Hossegor - La Graviere Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – if you’re looking to score waves at Hossegor’s La Graviere over this whole stretch, you’re going to be doing a lot of waiting. The forecast is a pretty bleak run of poor surf conditions from now until late August, with only a couple of flickers that might get you out of bed.

The real drag is the pattern. For the next week and a half, we’ve got weak swell mixing with onshore or cross-onshore winds from the west and northwest, and that’s a recipe for bumpy, blown-out slop. The first real break in the grimness comes early on Thursday the 20th of August. Right then, it goes glassy – dead calm – and there’s a bit of a clean-up with a 2 ft swell out of the northwest, 11-second period. The combined energy is only moderate at 125, but that glassy wind is a major positive. The catch? It’s just “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” for a score of 1 out of 10, so we’re talking small, weak walls. Still, if you’re desperate, that’s your window for the cleanest wave of the first ten days.

Then the pattern stays flat and crummy. We’ve got a stretch from the 21st of August right through the 23rd where the swell tries to pick up to around 5 ft on Friday morning, but the combined energy jumps to a more moderate 453, so there’s some push. Problem is, it’s all under a steady onshore flow, thick with poor conditions. Not worth the paddle.

The next real standout pops up on Monday the 24th of August, early morning. Glassy conditions again with an offshore breeze from the northeast, dead calm. Swell is a tiny 3 ft from the north-northwest, with a weak 7-second period, and energy at just 98. It’s small and gutless, but it’s clean – and on a sandbar like La Graviere, clean is king. Then Tuesday the 25th morning repeats the trick: glassy, offshore easterly breeze, same 3 ft from the north-northwest, but the period stays short at 8 seconds and energy is still only 143. Both mornings are rated a 1 out of 10 for “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” but if you’ve got a foamie or a log, it’s the best you’ll get.

After that, it’s more of the same until the 27th of August, when a light offshore easterly kicks in, but the swell drops to a pathetic 1 ft from the northwest with a 10-second period and energy of only 43. That’s barely a ripple.

The standout: I’d point you toward that glassy, offshore morning of Monday the 24th of August. It’s not big – just 3 ft from the north-northwest – but the wind will be off and dead calm, making those small, clean lines at La Graviere about as fun as this forecast can offer. Bring your longboard and low expectations. After that, the 25th of August morning is a near-repeat.

Given the near-constant poor surf and onshore wind for most of the window, this is more a week for chilling on the beach than charging the peak. If the swell and wind were any stronger, I’d say this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, but as it is, it’s just flat and frustrating. The water temp is sitting at 75°F, which is about a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least the dip won’t sting.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the forecast, but if you’re planning a trip this fortnight, don’t get your hopes up.

Rusty.

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