Guidel Plages Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Look, I’ve been staring at the charts for the next couple of weeks, and I gotta be straight with you—this stretch is a tough one. We’ve got a lot of small, wind-affected days ahead, and most of the windows are pretty grim. The waves are going to be really inconsistent, and it’s going to take some patience to find anything worth getting wet for. There is a bit of a pulse of energy later on, but it comes with messy winds, so we have to pick our moments wisely. Don’t get too excited about the big numbers on paper; it’s all about the conditions at the break.

The action opens up on Thursday morning, the 6th of August. Guidel Plages is running small, around 2ft, with a short 7-second period. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the NNW, so it might be clean, but the energy is weak—only 42 on the combined scale. It’s surfable but nothing to write home about. It’s a beach and reef set-up, so you can find a bank, but it’s going to be a grovel. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

From there, it gets worse. Friday the 7th through to Monday the 10th are pretty much a write-off. The swell drops to nothing—we’re talking less than 1ft to 2ft—and the winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore, making it choppy and bumpy. There’s a brief glassy moment early Sunday morning, but the swell is a pathetic 1ft. It’s not worth the effort.

Tuesday the 11th is still tiny, but Wednesday the 12th shows a little life. Early in the morning, the wind goes dead calm and glassy, and we have a 2ft swell with a better 10-second period. It’s still small, but the clean surface will make it feel better than it is. The energy is a bit more respectable at 58, but don’t expect any barrels.

Thursday the 13th is the first real highlight. The morning shows 3ft of swell coming from the WSW, with a 9-second period. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the NNE, so it will be clean. The combined energy jumps to 92, which is the most we’ve seen so far. It’s still on the small side, but it’s the best combination of size, period, and wind we’ve had. This is worth a paddle out for sure.

Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th are okay, with the swell holding around 2ft and some offshore morning winds. But they’re not quite as good as Thursday. The afternoons are all getting chopped up by west-southwest breezes, so stick to the early sessions.

Then we hit a rough patch from the 16th to the 19th. The swell is small and then gets bigger, but the wind stays bad. Sunday the 16th is small and cross-onshore, and Monday the 17th sees the swell start to build—up to 4ft in the morning and 6ft in the afternoon—but the onshore wind is ruining it. The energy is strong, reaching 585, but it’s all going to be lumpy and messy. This is not a paddle-surf day; if it’s blowing 15 mph cross-on, the setup looks way more interesting for the kite crew than for us.

Tuesday the 18th has some size too, with 6ft of swell, but it’s cross-onshore at 18 mph with rain showers. It’s going to be a washing machine. That size is also pushing past the beginner zone, and it’s getting towards expert-only territory if it closes out.

The second week’s best bet looks like Wednesday the 19th. The swell drops back to 3ft, but the wind is a moderate cross-shore from the NW. Still not clean, but more manageable with some cross-chop. It’s a step down in energy from the prior days, but at least you’re not getting pounded.

Into the final days, Thursday the 20th has more swell pushing in—6ft—but it’s onshore and the wind is light, which means it’s going to be a bumpy mess. That’s another one for the experts only.

So, to sum it up: don't hold your breath for the next week and a half. The standout is definitely Thursday the 13th morning, with clean 3ft surf at Guidel Plages and light offshore winds. It’s small but clean, and that’s the best we’re getting for a while. Everything else is either tiny, or blown out, or too big and messy. Keep your expectations low, and you might get a fun wave or two.

Later, Rusty.

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