Ilbaritz - Edouard VII Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I've got to be straight with you – if you're paddling out at Ilbaritz - Edouard VII, you're going to need some patience over the next couple of weeks. This is a reef break, exposed to a westerly swell, and that's about the only thing that's going to work for us. We've got a bit of a mixed bag coming, so let's break it down.

Overall, the pattern is a tease. We get a little pulse of energy early on, but a lot of the time the wind is just working against us. The water's sitting at a very unusual 74°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a real treat if you can get in.

The best bet in the whole outlook is Saturday morning, September 5th. We've got a clean 3ft swell from the NW with a light offshore breeze from the ENE. The combined energy is moderate at 229, and the 9-second period will give you some shape. It's not massive, but it's the cleanest we'll see for a while. Crowds can be a hassle here, so get in early.

Then on Thursday, September 10th, there’s a nice little window. Both the morning and afternoon are glassy with a 4ft NW swell (308 energy) dropping to 4ft (231 energy) by the arvo. That calm wind is a major positive, so if you can sneak a session in, it'll be clean and fun.

Friday morning, September 11th also has glassy conditions with a 4ft NW swell (222 energy). It's small but clean.

Later on, Wednesday morning, September 16th looks promising with a glassy 3ft NW swell (185 energy). Again, small, but the conditions will be right.

Now, between the 5th and the 9th, there's a stretch of onshore and cross-shore winds that'll mess up the surface. Around the 6th and 7th, the swell actually gets up to 5ft (723 energy) and 3ft (265 energy), but the onshore wind from the west is going to chop it up. That 13-second period on the 5th afternoon is a long-period groundswell, which on a reef like this could be good, but the cross-shore wind spoils it. A few days after the 12th, we have a real dry spell with tiny, weak swells and crap wind, so don't bother until the 16th.

It's a waiting game, and the long-range stuff for the 18th and 19th looks very weak, with hardly any energy at all. For now, pencil in Saturday the 5th, Thursday the 10th, or Friday the 11th.

Rusty.

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