La Ciotat Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get real about what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks around La Ciotat. I’ve got the numbers, I’ve seen the patterns, and I’m telling you straight – this is a grim stretch for anyone hoping to get wet.

Right now, we’re looking at a long, painful gap. From now until the 12th of August, there’s simply nothing worth paddling out for. The swell is tiny, often under 1 ft, and the period is short, mostly 4 seconds. That’s not a wave, that’s a ripple. The few days where the wind goes glassy or offshore, like Thursday morning or the 4th of August morning, just don’t have any push behind them. You’d be sitting on a flat ocean. It’s a real drought.

The only glimmer of hope comes on the afternoon of the 12th of August. For the first time in the whole forecast, we see a bump of 4 ft swell from the west, with a period of 6 seconds. The combined energy hits 91 – still weak, but it’s something. The wind is offshore from the west, so La Ciotat should be clean. That afternoon, it’s the one and only window for a surf. The water temp is sitting at 74° with a 0.9° anomaly, which is pretty average for the time of year. Nothing special.

After that little window on the 12th, it’s back to the poor stuff. The 13th and 14th of August show nothing but small, weak, messy conditions. Don’t bother.

The whole setup is a bust for paddle surfing. For the most part, the swell is too small and the wind is either onshore or cross-shore. Honestly, if you look at the afternoons around the 8th and 9th of August with 2 ft swell and moderate cross-onshore winds, this looks far more interesting for kite surfing than holding a surfboard.

The bottom line: there’s one day, the 12th of August, that’s a maybe. It’s the only standout and it’s not even a standout – it’s just the only game in town. The rest of the 16 days is a write-off. Don’t hold your breath; forecasts can change, but this one’s looking pretty locked in.

Rusty.

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