Etang-Sale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, gather 'round, grab a coffee. Rusty here.

First thing, the water at Etang-Sale is running at about 77°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. It’s a nice little bonus.

Right now, we’re in a bit of a quiet spell. There’s some small, weak energy in the water, but conditions are a bit mixed, and the surf just isn't offering anything you’d kick yourself for missing. Tuesday morning has a 4ft south swell with a moderate energy (712), but the wind is working against it and the conditions are described as marginal. You could probably find a wave, but it won’t be anything special.

Wednesday morning is even worse, with the surf expected to be poor. Wednesday afternoon cleans up a little bit, and we see some cleaner conditions with a small 3ft S swell, but it’s still nothing to write home about.

Thursday, the 20th of August, is where we start to see a glimmer. The swell drops right down to 2ft, but look at the period – it jumps to 16 seconds from the SW. That is proper groundswell, with a moderate wave energy (443). What really makes it stand out is the wind. We are talking glassy conditions, both morning and afternoon. Glassy! For a reef break like Etang-Sale, that’s perfect. This is the pick for the lighter gear, a log or a fish. It’ll be clean, lined up, and pure fun.

Then Friday afternoon, the swell picks up to 4ft from the SW at 14 seconds, and the winds turn cross-offshore, giving you clean conditions with a solid 688 (moderate) energy. It’s looking solid.
Saturday the 22nd is where it starts to get spicy. The morning brings a 6ft SW swell with a cross-offshore breeze, and the combined energy is a strong 1090. The report says excellent surf for experienced surfers, so get your shortboard ready. The afternoon gets a bit onshore, so the morning is the go-to.

Sunday the 23rd delivers a bigger 7ft SSW swell, and while the morning is a bit cross-shore, the afternoon goes glassy again. With a strong energy reading of 1886, this is a window for bigger, more powerful waves. We’re into solid overhead territory here, so it’s for the experienced crew.

As we push into the following week, the swell builds. Tuesday the 25th afternoon sees a 8ft SSW swell with glassy conditions and a very strong 2531 energy reading. That’s pushing into the big stuff. Then Wednesday the 26th afternoon has a 10ft SSW swell, clean with cross-offshore winds, and an energy of 3456. This is serious. It’s one of the true standouts of the whole forecast – powerful, clean, and long period (14 seconds). Only for experts.

Now, hold on to your board. Thursday the 27th of August. We’ve got a huge 18ft south swell arriving. The energy reading is a staggering 22789. The wind is a strong offshore at 28 mph. It’s clean, it’s offshore, but the report is clear: the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. It’s a warning. The wave energy is colossal. For the absolute elite, with the right equipment and a death wish, maybe. For everyone else, this is a day to sit on the cliff and watch.

It eases down from there into the end of the month and start of September, but there are still solid pulses. Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th of August see solid 8ft to 7ft SSW swells, but with fresh to moderate offshore SE winds, so the conditions are clean and powerful.

The final standout window, and this is a long-range promise so take it with a pinch of salt, is the 1st of September. The afternoon session is looking at a 6ft SSW swell, 14 seconds, with a gentle offshore breeze and a *very* strong energy of 3715. That combination of offshore wind, solid groundswell, and a very strong energy rating makes it look exceptional.

So, to sum it up: Thursday 20th August for the glassy log session on the small swell, Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd August for the experienced surfer on solid, clean waves, Wednesday 26th August afternoon for a big, powerful, clean session for experts only, and watch out for the massive, potentially dangerous swell on Thursday 27th August. The first of September is also looking very promising, but it’s a long way off.

Keep your wits about you. The ocean is showing her strength this week.

Rusty

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