18-05-09. Mundaka. A technical report drawn up by the AZTI-Tecnalia technological centre for the Mundaka Council has calculated the hours and days that can be surfed, having analysed data from the past 17 years. It concluded that 29% of the days at Mundaka beach in the Basque province of Bizkaia are surfable, with average conditions of very good waves and an average surfing session time of more than three hours. The monitoring of the surf waves, enabling a better knowledge of the world famous "Mundaka Wave", employed the Kostasystem coastal observation system.

AZTI-Tecnalia analysed the direction, height and period of the wave, as well as the direction and intensity of the wind and tidal level at the Mundaka sandbank, in order to know the conditions and characteristics of the "Left-hand Wave", so appreciated by surfers worldwide. To this end, data going back 17 years have been used - from 1991 to 2008. The results arising from the research and the classification of these oceanographic and meteorological variables show that there exist suitable conditions for surfing at the sandbank on one out of every three days of all those analysed. On those days the waves have, on average, a high rate of quality (2.8 out of 4) and the average surfable time was 3.1 hours, being especially focused around the low tide period.

The study also showed that, over the winter months, the possibility of surfing in Mundaka increases by up to more than 50%. But it is in January, with 62% of surfable days, when the Mundaka sandbank presents the best scenario for lovers of surfing.

In the spring months, the last low pressure events of the season provide good sessions between 25% and 50% of the days, as it involves a period of greater variability.

The wave and wind data employed was obtained from the deep-sea buoy at Bilbao (property of the Ministry of Promotion, State Ports) and the latest data transferred to the sandbank using a wave propagation software. In order to know the tidal data over the past 17 years, use was made of the harmonic components that establish the astronomical tides and obtained from the series of sea level measurements at the oceanographic-meteorological station at Pasaia, managed by AZTI-Tecnalia.

The morphology of the Mundaka sandbank and its relation with the quality of waves were evaluated using the Kostasystem coastal monitoring station, located at the estuary outlet of the river Oka in Urdaibai. This innovative system, using five cameras installed at strategic points of the location, photographed the coast in a programmed and periodic manner. The photographs taken provided valuable information for undertaking an exhaustive monitoring of the estuary sandbank, the regeneration or retreat of the sands and the morphological evolution of the estuary, amongst other factors.

By means of the statistical analysis of the images recorded by the KostaSystem, basic parameters can be obtained for the definition of the wave quality: height of wave, surfable length or the "Peel angle" or wave breaking, all of which makes the famous "Left-hand Wave" the perfect one for surfing at an advanced level.

This study falls within the remit of the agreement signed in 2008 by Mundaka Council and AZTI-Tecnalia with the goal of bringing together efforts in the responsible management of the coastline and guaranteeing the quality and durability of the world-famous "Mundaka Wave", a significant natural heritage in the locality. By this agreement, the technological centre has become the scientific body for the Mundaka Municipal Council and through which projects in the field of oceanography and coastline management are managed.

More information:  www.azti.es and www.kostasystem.com.

Translation: Basque Research

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