Capbreton - La Pointe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

The next couple of weeks are looking pretty bleak, if I’m being honest. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, junky waves ahead, with the wind all over the shop. You’re gonna want to keep that board in the car for a while, but there is one morning that might just make it all worthwhile.

We start off with almost nothing on Thursday the 13th. Swell is a shadow at 2ft, coming from the W with a 10-second period. Combined energy is weak, at 83 (low). The wind is light but cross-shore, leaving the ocean with small crossing ripples. It’s a poor surf condition, and a score of zero tells you everything. The water is 75°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year—it’s a nice thought, but it won’t save the surf.

Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th are more of the same. Swell bumps up slightly to 3ft-3ft, but it’s coming from the WNW with a short period of 9-10 seconds. Energy is weak to moderate at best, reading 138 on Friday morning. The wind goes cross-on, making things fairly choppy. Still poor surf.

Sunday the 16th sees a bit more push, with the swell reaching 3ft-4ft from the NW, but the period drops to a junky 8 seconds. Energy is moderate at 138 in the afternoon, but that onshore wind ruins any chance of clean faces. It’s just a messy, weak combo.

The start of the next week, Monday 17th through to Wednesday the 19th, is as bad as it gets. Swell drops, periods get shorter, and the energy just fades away. Tuesday afternoon sees a 2ft wave with a pathetic 6-second period and energy down at 42. It’s flat, man. The only highlight is a brief moment of glassy conditions on Wednesday morning, but with only 1ft and a 5-second period, it’s not even worth paddling out for. We’re looking at a big gap of nearly a week with no real surf on offer.

Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st keep the poor trend alive. Some signs of a pulse late on Friday afternoon with a 4ft swell and 8-second period from the NW, giving us an energy reading of 141. But the onshore wind will have it chopped up. Still nothing surfable.

The following weekend, Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd, stays in the same pattern. The swell is small, the wind is onshore or cross-on. It’s a grind.

Then things get interesting.

Monday the 24th of August is the standout. Overnight, a proper pulse of W/SW swell fills in. By Monday morning, we’re looking at 8ft from the WNW with a 9-second period. The combined energy jumps up significantly to 992. It’s a solid, powerful swell. The wind is glassy–totally calm. This is the one. This is what we’ve been waiting for. The finder is calling for “very good surf conditions” with a score of three. At 8ft, this is getting big. For a beginner, this is way too much. You need to know what you’re doing. It’s only for the experienced surfers. The break is Capbreton - La Pointe (Landes), and this is a fairly exposed spot that handles west swell well. This is the day. Fairly consistent waves are expected, so it won’t just be a set here and there. This is the call of the fortnight.

The afternoon of Monday the 24th gets trickier. The swell jumps to 10ft and the wind comes onshore from the W. The energy goes through the roof at 1441, but the quality drops to marginal. Too big and onshore equals a washing machine. This is more of a challenge than a pleasure.

Tuesday the 25th is the next best call, but it’s a step down. The swell drops to a still-chunky 5ft from the WNW, but the wind swings offshore from the ESE. It’ll be cleaner. The energy is moderate at 377. It’s good, clean surf, and a much more manageable size for a good intermediate. But that morning is the standout.

After that, the swell fades just as quickly as it came. Wednesday and Thursday fall back into the poor category. Friday the 28th sees a final little pulse, with 3ft-4ft waves and some clean conditions in the morning with an offshore SSE wind, but it’s not the same energy.

So, there you have it. A whole lot of nothing, bookended by one hell of a Monday morning on the 24th. Get your rest, get your boards ready, and be on it when that first light hits. It’s gonna be worth the wait.

Rusty.

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