Guidel Plages Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's look at what we've got for the next couple of weeks at Guidel Plages. It's a beach and reef setup that's exposed to the SW, and being very consistent, there's always a chance, but we've got to work through some slop before we find the gems.

First off, the water temp is sitting at a dead-average 63°F, so nothing weird going on there, just your standard late-summer feel.

The immediate outlook is pretty grim. From Monday the 24th through to the end of the month, we've got a flat spell with weak, short-period SW swell. Wave heights are mostly below 2ft, and the combined energy stays in the weak range (under 100) for most of it. Tuesday morning the 25th gets a bit more push with 2ft from the SW, but the wind is a messy cross-on, so don't expect much. We do get a glimmer of hope on Monday afternoon the 24th with glassy conditions and 1.0ft, but there's no energy behind it. This is a period of waiting.

Things start to pick up from the 27th of August through the end of the month. Swell heights climb into the 4ft to 8ft range, getting some moderate wave energy (hitting 247 up to 1133), but the wind turns ugly. It’s mostly onshore or a fresh cross-onshore, making for lumpy, choppy, and generally poor conditions. It's not going to be a fun paddle, and with the energy picking up, it's more of a messy, blown-out scene than clean surf. By Friday the 28th we've got 6ft to 7ft but with a 30 km/h onshore wind, it’s a washout. That run continues right through the 31st.

Now, right at the start of September, there's a real standout. On Monday morning the 1st of September, we get a clean window. The wind drops to a glassy 5 km/h out of the SSW, conditions are described as glassy, and we have a 4ft WSW groundswell with a solid 10-second period and moderate energy (294). This is the best bet in the short term for a decent, clean session. That glassy wind is a major positive, but it comes with a catch: the "expect good surf conditions" note is paired with a low score, so temper your expectations. The groundswell is long-period, so it'll hold up well at this reefy break, but the afternoon sees the wind swing cross-on again and mess things up.

After that, we drop back into small, weak swell. From the 2nd through the 4th of September, we're looking at 2ft to 3ft, short period, and poor winds. Not worth rushing out for.

Then we get another promising window. On Saturday morning the 5th of September, we get a 4ft groundswell from the WSW with a very long 12-second period. Combined energy is a solid 639 (moderate to strong). The morning wind is a light cross-on, which is okay, but the real story is that very long period. This swell is going to have a lot of punch but long waits between sets. It’ll be best at the reef, not on the beach.

The final standout, and the biggest event of the outlook, hits on Monday morning the 7th of September. We get a serious pulse: 10ft from the WSW with a 16-second period. That's a *very* long period groundswell and the combined wave energy is a massive 6084 (very strong). This is a big, powerful, expert-only swell. The wind is a moderate cross-onshore, which will put some lump on the face, but for experienced surfers on a proper reef setup, this could be an epic session. It's over 8ft, so it's definitely not for the faint of heart. Tuesday the 8th is still solid at 6ft with a 13-second period (energy 1144), but still only a marginal call.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The two true standouts are Monday morning the 1st of September for a clean, smaller session, and the big Monday morning the 7th of September for the expert-level, powerful groundswell. The 5th of September is a good secondary option with that very long-period groundswell.

– Rusty

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