Etang-Sale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what's shaping up for Etang-Sale. We've got a solid run of surf coming our way, so let's get straight into it.

The water's sitting at a warm 77°, feeling a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. That's a nice bonus for a long session.

Things kick off on Friday morning, August 21st, with clean lines. It's glassy out there with a light 3 mph westerly, making for some really nice conditions. The swell is coming in from the SW at 4 ft and a long 14-second interval, which will give those waves plenty of push and shape. It’s not the biggest, but it's clean and inviting.

Friday afternoon sees the wind swing a bit, and the conditions get a little tricky, so the morning is definitely the pick for the first day.

Saturday, August 22nd, the swell bumps up a notch. We're looking at a consistent 6 ft SW swell, still with that long 14-second period. The wind is light, so the surf will be clean and well-shaped. This is for the more experienced crew.

Sunday, August 23rd, is a real standout. The morning has 8 ft SW swell with that same long period, and the wind is offshore. Then the afternoon goes glassy flat with the swell easing slightly to 8 ft. The conditions are absolutely pristine. This is a day for the advanced surfers, as the size is getting up there. It's going to be absolutely firing.

After a solid Sunday, Monday the 24th keeps the energy up with 8 ft SSW swell in the morning, but the wind is a bit more side-on. The afternoon, however, turns glassy again with that same size swell. Once more, that afternoon session looks unreal, but it's still big and powerful—expert territory.

Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th see the swell ease a touch but stay very surfable, with clean conditions and offshore or cross-off winds. The swell period stays in that sweet 12-14 second range.

Now, we're heading into the end of the first week, and this is where it gets really interesting. Thursday August 27th is an absolute monster day. Morning sessions see an 8 ft SSW swell with a super-long 16-second period. The wind is clean. By the afternoon it gets even bigger, pushing 10 ft. This is for experts only.

Then Friday August 28th... hang on. The swell jumps to a thumping 16 ft from the SSW. It's a massive, powerful groundswell. The wind is a strong offshore, but at 25-28 mph, it’s going to be a battle to even get out. It's so big and clean, but it’s for the true elite.

The best of the best, though, is Saturday August 29th. The swell has eased just a fraction from that peak, to 15 ft in the morning and 13 ft in the afternoon. The wind is still howling offshore but dropping to a more manageable 16-19 mph. This is the day where the sheer power of the swell meets the cleaner, slightly less insane wind. It's going to be a session of a lifetime for the pros.

From August 30th onward, the swell steadily drops, staying clean with offshore winds, but the size returns to more manageable 5 ft to 8 ft by the end of the month. There's a distinct drop-off by September 1st, with much smaller surf, but a new SW swell starts to build again around the 2nd and 3rd, keeping a little bit of life in the water for the start of the second week.

So, the standout window is from the 27th through the 29th for the big stuff, with Saturday the 29th being the crown jewel. Do not even think about paddling out on those biggest days unless you are an expert. Etang-Sale is a consistent, exposed reef break, and it'll be working. But with these sizes, crowds won't be too much of a problem as only the best will be out. For the rest of us, the glassy sessions on Friday, Sunday, and Monday offer some beautiful, clean waves.

Rusty.

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