Etretat Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the cards for our local stretch of coastline.

Straight up, the opening of this 16-day window is pretty grim. We’re looking at a long, frustrating gap with hardly any surf on offer. From the start through to the end of the first week, it’s bleak. There’s a pulse of moderate energy on the morning of the 11th, but the conditions are so ordinary it’s barely worth a mention, and then it drops off a cliff. You’re looking at days of tiny, sloppy waves and poor surf, with combined energy levels often below 50 – that’s flat spell territory. It’s one of those stretches where you’d be better off cleaning the wax off your board than trying to get wet. This blank run is pretty normal for the area when the swell windows don’t line up, but it still stings.

Now, after that long, dry spell, things get a bit more interesting in the second week, specifically around September 23rd. That Wednesday morning is our one true standout. Etretat (the only break in the game here) will see a pulse of new swell arrive, pushing up to 5 ft from the west. The magic ingredient is the wind – it’s forecast to be glassy. Dead flat, no breeze. That’s huge for this exposed reef. The combined energy hits 190, which is moderate, but the glassy conditions will make it look and feel way better than the numbers suggest. The water temp is a notable 3° warmer than usual for this time of year, sitting around 68°, so you can leave the thick rubber at home. This is the session to aim for.

Following that, September 24th Thursday morning holds some size with 6 ft swell from the WNW, but the wind is onshore, so it’ll be lumpy. Not the clean peak of the day before. The energy is decent (286), but the wind is the spoiler.

So, to sum it up: endure a long, flat first week. The one bright spot is the glassy, clean 5 ft west swell at Etretat on the morning of the 23rd. That's your window. The rest is a waiting game.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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