October is northern Spain at full strength. The autumn lows are established in the North Atlantic, the swell comes in from the north-west at a size the coast can hold, and the whole chain from Zarautz to Mundaka is working on the same forecast.
The wind is what raises the month above the rest. A southerly blows offshore along this entire coast, and in autumn it comes down off the land dry and mild rather than cold: a morning that starts with a southerly and a north-westerly swell is the combination the whole year is built around, and October produces more of them than any other month.
The water is down to 19°C, which still means a 3/2 and no gloves, and the coast has had its beaches back for six weeks.
