Zurriola hondartza Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty checking in from the local sand.

It’s a bit of a slow burn for the next week and a half, but the last few days of the window are looking interesting. We’ve got a long stretch of pretty ordinary, small conditions before a solid pulse of NW groundswell moves in. The water temp is running about 77° right now, which is a whopping 7° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a real anomaly, feels like bathwater.

We kick off on Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st with weak, short-period windswell from the N-NW, barely pushing 3ft to 4ft. The combined energy is weak (107 to 126), and the wind is onshore, so it’s a washout. Wednesday the 22nd is even smaller, dropping to 3ft with a period of just 6 seconds and energy down to 60. Forget it.

Thursday the 23rd brings a tiny bit of hope with a morning glass-off. The swell is still tiny at 3ft from the NNW, period 6 seconds, and energy is low at 48. It’s surfable, but only just. Friday the 24th starts glassy with the same tiny 2ft swell, but the afternoon falls apart with a strong cross-onshore wind.

The weekend of the 25th and 26th gets messy. A big jump in swell on Saturday the 25th hits 7ft to 7ft from the WNW, with energy climbing to 467 and a lumpy, fresh cross-onshore breeze. It’s poor quality and too big for beginners. Sunday the 26th is still choppy and cross-onshore with 4ft to 5ft. Not worth the paddle out.

A new NW groundswell fills in on Monday the 27th, with a longer period of 10 seconds and a solid 5ft. The morning is onshore, but the combined energy is a healthy 478. It’s a marginal call.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Tuesday the 28th of July is a standout. The morning is glassy, with a clean 4ft NW groundswell, period 9 seconds, and energy of 246. This is the best clean conditions we’ve seen. Zurriola hondartza is a fairly consistent spot, and with that light offshore from the NE, the waves will be clean. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so get in early.

The run continues. Wednesday the 29th morning is even better – a clean cross-offshore wind from the E, with the same 4ft NW swell (period 10 seconds, energy 341). The shape should be good, but the swell direction is a bit north of the optimum NW, so it might be a little straighter than perfect. Thursday the 30th morning is glassy again with 4ft from the NNW.

Then the big one. Sunday the 2nd of August – a huge pulse of NW groundswell arrives. The morning is glassy, but the swell is a massive 13ft with a period of 10 seconds and a combined energy of 3194. That’s a serious amount of power. It’s too big for this exposed beach break, even for most experts. The afternoon drops to 10ft and the wind goes cross-onshore. This setup looks more suited for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The morning of Monday the 3rd is still a solid 4ft from the NW with glassy conditions, but the swell is tapering off fast.

So, your best bets are the glassy mornings from Tuesday the 28th through Thursday the 30th of July. The long-range swell on Sunday the 2nd is massive but dangerous. Keep an eye on the smaller windows.

Rusty.

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