Anglet - La Barre Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are gonna test your patience if you’re chasing waves around here. We’ve got plenty of swell on the horizon, but it’s mostly undersized and fighting a lot of onshore wind. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, messy conditions before anything close to decent shows up.

Right now, water temp’s sittin’ at 75.9°, which is a good 5° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s a big deal – it’s some proper warm water for August.

Starting off, we’ve got pretty much nothing for the first few days. Sunday the 2nd is flat and ugly – no energy. Monday and Tuesday stay in that 1-2ft range, which is barely even a ripple. The swell direction is all over the place, and the period is short and weak. There’s no push, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore, making it look all bumpy.

We do get a bit of a bump mid-week, but it’s nothing to get excited about. Wednesday the 5th sees the weakest little bit of energy, but it’s glassy in the morning with a light offshore. But with only 1.5ft of swell at 8 seconds, it’s not gonna be rideable unless you’re on a longboard and happy to paddle for nothing.

Finally, on Thursday the 6th, we get a tiny pulse. The swell jumps to 3ft with a period of 9 seconds, and the energy reading at least pushes past 100 (154 to be exact). It’s a cross-offshore wind in the morning, so it’ll be clean, but it’s still just a very ordinary, mushy day. For a beginner, it might be the best you’ll get for a while, but the “surfable but very ordinary” comment is spot on.

After that, it’s back to the grind. Friday the 7th through the following week just stays small, 2ft to 3ft, with a mix of short-period windswell and some longer period groundswell trying to sneak in. Mostly it’s just all cross-onshore. A couple of mornings look glassy – like the 12th and 13th – but the swell is so weak and short-period that it’s just not worth the effort.

The tail end of the forecast is where it gets interesting. On the 16th, we see another pulse of energy, with 2.5ft at 10 seconds and a morning glass-off. That’s something. Then, on Sunday the 17th, we finally get a proper swell on the charts. It’s still not huge – around 3.5ft – but the period gets up to 10 seconds, and the energy jumps to 213 and 192. That’s a good sign of some actual power. The wind looks a bit cross-shore, but if that cleans up, this could be the standout of the whole stretch.

Keep in mind, this is a river/jetty break that’s inconsistent, so it’s not always breaking even when there’s swell. It takes a certain combination to light it up. Right now, the stars are not aligned at all, except for that last pulse on the 17th. That’s the one to keep an eye on. It’s a long way out, so don’t book time off work yet, but there’s a glimmer of hope.

This isn't looking like a paddle-surfing paradise for a while. With the small, choppy surf and onshore winds, the setup might honestly be more fun for the kite crowd than us surfers.

Anyway, keep your expectations low for the next week and a half. If you’re keen, the morning of the 17th is the one to mark. See you in the water.

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