Almanarre Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this 16-day outlook for Almanarre is a real tough one. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with barely a ripple to get excited about for the vast majority of the period. The first recommendation doesn’t pop up until the very end of the run, so we’ve got a big gap of nothing but flat, clean water with no surf to speak of.

From Sunday 23 August right through to Monday 31 August, it’s a desert. You’ll see glassy mornings, light breezes, and small swells that barely register. The combined energy is just a whisper (4 to 9) for most of that week, with waves under 1 ft and poor conditions. Tuesday 25 August brings a glassy morning with a tiny 1 ft SW swell (3 energy), but it’s a total non-event. The wind turns offshore on Thursday 27 August, but it’s blowing 19 mph over a 0.3 ft swell – not worth getting wet for.

The first real flicker of life comes on Monday 31 August afternoon. The swell picks up to 4 ft from the west with a period of 5 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to 65 (moderate). The wind is a light SSE breeze, making it cross-offshore and clean. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing to write home about.

Then on Tuesday 1 September morning, we get our one true standout. Almanarre (France) wakes up to a glassy, still morning with a 4 ft WNW groundswell and a period of 6 seconds. The combined energy hits 106 (moderate), and it’s glassy as a mirror – that’s a major positive. The wind is a light NNW, so it’s dead calm. For a break that’s exposed to SW swells, this WNW direction is a bit off its optimum, but the clean conditions make it the best bet in the whole 16-day window. The swell is chest-high and clean, ideal for beginners and intermediates alike. Just keep in mind Almanarre is inconsistent, so snag it while it’s there.

After that, it’s back to a slump. Wednesday 2 September has offshore winds and small 3 ft swell, but the energy is weak (28). Thursday 3 September offers a 4 ft WNW swell (66 energy) but with a cross-onshore wind that ruins it. By Friday 4 September, the wind is howling onshore at 25 mph over a 1 ft mess, and the weekend is a total write-off with strong gales and no swell. The last week of the forecast is a flat, windy blank.

So, bottom line: if you’re a paddle surfer, you’ve got one morning – Tuesday 1 September – that’s worth a dawn patrol. The rest is either flat, blown out, or both. For the kite crowd, those strong onshore winds on the 29th and 30th of August, with 3 ft to 5 ft swell (122 energy on the 29th afternoon), look more interesting than anything a surfer would chase. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

Read more