swell is still tiny.

Saturday morning, the 11th, sees a little bump in energy (111) with 2 ft from the NW, but the period drops to 8 seconds, so it’s a bit weak and crumbly. The wind is cross-off, so it’s rideable, but nothing to write home about. After that, things get pretty grim for a solid week. We’re looking at a run of poor surf conditions from Saturday afternoon all the way through to the 18th of July, with only brief glimpses of glassy conditions but with basically no swell. You’ll be staring at a lake.

Now, we finally get a pulse of life around the 19th of July. The energy picks up to 121 on the Sunday morning, with 2 ft of WNW swell, but the wind is cross-on, and it’s described as poor. It’s not a total washout, but it’s not clean. The real potential appears on the 20th of July, Monday. The swell jumps to 4 ft from the WNW, and the energy is moderate (178). The period is short at 7 seconds, so it’s a bit lumpy, but there’s some push. The afternoon shows even more energy (256), but the wind is onshore, so it’s going to be messy.

The standout potential, if you’re willing to wait, is showing up for the 23rd of July, Thursday morning. We’ve got 4 ft of NW swell with a glassy wind. The energy is solid (167) and the period is 8 seconds, so it’s a bit more organised. That’s the cleanest window for a decent wave in the second week. The 24th of July, Friday morning, throws up 6 ft of NW swell, which is getting a bit chunky for beginners, and the energy is strong (439), but the wind is cross-on and the period is still short. It’s a powerful, lumpy mess. The afternoon hits 6 ft and 467 energy, but with a 12 mph onshore wind, this is going to be a battle. For the experienced crew only, and even then, the setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddling, because the wind is strong and the wave quality is poor.

Overall, if you’re a beginner, stay away from the 24th. If you’re an intermediate, the glassy mornings on the 10th and the 23rd are your best bet for a clean, fun session. The long-range stuff on the 20th and 24th has size, but it’s not going to be pretty.

Rusty.

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