Guidel Plages Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break it down in feet and miles. The next couple of weeks look pretty bleak for the most part. The first week is a total washout, with tiny, weak waves and constant onshore wind. The only real bright spot is a solid swell right at the end of the second week.

The water is sitting at about 68°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

From Sunday, July 26th, through to August 7th, it’s a real struggle. The swell is tiny, mostly under 3ft, and the wind is a mess—cross-onshore or onshore most of the time. The combined energy is weak, barely cracking 100 (124) at best. There’s no real surf to speak of, and the occasional clean morning comes with waves that are barely worth paddling for. It’s a full blank run for the first week.

Things start to shift around August 5th. The swell picks up to 5ft, and the energy jumps to 553, but the wind is straight onshore and the conditions are marginal. The 6th sees 5ft again, but cross-onshore wind spoils it. The morning of the 7th sees a bit of a clean-up with a light cross-offshore breeze, but the swell has dropped to 2ft and the energy is weak.

Then comes the standout. The morning of Saturday, August 8th. This is the one. We’re looking at 8ft of swell from the west-southwest, with a period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid 603. The wind is a light breeze from the north, giving us clean conditions. The report says "expect very good surf conditions," and with that size and clean wind, this is your window. It’s a bit of a beast—8ft is on the high side for beginners, so this is for the experienced crew. The direction is south-west, which is pretty much the optimum for this break, so the shape should be there. The afternoon on the same day sees the wind swing cross-onshore and the swell jumps to 8ft, but the energy goes through the roof at 1294 and the conditions are poor. So the morning of the 8th is the absolute pick.

After that, the swell backs off quickly. The 9th and 10th see a return to smaller, wind-affected waves, with rain showers on the 10th.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a total dud, but don’t give up hope. The morning of August 8th at Guidel Plages is the one to circle. It’s a long way off, so keep an eye on the forecasts, but if that clean window holds, it’ll be worth the wait.

Rusty.

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