Hossegor - La Centrale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Hossegor - La Centrale are looking pretty grim. We’ve got a real flat spell on the cards, with only a few brief windows of small, ordinary surf. The water is sitting at 75°F right now, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – feels like a warm bath out there.

We kick off on Wednesday, August 5th with a tiny 3ft swell from the WNW, but it’s a mess – cross-shore wind, weak energy (87), and the wave comment says it all: poor surf. Thursday the 6th morning offers a slight glimmer: a 3ft NW swell, but the energy is moderate (121). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the NNE, so it’s clean, but the surf is just “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions”. Not exactly a standout.

Friday morning, August 7th, is the best we’ll see for a while. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, and we get a tiny 2ft NW swell. The period is short (7 seconds), so it’s weak, but with that glassy surface, a longboard or a foamie might get a few soft, clean rides. The energy is very low (63). It’s not a classic La Centrale day, but if you’re desperate, it’s the pick of the first week.

Then it’s a long, dry run. From Saturday the 8th right through to Thursday the 13th, the swell drops to barely 0.7ft to 2ft, with onshore or cross-on winds and energy under 100 most of the time. Poor surf conditions across the board. There’s a brief moment on Tuesday morning, August 11th, with a glassy 3ft NW swell and moderate energy (124), but still just ordinary.

The second week doesn’t offer much more. Friday, August 14th, has a 3ft WNW swell with moderate energy (125) but a light cross-shore wind, so it’s clean-ish – still nothing to write home about. Saturday, August 15th, sees a bump in energy (166) with a 2ft NW swell in the morning, but the wind is cross-shore. By Saturday afternoon, the swell jumps to 4ft from the NW with strong energy (279), but it’s cross-on and choppy. The period is 10 seconds, so some shape, but the wind ruins it.

The one maybe-standout in the distance is Thursday, August 20th. The swell builds to 5ft from the WNW, with a short period (6 seconds) and strong energy (201). The wind is cross-shore from the NNW at 12 mph, so it’ll be a bumpy, trade-wind style mess. At 5ft, it’s borderline for beginners, but with the chop and short period, it’s really only for the experienced crew. Given the exposed nature of La Centrale and the constant cross-on/cross-shore winds, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

No true standout sessions in this 16-day window. The waves are small, the wind is rarely your friend, and the best we get is a glassy morning on the 7th. Keep your expectations low, and maybe pray for a change in the forecast.

Rusty.

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