Cap Frehel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I’ll be straight with you – this is a tough one. We’ve got a 16-day window, but the first week and a half is looking pretty grim. You’re looking at a solid 10 days of barely a ripple worth paddling for. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the wave energy is in the doldrums. It’s a real test of patience.

Let’s start with the first glimmer of hope, which isn’t until Saturday, 15 August. Even then, it’s a mixed bag. Cap Frehel itself is a reef break, but it’s exposed to the west, and we’re getting a NW swell. The swell height picks up to 3ft, but the period is a solid 9 seconds, so there’s a bit of push behind it. The combined wave energy hits 183 (moderate), which is the first time we’ve seen anything with three digits. The trouble is the wind. Saturday morning we have a light cross-shore from the NNE, which is manageable, but by the afternoon it swings onshore from the NNW at 12 mph. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got in a while. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

Monday, 17 August brings a bit more size. The swell is 3ft to 4ft from the WNW, with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is up around 206 (moderate). But again, the wind is a problem—cross-onshore in the morning, then onshore from the NW in the afternoon. It’s going to be lumpy and a bit messy. Not the cleanest, but at least there’s something to push you around.

Now, if you’ve got a kite and the nerves for it, Tuesday, 18 August might be your day. The combined swell energy jumps to 474 (strong) with a 4ft swell from the WNW and a 10-second period. That’s a lot of power. But the wind is a fresh cross-shore from the WSW at 19 mph in the morning, ramping up to a strong cross-onshore from the WNW at 25 mph with rain showers in the afternoon. That’s a full-on washing machine. For a paddle surfer, it’s a write-off. For a kite surfer? That’s a proper session.

Looking further out, Wednesday, 20 August has a morning with a clean cross-offshore wind from the SSE at 19 mph, but the swell is only 3ft from the WNW with a short 6-second period. Energy is low at 53. It’ll be clean, but tiny.

So, the standout here? Honestly, there isn’t a true standout for pure paddle surfing. If I had to pick a window, it would be the morning of Saturday, 15 August for the first real bump in energy, or the morning of Monday, 17 August for a bit more size, even if it’s a bit onshore. Don’t get your hopes up for anything glassy and perfect; this is a period where you’ll be scratching for waves, not scoring them.

Rusty.

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