Etang-Sale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's break it down. We've got a solid 16-day window for Etang-Sale, and it's a real mix of big juice and tricky conditions. The water temp is a warm 77°F, running about 3°F warmer than usual, so you won't need a thick wetsuit.

First surf action is Friday the 14th of August, but don't push your luck. Friday morning has a 6ft SSW groundswell (13s period), but the cross-on wind from the WSW at 3 mph will put a ruffle on the face. The wave energy is solid (1549), but it won't be picture-perfect. The afternoon gets glassy though—same 6ft swell, and the wind dies off. That's a window for patient folks to find clean lines.

Saturday the 15th ramps up, with the swell hitting 8ft in the afternoon, a long-period S swell with 18 seconds. That's a powerful groundswell (6909 energy), but the cross-on wind at 6 mph from the WNW and WSW will keep it from being glassy. The raw power is there, giving decent shape, just not a mirror finish.

We get a lull on Monday the 17th with waist-high 4ft to 5ft swell and some windy conditions. Nothing special to report.

Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th flip the script with offshore winds. Clean, steady breezes from the SSE and SE at 3 to 6 mph. The swells drops to chest-high 4ft to 4ft with moderate energy (456-766), but because the wind is offshore, the surface will be smooth as silk. Perfect for a longboard or a funboard.

Now for the big one—the standout you need to circle on your calendar. Tuesday the 25th of August brings a monster. A solid 10ft to 12ft SSW groundswell (15-16s) is pounding in, with a massive 6967 combined energy. The wind is offshore from the SE, but it gets strong (25 mph on Tuesday afternoon), making it powerful and clean, but a real fight to get out there. This is strictly for big-wave veterans. The morning of the 25th and the 26th look best, with a lighter offshore breeze and still a huge 10ft to 12ft grinder. That's the premium pick for the whole forecast.

Thursday the 27th is another beauty, with a 8ft southerly groundswell and glassy conditions in the morning. The wave energy is still strong (3016), and with zero wind, that is a premium session for experienced surfers if you can handle the size.

The energy fades towards the end of the month, but the last days of August still offer clean, offshore conditions on waist to chest-high leftover swell. The quality holds up from the 27th through the 29th, but the size drops, so you can put the big gun away.

Overall, if you want the biggest and best, aim for that Tuesday the 25th through Thursday the 27th. The water's warm, the swell is heavy, and when the offshore winds line up, Etang-Sale (Réunion) will be a world-class reef. Just know, crowds are *sometimes* an issue, so get in the water early.

Be safe out there.
Rusty.

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