Ilbaritz - Edouard VII Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let's talk about Ilbaritz - Edouard VII, our reef set-up that’s fairly consistent. Gotta be honest with ya, the next 16 days ain't gonna have us frothing. It’s a long, slow grind with very few windows of decent surf. The water’s sitting at 75°, and that’s a massive 7° warmer than usual for this time of year—really unusual, you’ll be feeling that.

The first recommendation doesn't pop up until Sunday morning, July 5th. Before that, Saturday the 4th is a write-off with poor conditions. Sunday morning though, we finally get a bit of a breather. It’s glassy, with a light 3 mph breeze from the NE, and a small 2 ft NW groundswell rolling in with an 11-second period. The combined energy is only 134, so it's weak, but that long period will give you some shape. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. For a spot that needs a west swell, that NW direction isn't doing us any favours.

Monday morning, July 6th, offers a tiny 2 ft NW swell with a 9-second period and clean conditions thanks to a light offshore from the ENE. The energy is weak at 66. It’s surfable, but you’ll be scratching for waves. After that, we hit a big dry spell. From Monday afternoon through to the end of the week, it’s poor surf conditions, day after day. Honestly, it’s a rough run.

We get another brief flicker on Thursday morning, July 9th. Glassy again, with a 2 ft WNW swell and a 10-second period. The energy is still weak at 69. Then again, Friday morning, July 10th, is glassy with a 2 ft WNW swell and a 10-second period—energy at 81. These are the absolute highlights, but they’re so small it’s hard to get excited.

The only real standout for the whole period is on Sunday morning, July 12th. The swell finally kicks up to a solid 6 ft from the WNW, with a long 10-second period and a moderate 576 combined energy. That’s the best-looking surf on offer. But here’s the catch—the wind is from the N at 3 mph, putting it in a cross position, so it won't be perfectly clean. It’s marginal due to tide as well. For the experienced crew, this is the one to circle, but it's not the flawless session we dream of. If it stays glassy or gets a bit of offshore, you could be in for a surprise.

Monday morning, July 13th, is similar in size (6 ft from NW, 9-second period, 515 energy), but it’s onshore and messy. Then on Tuesday morning, July 14th, we have a moment: 5 ft from the WNW with an 8-second period and a glassy wind (WNW, 0 mph). The combined energy is 265. It’s flagged as “expect good surf conditions,” so that’s the other one to watch.

The rest of the second week drops right off. We’re talking tiny, weak waves from July 15th onwards. Plenty of glassy mornings, but they're for any swell.

The best on offer is definitely that Sunday the 12th morning. It’s got the size and some energy. The Tuesday the 14th morning is your runner-up for clean conditions. Keep expectations low, and you might just snag a couple.

- Rusty

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