Etretat Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: this 16-day window is looking pretty bleak for Etretat. There’s no surf on offer for a long stretch, and we’re looking at a whole lot of flatness and onshore junk before we even get a sniff of a wave. It’s a tough run, but that’s how these setups can go sometimes. We’ll push through it day by day.

The first real chance of anything rideable doesn't show up until Thursday, the 27th of August. Before that, we’ve got a solid week of nothing. From the 17th through the 26th, it's essentially flat, with a few tiny, weak pulses that just don’t have the energy to do anything. You'll see some wind, mostly cross-off and some offshore, but with no swell behind it, it's a waste. Even the water temp is a story on the 17th – it’s a whopping 69.6°F, which is 6.5°F warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s very unusual, a real anomaly.

So, Thursday the 27th. Things start to wake up. The morning has a small, short-period W swell, around 3.6ft at 7 seconds, coming with a moderate cross-shore wind, making it lumpy. That one’s a pass. But the afternoon is where it gets interesting. The swell pushes up to 3.9ft from the W at 9 seconds, with a light cross-offshore breeze. The combined swell energy jumps to 220, which is a moderate wave energy, and the conditions clean right up. For Etretat, a reef break that likes a SW swell, this west energy is okay, but it’s not firing perfectly. Still, this is the best we’re going to see for a while. It’s small, clean, and might just be worth a paddle if you’re desperate.

Friday the 28th keeps the wind offshore and clean, with that fresh SW breeze, but the swell fades quickly. Mornings see 1.6ft at 10 seconds, and by the afternoon it’s dropping to 1.3ft. The period is good, a proper groundswell, but the size just isn’t there. It’s clean, but it’s gutless.

And that’s about it. After the 28th, it’s back to the same old story – tiny, weak, and short-period. We have a moment on the 31st of August with a glassy, 0.7ft wave at 11 seconds, but it’s just nothing. The first week of September brings in a strong, 45 km/h offshore wind, and while the ocean will look clean and blown out, there’s just no swell. The period jumps to 13 seconds, but at 0.7ft, it’s a lake with a bit of texture. You’d be better off getting the kite out on some of these days, honestly, with that strong wind and poor surf quality. Otherwise, keep the board in the car and wait for a better run.

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