Etretat Surf Break

Lat Long: 49.71° N 0.19° E

Etretat Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 02 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Etretat sea temperature is
20.3°C
3.0° 

Etretat surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Etretat surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 3 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, W swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 2PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s period, WNW swell with 675 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period with W swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Etretat this week:

The surf forecast for Etretat over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Etretat in the next 16 days are 2.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 8PM.

Wave TypeTime (CEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Thu 3rd Sep)3.5ft (1.0m) 6s
Best Surf11PM (Thu 3rd Sep)3.5ft (1.0m) 6s
Most Powerful 2PM (Wed 9th Sep)8ft (2.5m) 8s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Etretat over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G'day, Rusty here, your local surf reporter for the Etretat region. I've been staring at the charts for the next couple of weeks, and I gotta level with you—it's a heartbreaking run for all of us in Normandy. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but honestly, there’s almost no surf worth paddling out for. The first real pulse of energy doesn’t show up until over a week away, and even then, it’s a grim battle with the wind and conditions. The water’s sitting at a very unusual 69° right now at Etretat for that first session, which is way warmer than what we're used to for this time of year, almost three degrees above normal.

Let’s walk through it. The week starts with nothing but frustration. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd bring some waves, a few around 1ft to 5ft, but the wind is pumping 12 to 19 mph from the southwest, making a mess of things. The combined swell energy on Thursday morning hits a moderate 158, but the poor surf conditions label says it all. Friday the 4th is more of the same—5ft to 5ft swell with fresh offshore wind, but the forecast calls it poor. Saturday and Sunday the 5th and 6th drop right off into tiny, weak dribble. Sunday afternoon sees a moment of glassy conditions, but the swell is only 1ft with a combined energy of 14. Not enough to even get wet for.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th are a write-off too, with barely a ripple. It’s not until Wednesday the 11th that we see something with power. On Friday morning the 11th, the swell jumps to 7ft from the west with a period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy is a strong 508. That’s over 8ft, so this is expert territory only. The problem? It’s coming from the northwest at 16 mph, a stiff cross-onshore wind. That’s going to chop it up bad. It’s a bit too messy for a paddle surfer—honestly, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than a clean wave ride.

Saturday the 12th hangs in there with 6ft swell from the west-northwest, but again, the wind is wrong. The best glimpse we get all period is Sunday the 13th. In the afternoon, the swell hits 6ft from the west with a 7-second period, combined energy of 351 (moderate-to-strong), and the wind goes completely glassy—0 mph. That’s the one moment where conditions line up. The wave direction is west, which matches the optimum direction for Etretat. It’s a reef break, and it breaks consistently, so there’s hope for a clean, lined-up wave. But the crowd factor is "sometimes," so expect a few locals out. The session on Sunday afternoon is genuinely the standout for the entire 16-day window.

After that, the energy fades. Monday the 14th is flat, Tuesday the 15th is tiny 1ft dribble, and Wednesday the 16th is a howling 28 mph offshore wind with no swell to ride. Thursday the 17th brings 5ft from the west with a 9-second period and combined energy of 299, but the wind is a messy cross-shore from the northwest at 22 mph, ruining the shape.

So here’s the honest truth: if you can wait, the only window with any real hope is Sunday the 13th afternoon. It’s a proper glass-off with size and energy. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too choppy to be worth the hassle. The crowd will be there for that one, but it might just be clean enough for a few waves.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Thu night, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the NNW by Sat morning).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 25°C on Sun afternoon, min 16°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the W by Mon night).

Wed
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
W
5
1.2
W
6
1.4
W
6
1.2
W
6
1.1
W
6
1.6
W
7
1.6
W
7
0.5
W
8
0.4
WNW
8
0.4
WNW
8
0.4
WNW
8
0.2
W
10
0.2
W
9
0.3
WSW
9
1
W
5
0.2
WNW
12
1.7
WNW
7
1.1
W
6
1.3
W
5
1.8
W
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
11
112
158
112
95
236
255
33
21
20
20
7
6
16
0
14
268
91
0
284
Wind (km/h)
10
W
30
WSW
30
WSW
25
WSW
25
SW
35
WSW
30
W
20
NW
10
NNW
10
N
20
ESE
25
SE
15
SE
20
SSE
30
W
30
W
35
W
30
WSW
35
W
35
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
2:49PM7.96m
3:09AM7.77m
3:34PM7.59m
4:00AM7.31m
4:29PM7.13m
5:06AM6.82m
5:43PM6.72m
6:36AM6.52m
7:17PM6.59m
8:13AM6.60m
8:44PM6.82m
9:30AM6.97m
9:52PM7.25m
Low Tide
9:38PM1.72m
10:00AM1.90m
10:26PM2.15m
10:51AM2.43m
11:23PM2.61m
11:56AM2.94m
00:39AM2.95m
1:23PM3.20m
2:12AM2.92m
2:54PM2.99m
3:32AM2.47m
4:04PM2.47m
4:33AM1.88m
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
clear
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:16
7:18
7:18
7:20
7:22
7:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:42
8:38
8:37
8:35
8:32
8:30
8:29
 mm
1
1
2
Temp °C
20
21
18
21
22
20
20
18
16
17
17
19
25
25
18
19
18
17
17
18
Feels °C
18
19
15
19
20
17
16
15
14
16
14
14
21
21
16
15
12
12
10
11
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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