Fausse Passe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks. Straight up, I’m a bit gutted to say it, but this is a tough run for Fausse Passe (Réunion). There’s a massive stretch of nothing special to start with, and the window of fun is real narrow.

The swell energy is all over the place. We kick off with some weak-ish pulses, and the wind is mostly a problem. The water temp is sitting at 73°F with zero anomaly, so it’s totally average for this time of year. Nothing to whinge about there.

First up, Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th are basically write-offs. Small, weak swell (energy around 349 and 165 respectively) and the wind is a fresh breeze, making for messy, marginal conditions. Not worth paddling out, mate.

Wednesday the 15th is a bit better looking with some long period SSW groundswell (13-12 seconds), but it’s still only 2ft to 3ft and the wind is cross-offshore. The energy bumps up to 258 and even 691 in the arvo, but honestly, it’s still just marginal.

Now Thursday the 16th is where it gets interesting, but with a big caveat. The morning brings a 5ft SSW swell with a period of 15 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy hits a solid 1238, which is moderate to strong. However, the wind is straight cross-shore. That kills the quality for a reef break like this. It’s not going to be clean. It’s a real shame because the size is there, but the breeze is a pain in the neck.

The rest of that week into the next is pretty poor. Friday the 17th holds 5ft to 6ft but the wind stays cross. By Saturday the 18th, we get a 6ft SW swell with the wind shifting a bit, but the period drops to 10 seconds, so it’s a bit lumpy.

There’s a big run of onshore junk from Sunday the 19th right through to Thursday the 24th. On Sunday the 19th, the swell energy is huge (over 2000) but the wind is cross-on to onshore and choppy. By Tuesday the 21st, we’re looking at 8ft of lumpy SSE windswell with a short period – that’s expert only territory and it’s blown out.

The only true standout in this whole forecast is a fleeting moment on Friday the 24th. First thing in the morning, the wind goes totally glassy with 1ft SW groundswell at 15 seconds. The energy is weak (97), but that moment of absolute glass and a clean, long period line at Fausse Passe will be a treat for the few who get out. After that, it’s back to weak, clean but tiny surf, or onshore slop for the rest of the outlook. Crowds are possible here most days, but with this forecast, it’ll be a quiet lineup.

Overall, it’s a flat and frustrating run with only that one golden, tiny window of glass on the 24th.

- Rusty

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