Bandol - Les Nervis Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve got to be straight with you – this stretch of coastline is copping a rough trot over the next couple of weeks. The forecast is mostly a write-off for decent paddle surfing, but there’s a tiny window where it might just come alive for a few hours.

The whole period is dominated by tiny, weak swell and often messy winds. We’re talking about a solid 8-day gap from the start with truly poor conditions and nothing worth paddling for. The first real hint of something better doesn’t show up until Wednesday the 9th of September.

The only spot on the cards is Bandol - Les Nervis (France). It’s an inconsistent beach and reef setup, which is worth noting because you can’t rely on it. The water temp is sitting at 76°, which is a solid 4° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s notable, you’ll feel it.

On Wednesday morning the 9th of September, we finally get a pulse. The swell picks up to 4ft from the west with a short period of 6 seconds. The combined energy is weak (86), but we get glassy conditions with a slight northwest wind. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. Don’t get excited – it’s not a standout, it’s just the only real look you’ll get.

That same afternoon, the swell bumps up to 5ft from the west, but the wind swings west at 12 mph, turning it cross-offshore and making it messy. The energy rises to moderate (176), but it’s still poor.

Thursday the 10th of September morning has the biggest swell of the whole outlook at 4ft from the west-northwest, period still short at 6 seconds. Energy is strong (227) and the wind is offshore from the west-northwest, but at 19 mph it’s a fresh breeze. Clean, but hard to paddle into and the quality is poor. That wind strength really kills the fun.

After Thursday morning, it dries up again completely. The rest of the second week into mid-September is tiny waves with onshore winds that are fresh and lumpy. There’s a spike in swell on the 14th and 15th with 6ft to 7ft from the west, but again, cross-onshore winds at 16-22 mph make it a choppy, poor mess. Not worth it.

Honestly, the best of a bad bunch is that Wednesday morning (9th) and Thursday morning (10th) window. The 9th has the cleanest conditions, but the waves are manky. The 10th has more size but you’ll be fighting the wind. It’s a long 16-day wait. If you’re a kiter, the windier days with bigger swell might look more interesting than paddle surfing.

Rusty.

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