Belle Ile Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, the first ten days of this outlook are a proper struggle. We’ve got a long, dry spell with hardly any surf to offer. The swell is tiny, the period is often short, and the wind is mostly on it or cross-on. It’s a patience game. Hang in there, because the real action is a long way off.

For the first ten days, from the 15th through the 24th of July, the surf is practically non-existent. Heights barely nudge past 2ft, and most days the combined energy is pitifully low, often under 100. The morning of the 18th offers a brief moment of calm with a light offshore breeze and clean conditions, but the swell is a measly 1ft with an 8 second period. It’s barely a ripple. This is a long stretch of flatness, so don’t bother getting your hopes up until the very end of the month.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on the morning of Saturday the 25th of July. Belle Ile (France) wakes up to a clean, light offshore wind from the ENE and a swell building to 4ft from the WNW at 6 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 211. It’s not perfect, but it’s the first time we’ve seen anything worth paddling out for. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing to write home about.

That afternoon, the swell jumps to 5ft from the WNW, and the period stretches to 11 seconds, pushing the combined energy way up to 619. But the wind swings onshore from the west, making it messy. That morning window is the one to aim for – it’s the only clean, rideable wave in the whole forecast. The size is still manageable for a beginner, but it’s a Saturday, so expect crowds *sometimes*.

After that, we’re back into a messy pattern. The 27th of July shows a bigger swell – 5ft from the west with a 9 second period – but it’s cross-shore and pretty average. The following days get bigger, with the 29th showing a 7ft west swell, but it’s plagued by onshore winds. This is getting into expert territory, but the quality is poor. If you’re a kiter, the setup on the 28th and 29th with strong cross-onshore winds and a lumpy 6ft to 7ft swell might be more interesting than a paddle session.

So, the standout is that Saturday morning, the 25th. It’s the only clean, surfable window in the whole 16-day run. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too messy. It’s a lean forecast, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
Rusty.

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