Surf Forecasts:
Etretat surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period, W swell with 164 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Etretat this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Etretat in the next 16 days are 1.5m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 2PM.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Etretat over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve got the lowdown on this region. Let’s be straight with each other – it’s not looking great for a while. The first real chance of a wave that’s worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until the morning of the 29th of August. That’s a solid 13-day gap of almost nothing. Before that, you’re looking at flat spells or tiny, choppy junk. The water temp at Etretat is sitting at 70°, which is a whopping 7° warmer than normal – very unusual for this time of year, but that’s the ocean for you.
For the whole 16-day window, there’s only one spot that gets a look, and that’s Etretat. It’s a consistent reef setup, exposed to the swell. The only day that even registers as surfable is Saturday, August 29th. The morning brings in a clean 3ft swell from the WNW, with a moderate 8-second period and a weak energy reading (92). The wind is light and cross-offshore, which will keep the face tidy. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the only game in town. The afternoon picks up a little to 3ft from the same direction, with moderate energy (115), but the wind swings more onshore and picks up, making it less appealing.
There’s nothing else on the cards. No big swells, no perfect wind. It’s a waiting game. The surf is small enough for beginners on the 29th morning, but the lack of any real push means it’s for the patient.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun afternoon, min 18°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Thu morning, calm by Fri night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 9 | W 5 | W 5 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 5 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 5 | NE 5 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 155 | 143 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 16 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 28 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy | off | cross | on |
High Tide | 2:12PM8.16m | 2:26AM8.10m | 2:50PM7.89m | 3:06AM7.73m | 3:29PM7.52m | 3:48AM7.28m | 4:12PM7.09m | 4:35AM6.79m | 5:03PM6.65m | 5:35AM6.34m | 6:09PM6.30m | 6:51AM6.06m | 7:26PM6.14m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:45PM1.27m | 9:05AM1.26m | 9:23PM1.66m | 9:42AM1.76m | 10:02PM2.14m | 10:20AM2.33m | 10:42PM2.65m | 11:01AM2.90m | 11:28PM3.15m | 11:52AM3.41m | 00:32AM3.54m | 1:07PM3.75m | 2:05AM3.66m | |||||||
 |  | | |  | | |  |  | | |  | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — |
 | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:14 | — | — | 9:12 | — | — | 9:09 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:06 | — | — | 9:04 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 20 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 8 | W 6 | W 5 | W 8 |
| kJ | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | 16 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 5 | NE 4 | W 8 | W 10 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | W 11 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 3 | — | NW 3 | WNW 4 | W 4 | W 5 | W 5 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 5 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | N 4 | N 4 | — | — | NE 3 | NE 5 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 3 | 7 | 12 | 37 | 57 | 97 | 88 | 53 | 155 | 143 | 94 | 118 | 14 | 10 | — | — | 5 | 28 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 183 | 339 | 387 | 387 | 301 | 378 | 591 | 836 | 346 | 767 | 301 | 587 | 387 | 329 | 140 | 387 | 215 | 215 | 356 | 348 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Normandy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in France | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Etretat surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Etretat Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Etretat provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Etretat can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Etretat surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Etretat) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Etretat may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Etretat is 14 km (9 miles) from Fecamp. If you plan a holiday in Normandy, look for hotels and other accommodation in Fecamp. Fecamp has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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