Etretat Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

I’ve looked over the 16-day window for Etretat, and honestly, I’m struggling to find much to get excited about. This is a stretch where the surf just isn’t showing up. We’ve got a long gap of poor conditions right through the first week and into the second, with hardly any rideable swell and a lot of wind that’s not doing us any favours.

The only spot on the cards is Etretat itself, a reef break that’s consistent and works best on a south-west swell. But the problem is, the swell is tiny and weak for almost the entire period. The combined wave energy is mostly in the single digits or low double digits – we’re talking 6 (6) on Tuesday morning the 4th of August, and it doesn’t climb much from there. The water temperature is sitting at 68°F which is a whopping 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, and you’ll feel it when you paddle out.

From Tuesday morning the 4th right through to the end of the first week, the swell height barely breaks 2ft, with periods mostly under 8 seconds – that’s weak, short-period windswell, not the kind of juice that gets a reef working. The wind is often cross-off or cross, which is okay for shape, but there’s just no wave to ride.

There’s a tiny glimmer on Saturday morning the 8th of August – glassy conditions (wind from the NE at 3 mph) and a 1ft swell from the WNW, but at 4 seconds period, it’s barely a ripple. The combined energy is only 5 (5). Not worth paddling out for.

The second week stays in the same rut. A few mornings, like Thursday the 13th of August, show offshore wind from the SSW at 12 mph, clean, but the swell is still only 1ft with a 9-second period – that’s too small to do anything with. Even when the wind is favourable, the wave energy is weak (14 (14) on that Thursday morning).

The only day that might raise an eyebrow is Saturday the 15th of August afternoon – a 3ft swell from the NW, period of 5 seconds, with clean conditions and a cross-off wind from the WSW at 19 mph. The combined energy hits 41 (41), which is still weak but the best we see. Even so, 3ft with a short period at a reef isn’t going to give you much to work with.

From there, the final days of the forecast show a similar pattern – small, weak swell, nothing consistent. The 17th of August morning has a 3ft swell from the WNW with a 5-second period and clean cross-off wind, but it’s the same story: small and short.

Honestly, there’s no standout session here. No day where the swell, wind, and break quality align to give you a proper surf. If you’re desperate for a paddle, the glassy Saturday morning the 8th might be your best bet, but you’ll be bobbing around more than riding. Otherwise, this is a blank run for Etretat – it happens. The forecast can change, but as it stands, I’d leave the board at home.

Rusty

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