Ilbaritz - Edouard VII Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about the surf outlook for Ilbaritz - Edouard VII, a reef break.

We've got a bit of a slow start here. The first week is a bit of a write-off for decent waves. There's a run from Monday the 17th right through to Wednesday the 19th of August where it's just flat and weak, with onshore wind messing up any little bump that might show up. Don't bother paddling out for that.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Thursday morning, August 20th. It's not big, but we see our first proper pulse of swell rolling in. We're looking at a clean 4ft wave from the NW with a long period of 11 seconds. The water temp is a very unusual 77°, a massive 6° warmer than normal for this time of year – that's really something. The combined energy is moderate at 298, and with glassy conditions, it'll be a nice, clean morning session for someone on an intermediate board.

Things get a bit more interesting on Friday morning, August 21st. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the NW. The combined energy is now strong at 451 with a 10-second period. And the wind? Glassy again. This is the standout of the first week. It's still a fairly manageable size, but the power is there, and the conditions will be clean. Keep in mind this is a reef setup, so you need to know the take-off spots. Crowds are listed as *often* here, so expect company for this one.

After that, the surf fades back to junk through the rest of the week and the start of the next. There's a bit of a lull until...

Friday morning, August 28th. We get a big jump in size and quality. This is the one to circle on your calendar. We're seeing a solid 7ft NW groundswell with a very long period of 12 seconds. The combined energy is massive at 1167. The wind is glassy. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers only – that size on a reef with that much power is not for beginners. The sets will be fat and walled-up, perfect for a good point or reef break like this.

Then, on Monday morning, August 31st, there's another serious contender. A chunky 8ft WNW swell hits, with a combined energy of 1022. Again, it's glassy. This is big, powerful surf and definitely for experts only. The period is a shorter 8 seconds, which means it'll be a bit more dumpy and top-to-bottom than the previous swell.

Finally, on Tuesday morning, September 1st, we see the biggest pulse of the entire outlook. A massive 8ft NW groundswell with a period of 14 seconds. The combined energy is an enormous 2390. This is a monster. The wind is onshore, so the face will be a bit bumpy, but the raw power here is undeniable. Only for the most experienced.

So, to sum it up: don't waste your petrol for the first few days. The two true standouts are Friday morning, August 21st for a solid, fun, clean session, and Friday morning, August 28th for a bigger, more serious, and very clean session for the experts. The big stuff at the end of the month is huge but worth watching the wind for.

Rusty, signing off.

Read more