Ilbaritz - Edouard VII Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's cut through the noise. The next couple of weeks on the surf front are looking pretty ordinary, but there is one bright spot on the horizon if you're patient.

For the first week, it's a struggle. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly onshore or cross, and the waves are just messy. Water temp is running about 76°F, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, so at least a swim feels good. But the surf? Forget it. You're looking at knee-to-waist high dribble with poor shape. There are a few glassy moments, like the morning of Wednesday the 12th, but it's only about 2ft of weak, short-period slop. Not worth the effort.

The energy is weak across the board, with the combined swell energy mostly stuck in the low triple digits. We get a tiny bump on the 14th, but it's still junk. This is a real dry spell, going on for over a week.

Now, the first real ray of hope comes on Thursday morning, the 20th of August. Swell pushes up to around 4ft, and the wind finally swings offshore from the NE, cleaning things up. It's still not perfect, but it's your first legit chance to get wet.

But the real standout, the one to plan around, is Friday morning, the 21st of August. The swell jumps to 6ft from the NW with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 861 – that's the strongest we've seen by miles. The wind is light and offshore, and the conditions are expected to be very good. This is the pick of the bunch. The break is Ilbaritz - Edouard VII (GUIDANCE JSON), a reef that's fairly consistent and exposed to the west, so it'll take this NW swell well. It's an intermediate wave, and at 6ft, it's not for the beginners. Expect crowds – they're often here – so get out there early. This is the morning to score.

Saturday the 22nd morning still has some fun waves – around 4ft and glassy – a good backup if you miss Friday. But it fades quickly, and by Sunday we're back to small, blown-out leftovers.

So, one main event in a sea of flatness. The call for Friday the 21st is promising but it's a long way out, so keep your fingers crossed. If it shows, it'll be worth the wait.

Rusty.

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