Etretat Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

The next 16 days are looking bleak for Etretat. The truth is there’s no real surf to get excited about at all. We’ve got a solid run of flat-to-weak waves, and the few times something pops up, the wind or the swell just doesn’t line up. The first few days are a write-off, so don’t bother paddling out until well into the second week.

Right now, Tuesday the 28th morning is clean but tiny, with a weak 2 ft west swell and a period of 6 seconds. The combined energy is a measly 15, so it’s essentially flat. The water is a very unusual 67°, which is 6° warmer than normal for this time of year. The afternoon turns cross-onshore and choppy, so no luck there.

Wednesday the 29th gives us a 0.7 ft west swell with offshore wind in the morning, but the energy is down to 4. It’s barely a ripple. The rest of the week is more of the same – tiny, weak, and mostly cross-shore or onshore winds. Friday the 31st has a 2 ft northwest swell, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy, with combined energy of 27. Not worth it.

The first weekend of August is a bit bigger, with Sunday the 2nd having a 4 ft onshore swell from the NNE, but it’s blown out by 16 mph winds and the energy is 66. Still poor surf conditions.

Things don’t improve until the 5th of August, Wednesday morning. We get a 2 ft west swell, clean with cross-offshore winds, and combined energy of 48. It’s small, but it’s the cleanest we’ve seen. The afternoon is similar. This is the best of the whole period, but really, it’s just a small, clean wave.

Then on Friday the 7th of August, a 5 ft NNE swell rolls in on the morning, but it’s onshore and rainy, with combined energy of 141. That’s a moderate energy, but the wind is howling from the NNE at 12 mph, making it messy. The afternoon is even worse with 22 mph winds. This is only for experts, and even then, it’s a battle.

The rest of the second week is a mix of tiny, clean, or glassy conditions but nothing with any power. The biggest struggle is simply the lack of swell. The 9th of August has a 2 ft west-northwest swell with offshore wind, but it’s weak. The 11th of August has a 2 ft west swell with 35 combined energy, again clean but small. The 12th of August is glassy in the morning with a 1 ft west swell, but at 27 combined energy, it’s still a poor surf day.

Look, if you’re desperate, the 5th of August is the only real standout. It’s not going to be epic, but it will be clean and small. Everything else is a no-go. The whole 16-day window is a dud for Etretat. It’s one of those stretches where the forecast just won’t deliver. Don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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