Capbreton - La Pointe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with you – the next couple of weeks at Capbreton - La Pointe are looking pretty grim. We’ve got a long stretch of very ordinary conditions, with only a few fleeting moments that might get a beginner out for a splash. The water’s sitting at 74°F which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing that’s pumping.

We start off on Thursday morning, July 9th, with a tiny 2ft swell from the WNW, period a short 10 seconds, and the combined energy is weak (85). The wind is glassy from the NNW though, so it’s clean. But honestly, it’s surfable waves but very ordinary conditions – a real struggle for any real fun. The afternoon sees the wind swing onshore from the NW at 9 mph, killing it completely.

Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th are much the same story – small 2ft WNW swell, with the wind either cross-on or onshore, leaving the surf poor. Saturday morning does offer a glassy moment from the east at 3 mph, and the energy bumps up to moderate (106), but the waves are still just ordinary. Sunday morning, July 12th, gives us another glassy window with a SSW breeze, but again, it’s the same tiny 2ft swell and weak energy (85). Not exactly a standout.

The rest of the first week into the second is a write-off. From Monday July 13th right through to Thursday July 23rd, it’s a relentless run of poor surf conditions. The swell drops to as low as 0.7ft and 1.0ft, periods get short and weak, and the wind is consistently cross-on or onshore, often with a moderate to fresh breeze. The combined energy is mostly in the low double digits to weak triple digits – nothing to get excited about. There’s a gap of nearly two weeks here where you wouldn’t bother paddling out.

Then we get a tiny glimmer on Saturday morning, July 18th. The swell is only 1ft from the WNW, but the period stretches to a long 12 seconds, and the wind is dead calm – glassy. The energy is moderate (85) again. It’s surfable but very ordinary. Still, if you’re a beginner and you just want to feel the glide, that’s your best bet for the whole stretch.

The final few days of the forecast, around Thursday July 23rd afternoon and Friday July 24th morning, see a bit more size – 4ft from the WNW and NW, with the energy jumping to strong (103) and then very strong (268). But the wind is onshore or cross-on, and the period is short (6 to 7 seconds), so it’s messy and lumpy. The Friday morning is marginal at best, but the afternoon turns poor again. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, to be honest.

So, the best on offer? That Saturday morning, July 18th, with the glassy conditions and that long-period groundswell, even if it’s tiny. For absolute beginners, the Thursday morning, July 9th, with the glassy wind and clean 2ft waves, is your only other window. But don’t expect any barrels.

Rusty.

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