Hossegor - La Graviere Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Look, I've got to be straight with you – the next week and a half is a bit of a write-off for Hossegor - La Graviere. We're staring down the barrel of a long, flat spell with barely a ripple worth paddling for. The first proper surf that shows any kind of promise doesn't roll in until Friday, July 24th, and even then, it's a mixed bag with a very short window.

From now until then, you're looking at a solid 10-day gap of nothing but tiny, weak slop. The combined energy barely cracks a 54 (weak energy) for most of that time, with swell heights sitting at a pathetic 0.7 ft to 3 ft. Early on Thursday the 16th, there's a brief moment of glassy conditions with a 2 ft swell from the NNW, but it's got a period of only 6 seconds, so it's just wind chop. It's not worth getting wet for. There's a little puff of clean offshore wind on the morning of Monday the 20th, but again, the swell is a measly 1.0 ft. It's a frustrating wait.

Then, just before dawn on Friday, July 24th, things get interesting. The swell jumps to 2 ft from the WNW, and the period goes deep to 14 seconds. That's a proper groundswell pulse, and the combined energy cranks up to 310 (moderate wave energy). The wind is glassy, absolutely dead calm. This is *the* standout window. For a couple of hours in the early morning, La Graviere will have long, clean lines. It's a sandbar setup, so a long-period swell like this (over 15 seconds is very long, but 14 seconds is still significant) can sometimes make the peaks a bit fat and straight, but with perfection on the wind, it's your best shot by a mile. The water temperature is a very unusual 76°, which is 7° warmer than normal for the time of year – that's a proper anomaly.

The afternoon of the 24th gets ruined by a cross-onshore wind, so don't be late. The following morning, Saturday the 25th, sees a much bigger, raw swell hit – 7 ft from the WNW with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy explodes to 1122 (very strong wave energy). That's proper, heavy, expert-only territory at La Graviere. It's also onshore and messy, so the quality will be poor with a marginal tide. This is not a day for the faint-hearted or the average punter. The surf stays big and onshore through Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th, but it's all blown out. The only other glimmer is the morning of Wednesday, July 29th, with a 4 ft swell from the WNW, a 9-second period, and glassy offshore winds (ENE). The combined energy is 264 (moderate wave energy), and it's rated for good surf conditions. That could be a fun, clean morning with a bit of push, but it's a long way out and less certain than the Friday window.

So, to wrap it up: don't bother for the next 10 days. Set your alarm for dawn on Friday, July 24th at La Graviere for a short, sweet, glassy session on a new groundswell. After that, it's big and raw for the experts, with a possible clean-up session on the 29th.

Rusty.

Read more