Belle Ile Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Howdy, Rusty here. Let's break down what Belle Ile has got on the table for the next 16 days.

Fair warning: it's a rough stretch ahead. We're looking at a long, frustrating run of poor conditions right through the end of August and into the first week of September. The swell shows up, but the wind is brutal—mostly onshore or cross-onshore—making nearly every day a write-off for a clean session. There's a solid 10 to 12 day gap without a single recommendation worth getting excited about.

Let's go through it day by day. Monday the 24th, we get a strong offshore breeze from the east at 25 mph in the morning, but the swell is a tiny 1 foot with a 9-second period. Clean as a whistle, but with only 23 (weak energy) behind it, you'd need a log and a lot of luck. The afternoon turns rainy with a cross-offshore wind, but still only 1 feet. No good.

Tuesday and Wednesday stay small and messy with cross-onshore winds, swell barely reaching 2 feet. Thursday the 27th sees some size: a 7-foot WSW swell (660 – moderate to strong energy), but a cross-shore wind and a "marginal" call keep it from being any fun. The afternoon gets hit with onshore winds at 19 mph and 7-foot waves—completely blown out. That washout continues through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We get a 6-foot swell on Sunday the 30th with a fresh cross-onshore making it lumpy; not worth the paddle.

The first week of September is the same story. Monday the 31st has a 7-foot W swell (546 – moderate energy), but it's onshore at 16 mph. By Tuesday the 1st of September, there's a 5-foot W swell with a 10-second period (423 – moderate energy), but a cross-onshore wind messes it up. The only tiny hope is Wednesday morning the 2nd, where the wind drops to a light 3 mph onshore from the WSW, but the swell is a pathetic 2 feet with only 65 (weak energy). You could sit on your board and have a nice float, but you won't catch a wave.

Things get bigger but no cleaner. Thursday the 3rd of September brings a 7-foot W swell with a 10-second period (885 – strong energy), but it's onshore at 19 mph with a risk of thunderstorms. Friday the 4th of September has a massive onshore blow at 31 mph from the west, shoving an 8-foot swell right at the coast with a huge 1959 (very strong energy). That’s for experts only, and only if you like a full-on washing machine. That onshore mess continues through Saturday the 5th.

Now, here's where it gets a little interesting. On Sunday the 6th of September, the swell drops to 3 feet, but the period jumps to a massive 19 seconds. That's a very long period groundswell from the WSW, with the energy at 1058 (strong). The wind is a gentle cross-onshore from the NW, leaving it a bit choppy. This is a swell for a reef or a point break; at a beach break like Belle Ile, that long period will make it close out and break too straight. Still, the *potential* for a clean, lined-up wave is there if the bank holds. It's called "marginal" due to tide, but it's the best looking day in the whole forecast.

Monday the 7th of September is another one to keep an eye on: a 5-foot W swell with a 14-second period (1246 – very strong energy). A light onshore wind keeps it messy, but with that much power, a point break or reef could be magical.

The final day on Tuesday the 8th of September is a 7-foot WNW swell (1164 – strong energy) but it's blown out by a fresh onshore breeze again. For an exposed spot like Belle Ile, this whole 16-day run is a tough one. The 6th and 7th of September are the only days that have any real promise if you can find the right bank and tide. Otherwise, all this wind and swell might be more fun for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer. But hey, forecasts can always change.

- Rusty.

Read more