Guidel Plages Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, let’s talk about what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks. We’re looking at Guidel Plages, a beach and reef setup that’s very consistent and exposed to the SW. Don’t get too excited just yet, because the first few days are a bit of a write-off. We’ve got a real dry spell here with nothing worth paddling out for until we get to Thursday morning, the 9th of July.

That first real chance comes on Thursday morning, the 9th. It’s nothing special, just a tiny 2ft swell from the W with a period of 9 seconds. The energy is weak (64). The wind is offshore from the ENE at 9 mph, so the surface will be clean, but it’s small and ordinary. Don’t get your hopes up, it’s a session for the longboard or a learner’s board. The water temp is sitting at 63°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no wetsuit drama there.

The whole thing just limps along for days. We get a few little pulses of 2ft, but the wind is often messy or onshore, and the scores are all zero or one. The only real standout, if you can call it that, is a brief moment on Saturday afternoon, the 11th of July. The swell is still tiny at 2ft from the W with a 10-second period, but the wind goes glassy. For a few hours, it’ll be dead flat and clean, but the wave height is just not there. It’s a peaceful paddle, not a surf.

Then we hit a massive gap. From Sunday the 12th right through to the middle of the month, the swell basically vanishes. We’re talking 0.3ft, 0.6ft, 1ft – it’s a flat spell. The energy is in the single digits (8, 9, 14). Don’t even bother checking the cam.

Things change a little bit on Thursday the 16th of July. The swell jumps up to 6ft, but it’s a short period 6-second wind swell from the WSW, and the energy is moderate (202). The problem is the wind is a moderate cross-onshore at 12 mph, making it choppy and messy. The wave comment is “poor surf conditions”. This is not a clean, rideable wave. For a beach and reef spot, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

The next day, Friday the 17th, is more of the same – 3ft with a short period and a fresh cross-onshore wind. Lumpy and uninviting.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. From Saturday the 18th right through to Wednesday the 22nd, it’s all 1ft or less with onshore or cross-onshore winds. The energy is utterly pathetic (17, 21, 24). There’s a slight glimmer on Thursday the 23rd of July, with a 2ft W swell and a gentle offshore breeze in the morning, but it’s ordinary. The afternoon sees a bigger 5ft swell but it’s ruined by a moderate cross-onshore wind and choppy conditions.

If you’re looking for the best of a bad bunch, the only real standout is that Thursday morning, the 9th of July, for the clean conditions, or the glassy moment on Saturday the 11th. But let’s be honest, it’s a lean, lean period. The break is very consistent, so it tends not to stay this poor for long, but this particular run is a long one. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d be finding a different hobby.

Rusty.

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