Reef

right

Level 9/10

Menakoz

Biscay, Spain

🪸Sharp reef🪨Rocks😮‍💨Hold-downs

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Meñakoz is the Basque Country's big-wave proving ground—a heavy right-hand reef that only awakens when massive winter swells slam the northern Spanish coast. This is not a recreational wave: rock-jump entry, powerful currents, and lips that detonate on shallow reef make Meñakoz the domain of experienced big-wave surfers only. The cliff-path approach and dramatic setting create an amphitheater effect for spectators, while the surfers below commit to one of Europe's most intimidating cold-water slabs. When Sopelana is maxed out, the big-wave crew heads to Meñakoz.

Menakoz surf forecast

Model forecast for swell, wind and tide.

10-Day Forecast

Today4

Poor

1.2mN@8s

6km/h

1.2m@8s

6km/h

Thu5

Poor

0.7mNW@14s

8km/h

0.7m@14s

8km/h

Fri6

Poor

0.7mNW@12s

11km/h

0.7m@12s

11km/h

Sat7

Poor

0.5mNW@11s

18km/h

0.5m@11s

18km/h

Sun8

Poor

0.4mNW@12s

15km/h

0.4m@12s

15km/h

Mon9

Poor

0.2mNW@10s

22km/h

0.2m@10s

22km/h

Tue10

Poor

0.2mWNW@9s

17km/h

0.2m@9s

17km/h

Wed11

Poor

0.6mN@9s

22km/h

0.6m@9s

22km/h

Thu12

Poor

0.8mWNW@11s

14km/h

0.8m@11s

14km/h

Fri13

Poor

1.0mNNW@8s

4km/h

1.0m@8s

4km/h

Groomed 5+ days out, less certain

View 2-year historical scores →

Today's ConditionsToday's Conditions

Find Flights

Best session: MorningAM 7 km/h · PM 5 km/h · Mid tide at 5am (0.6m)

Swell

1.2m

N(5°)

Score: 2/25

Period

Short period

Score: 1/25

Wind

6km/h

SE(127°)

Score: 21/25

Weather

10°C

0.2mm60%

First light 7:20amSunrise 7:50amSunset 5:59pmLast light 6:29pm

Windswell

—

Secondary

0.3m

Confidence

100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.2m @8s N outside window

Wind6 km/h SE cross-shore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 7:20–9:36am · risingStrike window: 2:46–5:34pm · droppingIdeal tide: 0.5–2.0m

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

6am

9am

12pm

3pm

6pm

°C

7°

8°

10°

13°

11°

6°

8°

14°

16°

12°

4°

13°

18°

14°

10°

13°

15°

17°

16°

11°

13°

16°

18°

15°

17°

19°

18°

20°

22°

20°

18°

19°

22°

21°

18°

14°

15°

18°

16°

12°

14°

18°

14°

2m1.0

sec

15s

14s

12s

11s

12s

10s

11s

swell

windkm/h

7g14

8g17

5g17

2g12

8g17

10g18

12g22

10g24

5g11

3g10

13g15

11g19

8g18

10g21

13g22

18g31

20g36

16g30

20g35

17g32

18g38

18g43

11g40

12g28

22g43

22g47

21g49

22g45

20g43

18g44

18g46

16g53

15g52

18g48

24g49

24g56

24g63

20g62

12g57

15g37

15g38

14g37

13g37

10g37

6g33

2g26

6g21

5g24

2g31

tidem

5:49am0.6m

12:19pm2.9m

6:34pm0.3m

12:56am2.8m

6:49am0.4m

1:14pm3.0m

7:21pm0.1m

1:44am2.9m

7:38am0.2m

2:01pm3.1m

8:03pm0.0m

2:28am3.1m

8:20am0.1m

2:44pm3.2m

8:41pm0.0m

3:03am3.2m

8:59am0.0m

3:21pm3.3m

9:17pm0.1m

3:37am3.3m

9:36am0.1m

3:55pm3.3m

9:53pm0.1m

4:10am3.3m

10:10am0.1m

4:30pm3.3m

10:25pm0.3m

4:39am3.3m

10:48am0.2m

5:00pm3.2m

5:10am3.2m

11:23am0.3m

5:32pm3.0m

Ideal tideStrike windowNight

Tide times today

5:49 am

Low · 0.60m

12:19 pm

High · 2.90m

6:34 pm

Low · 0.32m

Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

Poor

Components

Swell Direction6/25

Swell Size2/25

Swell Period1/25

Wind21/25

Raw Score30/100

Adjustments

🌊 Tide+3

📉 Undersized Swell-11

🚫 Undersized Capmax 30

Adjusted Score22/100

Confidence

Multiplier×1.00

Final Score22

🌊 Mostly in the tide window

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to BIO, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

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Location & Conditions

Loading map...

Swell1.2m @8s N outside window

Wind6 km/h SE cross-shore

SwellWind: Offshore Cross Onshore

Showing forecast for today · all day

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Spot Details

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction: NW (320°)
Direction range: 295° - 350°
Size range: 2m - 6m
Ideal size: 3.8m - 5m
Height multiplier: 1.08×
Ideal period: 16s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction: S (180°)
Offshore range: 140° - 220°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide: mid to high
Optimal range: 0.5m - 2m

Water temp

14°C

Wetsuit

4/3mm fullsuit

Difficulty

9/10

Crowd level

3/10

Access: Cliff path and rock jump.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of wave is Menakoz?

Menakoz is a reef break in Biscay, Spain, that mostly breaks right.

What swell works best at Menakoz?

Menakoz picks up swell from the WNW round to the N, and it's best when it's coming straight out of the NW. It starts working at around 2m and handles up to about 6m, with the sweet spot around 3.8 to 5m. Period matters too: aim for 16s or longer, as anything under 12s tends to be weak. These are the numbers our scoring uses, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.

What wind is offshore at Menakoz?

A S wind is dead offshore at Menakoz, and anything from the SE round to the SW keeps it clean. The morning is typically the best window, roughly 6am to 11am. Light winds from other directions can still be fine; strong offshores can make it hard to get into waves.

What tide is best at Menakoz?

Menakoz is at its best around the mid to high tide, roughly 0.5m to 2m on the local chart.

When is the best time of year to surf Menakoz?

The most reliable run of swell at Menakoz comes Nov to Feb. There's a second window in Mar and Oct too. Big wave spot. Only breaks on big winter swells.

How cold is the water at Menakoz?

The water at Menakoz averages around 14°C, so you'll want a 4/3mm fullsuit. It shifts a few degrees through the year, so check the season before you pack.