Ilbaritz - Edouard VII Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Right, we’ve only got one spot to talk about for this 16-day run, and that’s Ilbaritz - Edouard VII (France). It’s a reef break, fairly consistent, exposed to west swell, and it’s gonna take a little patience before things really fire.

The water’s sitting at 73°, which is 5° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s pretty notable, a real treat for September.

The first few days are quiet. We’ve got nothing worth paddling out for on Friday the 11th or Saturday the 12th – tiny swell, messy winds, just ordinary. Sunday the 13th morning is where it first lifts the spirits. The swell jumps to 4 ft from the NW with a long 13-second period, and the combined energy hits 545 (moderate). What makes this one a standout is the glassy conditions – dead calm wind, zero chop. That’s a proper session for an intermediate surfer. The afternoon gets a bit bumpy again with a cross-onshore breeze, so hit it early.

Monday the 14th morning still has that 4 ft NW swell, period dropping to 11 seconds, but the wind swings east at 3 mph – light offshore, clean lines. That’s another good window. Combined energy at 461 (moderate). Solid, workable waves.

Tuesday the 15th is a write-off – onshore wind and tiny waves. Wednesday the 16th looks crummy with moderate cross-onshore and chop, even though the swell bumps up to 5 ft. Thursday the 17th is still marginal with the same size swell but cross-onshore winds.

Now, Friday the 18th morning brings a nice surprise – glassy again, 4 ft NW swell, 10-second period, combined energy at 216 (weak to moderate). Clean, fun, but not a classic.

The real standout of the whole run lands on Saturday the 19th morning. We’ve got 6 ft of NW swell riding a long 12-second period, combined energy at 786 (moderate to strong), and a gentle easterly offshore breeze at 9 mph. That’s clean, meaty, and should be a blast for intermediates. The afternoon stays good too with a cross-offshore wind. That Saturday is the day to circle.

From Sunday the 20th onward, the swell hangs around 3 ft to 5 ft with periods between 9 and 13 seconds. There are more clean windows, like Monday the 21st morning with a light east offshore wind and a 3 ft NW swell. Friday the 25th morning also offers glassy conditions with 3 ft NW swell – a nice little session.

The breeze turns onshore again for the last few days of the run, and the swell fades, so don’t expect much after the 25th.

This reef can handle a long-period groundswell well, and with the west swell direction matching the optimum, it should produce proper shaped waves. Crowds are often here, so expect company, especially on the standout days. Keep an eye on that Saturday the 19th – that’s the pick.

Rusty.

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