Bandol - Les Nervis Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this is a tough outlook for the Bandol area. The forecast window is quiet, with no real swell of note and very little energy on offer. We’re looking at a long stretch of marginal conditions, and it’s best to keep expectations low.

We start off today, Saturday the 1st of August, with zero wave energy (0) and light offshore winds, but the swell is completely absent, so it’s a flat start. Through Sunday and Monday, we see tiny swell creeping in at 2ft and 0.3ft, but with short, weak periods of 4 seconds and onshore or cross-onshore winds, the surf is poor. The combined energy stays low, barely reaching double digits (11 and 1). This pattern holds all the way through the first week. There’s a brief moment on Wednesday morning the 5th of August where the wind goes glassy, but the swell is a mere 0.7ft from the SSE with a 4-second period, so it’s barely a ripple.

The most promising window lands around Friday the 7th of August, when we see a 3ft swell from the west with a 6-second period and a gentle offshore wind from the NW. Combined energy is still weak at 59, but it’s the best we’ve got. The break here is Bandol - Les Nervis, a beach and reef setup that’s fairly exposed to the swell. The water is sitting at 78°F, which is 5°F warmer than average for this time of year – that’s notably warm, so you’ll be comfortable in boardies. The wind is offshore, which is a major positive for clean faces, but the swell is small and inconsistent. Being a beginner-friendly spot, this tiny wave won’t challenge anyone, but it’s rideable for those learning. Crowds are possible here, so expect company.

The afternoon of the 7th sees the wind pick up to a fresh 19 mph cross-off, and the swell drops out completely, so that morning is your window. From there, we go back into a long stretch of tiny, weak swell and mixed winds. The second week of the outlook shows minor pulses of 3ft to 4ft with periods hovering around 5 to 7 seconds, but the combined energy never breaks 100, and winds are often onshore or cross. The best of the second week is on Saturday the 15th of August morning, with a 4ft WNW swell at 6 seconds and combined energy of 85, but the wind is onshore from the SE, so it’ll be messy. The afternoon cleans up with a cross-off breeze, but the swell drops to 3ft.

Bottom line: there’s no standout day here. The only real surfable window is Friday morning the 7th of August for beginners wanting a tiny clean wave. For everyone else, it’s a flat spell. The water is much warmer than normal, but that’s small comfort with no waves. If you’re a kite surfer, the afternoon winds on the 7th and later in the second week could be interesting, but for paddle surfing, it’s a tough call.

Rusty.

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