Etang-Sale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Etang-Sale. Let’s cut through the noise.

Right, so the first week gets off to a slow start. Monday the 10th is pretty average; there’s some swell, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, and the conditions are just messy. Not worth getting excited about. You’ve got a bit of a wait for the real magic.

Tuesday the 11th is where things turn around. We’ve got a 4ft to 4ft SW groundswell with a long 14-15 second period. But the real story is the glassy conditions. Tuesday morning is dead calm, glass-off, and by Tuesday afternoon it’s still glassy. That’s the kind of clean, lined-up reef setup that makes you want to call in sick. The water temp is about 77°F – roughly 4°F warmer than usual, which is a nice little bonus for the skin.

Wednesday morning the 12th is also glassy and clean, but the standout of the whole first week is Thursday the 13th. We’ve got 4ft to 4ft SW swell, and both morning and afternoon sessions are glassy. It’s not huge, but it’s pure. The wave energy is moderate but well-organized. If you can surf a reef, this is as clean as it gets.

Friday the 14th has a sneaky good afternoon. The morning is cross-on, but by the afternoon, it’s glassy with a 4ft SW groundswell running a very long 21-second period. That’s a real groundswell pulse. The energy is strong, and it’s one of those sessions where the sets will be defined and the paddle-out easy between them.

Now, the second week – hold on to your board. Saturday the 15th starts to get bigger, with 5ft to 8ft S swell, but the wind is cross-on, so it’s a bit lumpy. But from Sunday the 16th, we’re in business. The morning has a 7ft S swell with offshore wind (SE at 6 mph). The afternoon is even better: 8ft SSW groundswell at a solid 16 seconds, with offshore ESE wind. That’s big, clean, and powerful. The wave energy is very strong. This is expert territory – no place for beginners.

Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th are the absolute best of the whole outlook. Monday the 24th morning has 8ft S swell with a 17-second period and gentle offshore wind. The afternoon jumps to 12ft S swell with a fresh offshore wind (18 mph). That’s a serious, powerful groundswell. Tuesday the 25th stays strong, with 8ft and 8ft S swell and clean offshore winds. This is the sort of swell that will be working perfectly on the reef, offering long, heavy walls for experienced surfers only.

Crowds can be a factor at Etang-Sale, but when the surf is this high quality and the winds are offshore, it’s worth dealing with. The break is consistent and exposed to the SSW, which matches the swell direction perfectly.

So if you’ve got one window to clear your schedule, it’s the whole run from Sunday the 16th through Tuesday the 25th, but the absolute standouts are Sunday the 16th afternoon and Monday the 24th. That’s the gold.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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