Etretat Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've got to be straight with you – the outlook for the next couple of weeks is a real dud. There's a huge gap at the start with no surf worth paddling out for, and it's not until the 23rd of August that we finally see a glimmer of something rideable, but even then, it's a bit of a stretch.

The water temperature at Etretat is sitting at 70°, which is a whopping 7° warmer than the long-term average. That's very unusual for this time of year, so you won't need a thick wetsuit, but you will need a lot of patience.

We kick off on Wednesday the 12th with nothing. Absolutely nothing. The swell is a pathetic 0.3 ft from the west with a period of 11 seconds, but the combined energy is a measly 3, so it's barely a ripple. The wind is onshore, making it even worse. This flat spell drags on through the whole first week. Thursday the 13th sees a slight lift to 1 ft but the energy is still super weak (16). The wind is offshore on the morning of the 13th, which is clean, but there's just no swell to push it. Friday the 14th is similarly small with a 1 ft swell from the WNW and a period of 10 seconds, combined energy of 31 – still weak. The wind is cross-off, so the little waves that do exist will be clean, but it's not worth the drive.

The weekend of the 15th and 16th is more of the same: tiny, weak swell with onshore or cross-onshore winds making for choppy conditions. The 17th and 18th offer no improvement. On the 18th, we get a fresh offshore breeze, but the swell is back down to 0.3 ft and the energy is 3 again. It's a clean surface with nothing to ride.

Then we hit a blank spot on the 19th where there's literally zero energy. The 20th brings a small 2 ft swell from the NNW, but it's a short period of 5 seconds, and the energy is still only 37. The wind is cross-shore, so it's messy. The 21st and 22nd are nothing to write home about.

Now, finally, on Sunday the 23rd of August, we get a pulse. The morning sees a 5 ft swell from the NNE, with a period of 5 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 107, which is the first moderate energy reading we've had. The wind is a fresh offshore from the WSW, so the waves will be clean. This is the best of a bad bunch, but it's still a short-period, windswell-type wave. It's a reef break here, so it might offer a bit of shape, but with that short period, it's going to be a bit lumpy. The afternoon drops back to 3 ft.

After that, the 24th and 25th are back to tiny, weak swells with fresh cross-shore winds, making it lumpy. The 26th is more of the same, and the 27th is flat again.

So, to be honest, there's no standout session here. The only half-decent window is the morning of the 23rd of August at Etretat, with 5 ft of swell and offshore wind. It's a beginner-friendly break, so it's not going to be too gnarly, but the consistency is poor and the energy is still low. If you're desperate for a paddle, that's your only real shot, but don't expect much. For most of the 16 days, the conditions are more suited to a swim than a surf.

Rusty.

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