Cap Frehel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s get into it. The 16-day window for Cap Frehel is a real mixed bag, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough one. There’s a lot of onshore wind and lumpy, messy conditions on the cards, so we’re not looking at perfect glassy perfection. But if you’re keen, there are a few windows where it might just line up.

The pattern is pretty clear: a lot of onshore winds from the west and north-west, and a lot of the time, the swell is either too small, or when it does pick up, the wind is howling. The water’s sitting at a toasty 68°F with an anomaly of 4°F, so it’s much warmer than usual for this time of year – a nice bonus if you’re in the water.

We’ve got a big gap right at the start. Nothing worth paddling out for from Wednesday, the 19th, through to Friday, the 21st. The swell is tiny and the wind is all over the shop. Then, on Saturday morning, the 22nd, there’s a tiny, weak 2ft swell from the NW with a short period, but it’s cross-shore wind and the energy is a paltry 31 – not worth getting wet for.

The first real chance, and I’m using that word loosely, comes on Sunday morning, the 23rd of August. The swell is almost flat at 0.7ft, but the wind is a clean cross-off from the ENE. The energy is a very weak 4, so it’s pretty much a flat day for a longboard.

We then hit another dry spell until Thursday afternoon, the 27th of August. That’s when we get a 7ft swell from the WNW, but the period is a short 6 seconds, and it’s cross-on with a moderate breeze. The energy is moderate at 339, but it’s going to be choppy and messy. Not a standout.

Now, for the one true standout, and it’s a long way out but it’s got promise. Look at the 31st of August, Monday morning. We’ve got a solid 5ft swell from the WNW, with a decent 11-second period. The energy is strong at 589. The wind is a cross-on, fresh breeze, so it’ll be lumpy. But the real kicker is Monday afternoon and into Tuesday, the 1st of September. The swell jumps to 8ft from the WNW, same long 11-second period, and the energy gets very strong, hitting 1365 on Monday afternoon and 1313 on Tuesday morning. This is serious groundswell. The wind is still a problem – strong cross-onshore – so it’s going to be a real battle. This is only for experienced surfers who know this reef. The size is solid, and the long period will make it peaky and powerful, but the wind will make it challenging. For a point break, this long period would be a dream, but here it’s a caveat.

Then, on Wednesday morning, the 2nd of September, we get a shift. The wind goes cross-off from the SSW, and we’ve got a 5ft swell from the WNW with a 9-second period. The energy is moderate at 393. The wind description says "clean." This is your best bet for a paddle that isn't a total battle. The wind is fresh, but it’s offshore, so the waves will be clean. It’s not huge, but it’s the cleanest window in the whole 16 days.

Rusty.

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