Ilbaritz - Edouard VII Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Ilbaritz - Edouard VII. This is a reef set-up, pretty exposed to the west, so it needs the right window to light up. The week starts off a bit average, but there’s some real magic brewing if you’re patient.

We kick off Monday, September 14th with a small taste. Morning sees a clean 4ft NW groundswell (period 11 seconds) with glassy conditions and an easterly breeze. The energy is moderate, and it’s a promising start, but nothing to write home about just yet.

The next few days go a bit flat and messy. Tuesday and Wednesday are dominated by onshore winds and small, weak swell, so it’s a write-off for a paddle. The energy drops and the quality disappears. It’s a dry spell until Thursday morning, September 17th. Now we’re talking. The wind drops to dead calm, glassy as a mirror, and a 6ft NW groundswell (11 seconds) rolls in. The energy is solid. This is a real standout window for the dedicated crew. The morning session looks prime, though the afternoon gets a bit cross-onshore.

Friday and Saturday see a bit more size but the wind is messy, so you’re fighting a bit of chop. The real highlight, the one you’ve got to circle, is Saturday morning, September 19th. We’ve got a 7ft NW groundswell pushing through with a 13-second period – that’s a proper groundswell. Energy is strong, and the wind is light easterly offshore. This is excellent, powerful surf for experienced surfers. The crowd factor is “often” here, so expect company. The swell direction is a perfect match for the break’s optimum. This is the standout of the whole run.

Sunday the 20th is a nice follow-up with clean 5ft NW swell in the morning, and Monday the 21st morning offers another glassy gem at 6ft NW with a very long 14-second period. That’s a lot of energy and it’ll be clean, but that long period can make it a bit straight at a beach break. Being a reef, it should handle it nicely.

From Tuesday the 22nd onward, the size and quality taper off. There’s a bump on Thursday the 24th with a clean offshore wind and 3ft NW swell, but the energy is low. By the last week of September, the swell drops right out, with tiny 1.0ft to 2ft waves and very weak energy. The conditions are clean at times, but there’s simply no power. A few of those afternoons look glassy and clean for a longboard or a cruise, but it’s not a surf forecast to get excited about.

Overall, the standout is definitely Saturday the 19th morning – big, powerful, offshore, and clean. The glassy windows on the 17th and 21st mornings are also top-tier. The rest of the run has a few clean but small days, and a lot of windy, choppy filler. Don’t sleep on that Saturday session.

- Rusty

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