Hossegor - La Graviere Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks at Hossegor - La Graviere. I’ll be honest, it’s a rough start. There’s a long stretch of poor surf, so don’t get too excited yet.

The first week is a real grind. The swell is tiny, mostly 1ft to 2ft, with a short period of 5 to 7 seconds. That’s weak, mushy stuff with hardly any energy (combined energy values are mostly in the double digits, like 46 to 89). The wind is a constant headache too – cross-onshore, onshore, or just plain messy. There are a few moments of glassy calm, like Friday morning the 7th, but the swell is just too small to do anything with. The water temp is sitting at 76°F which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, a solid 5°F above average, so at least you can leave the thick rubber at home.

We finally get a little bump of life around Friday the 14th into Saturday the 15th. The swell ticks up to 3ft - 3ft from the WNW with a period of 10 to 11 seconds, and the combined energy climbs into the low hundreds (143 to 160). But the problem is the wind – it’s either onshore or cross-onshore, keeping the surface chopped and messy. Saturday morning the 15th will be glassy with a 2ft NW swell, but it’s still just "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions" – not worth rushing out for.

The real hope, and the only standout in this whole window, is Friday the 21st of August. This is the one to circle on your calendar. We’ve got a clean 3ft WNW groundswell rolling in with a 9-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 209. That’s a solid, moderate punch. The magic is in the wind – early morning it’s glassy offshore from the E at just 3 mph. This is the only time in the whole forecast where the wind is truly offshore, and it’s going to groom that sandbar into proper Graviere walls. Expect clean, lined-up waves. It’s not a massive day, but it’s the best on offer by a long shot. La Graviere is a fairly consistent sandbar, but it’s also an advanced, exposed spot, and crowds are possible, especially on a clean morning.

The last day, Saturday the 22nd, looks like it gets messy again. The swell jumps up to 5ft - 5ft from the NW with a 10-second period, and the energy goes through the roof (475-510). But the wind is a solid 19 mph onshore from the WNW. That’s going to be a choppy, blown-out washing machine. That kind of energy and wind on a beach break setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, to sum it up: the first week and a half is a write-off. Tuesday the 11th morning might be glassy but with tiny waves. The only real standout is Friday morning, the 21st of August. That’s your window. It’s a long way out, so the forecast confidence is lower, but if it holds, it’ll be worth the wait.

Rusty.

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