Hourtin Plage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks.

It’s gonna be a tough stretch for a proper paddle. The first proper surfable waves don’t show up until Tuesday morning the 28th of July, and even then, it’s a real mixed bag. We’ve got a window of clean conditions early on, but the swell is tiny and the quality just doesn’t hold. After that, we’re looking at a long, dry gap with onshore winds and barely a bump until we get into the second week of August. The best of the whole run looks like it’ll be Sunday morning the 9th of August, but it’s a long way out and the winds are still a bit iffy.

Let’s break it down.

The only real standout in the whole 16-day window is Hourtin Plage on the morning of Tuesday the 28th of July. The wind is glassy from the east, and we’ve got a small but clean 3ft swell rolling in from the WNW with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is a modest 157, so it’s not a powerhouse, but those conditions are about as good as it gets around here. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird. That morning session is your best bet—surfable waves with a clean, glassy surface. It’s a consistent spot, so it usually breaks, but you might find a few others out there as the crowds are listed as ‘sometimes’.

That Tuesday afternoon, the wind swings NW to 15 km/h, turning it cross-onshore and choppy. The swell drops to 3ft and the score goes to zero. From Wednesday the 29th through the rest of the week, it’s a grim picture. The swell stays below 2ft, the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, and the combined energy drops to well under 100. The surf is poor, with no real shape or power. You’d be wasting your time.

The first weekend of August (the 1st and 2nd) is a bit of a tease. The swell ticks up to 3ft on Sunday morning, but the wind is either from the WNW or N, and it’s cross-shore or cross-onshore. The period is only 7 seconds, so it’s weak and wind-affected. The combined energy on Sunday morning is 94—still weak. Not worth getting wet.

Then we hit a real blank spot. From Monday the 3rd of August right through to Friday the 7th, the swell is mostly between 1ft and 5ft, but the wind is consistently onshore from the west or southwest, and the quality is poor. The wave comment is a straight-up “poor surf conditions” each time. The energy builds from 45 to 244, but the wind ruins it. This is a classic empty run for this area.

We finally get a glimmer of hope on Sunday morning the 9th of August. The swell jumps to 5ft from the WNW with a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy hits 365—that’s a solid moderate energy. The wind is from the WNW at 10 km/h, which is cross-on, but it’s light, so the surface is just small ripples. The wave comment says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions”, but it’s the best-looking swell of the whole run. This is the other standout. The wind is not perfect, but it’s light, and the swell has some real push. It’s 5ft, so it’s not for beginners, but it’s manageable for most. The direction (WNW) is a good match for the optimum swell direction (W) from the guidance. This one is worth keeping an eye on, but it’s over a week away, so it’s promising but not certain.

The Monday and Tuesday after that (10th and 11th) still have 4ft to 4ft swell from the WNW, but the wind is cross-onshore and the energy drops back to 237-302. The quality is still poor or marginal. By Wednesday the 12th, it’s back to onshore winds and poor surf.

So, honestly, the pick of the litter is Tuesday morning the 28th of July for the cleanest, glassiest conditions, even if the swell is small. For a bigger, more powerful wave, keep an eye on Sunday morning the 9th of August, but don’t book the trip just yet. The rest is a write-off.

Rusty.

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