Ilbaritz - Edouard VII Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next few days are flat out dismal. We’re talking a solid gap of no real surf worth paddling out for from now until the morning of Thursday, August 20th. It’s a slow start, no doubt.

The first real glimmer of hope comes Thursday morning, the 20th, at Ilbaritz - Edouard VII. We’re looking at a clean 4 ft swell out of the NW, with a period of 11 seconds. That’s a bit of groundswell energy, and the combined energy is a moderate 304. The wind is glassy, dead calm, so the face will be buttery smooth. The water is a notable 77°, which is a whopping 6° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a very unusual, pleasant surprise. This is probably the standout of the whole run, a real gem. The swell direction is dead on the optimum from the west, so this reef break should be handling it nicely. It’s a fairly consistent spot, so you can count on a few.

Friday morning, the 21st, sees a bump up in size to 5 ft, but the wind is onshore and the forecast is marginal. The combined energy is strong at 475. But with the onshore wind, it’s gonna be a bit of a mess. Not the one.

The next real winner is Saturday morning, the 22nd. The swell drops back to a clean 4 ft from the NW, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is offshore from the ESE at 3 mph, so you’re looking at clean, lined-up waves. Combined energy is a solid 235. This is your second-best bet. The afternoon stays clean, but the wind goes cross-offshore, so it’s still surfable, just not as perfect.

After that, the surf tapers off into the new week. Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th offer small, glassy waves around 3 ft to 3 ft, but the energy is weak (101 and 89). You could get a fun little log out, but it’s not gonna blow your mind.

We hit another dry spell from Tuesday the 25th through to the end of the month. There’s a massive pulse of energy on the 27th of August – an 8 ft swell with a combined energy of 1184 – but it’s blown out by strong onshore winds. That’s a kite-surfing setup, not a paddle-surfing one. The water is churned up and lumpy. Not for us.

The run ends on a high note, though. Saturday morning, the 29th of August, brings a clean 4 ft swell from the WNW with offshore winds from the ESE at 6 mph. Combined energy is a moderate 232. It’s a nice, clean morning to finish the outlook. The crowd profile says “often,” so expect a few locals out, but it’s a reef, so it’ll handle the crowd.

Overall, the pick of the lot is that Thursday morning, the 20th. The glassy conditions and the warmer-than-normal water make it a rare treat. The Saturday morning, the 22nd, is a close second. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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