La Nartelle Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s happening in the water over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it is a tough stretch. The forecast kicks off on Tuesday the 8th of September, and there is absolutely nothing to recommend. The water is flat with a combined energy of (0) – a total dead zone. The water temperature is sitting at 80°, which is a massive 9° warmer than normal for this time of year, so it feels like a bath, but that’s about the only feature. There is no swell to speak of, and the wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s just a glassy sheet of nothing. For the next few days, it stays that way.

Wednesday the 9th sees a tiny pulse of swell, only 0.7 ft from the south with a short period of 3 seconds. The combined energy is just (1) – weak. It’s not worth paddling out for. The only positive is Wednesday afternoon, when a gentle offshore wind from the WSW creates clean conditions, but the swell is too small to do anything with. Thursday and Friday stay in the same rut: little to no wave energy, with the odd bit of cross-off or clean wind, but the swell is either absent or just a micro-ripple of 0.7 ft (combined energy of 1 or 2). It’s a frustrating pattern.

Saturday the 12th brings a slight uptick. The morning shows 2 ft from the ENE with a 4-second period, and the combined energy climbs to (8). The wind is light and cross-off from the NW, so it’s clean. For a beginner wanting to bob around, that might be doable, but it’s far from exciting. The afternoon sees 2 ft from the east with a 5-second period and energy of (32), but the wind switches to a gentle cross-shore from the south, adding a bit of chop. Still, nothing to light up the day.

Then we hit the real dead zone. From Sunday the 13th right through to Monday the 21st of September, the surf is practically non-existent. Day after day of zeros or sub-1m energy, with the occasional tiny 0.7 ft or 1.0 ft spike. The wind is often clean or cross-off, but there is simply no swell to ride. It’s a long, quiet stretch.

Finally, the last couple of days of the forecast window show a glimmer. Tuesday the 22nd of September sees a legitimate bump. The morning delivers 6 ft from the east with a 6-second period, and the combined energy jumps to (191) – moderate wave energy. The wind is strong from the WNW at 28 mph, but it’s cross-off, so the waves will be clean. The afternoon pushes up to 7 ft from the east with a 7-second period, and energy hits (479) – now we’re talking. However, that wind is still howling out of the NW at 25 mph. For a beginner, anything over 5 ft is too big, and at 7 ft, this is really only for experienced surfers. La Nartelle is a sheltered beginner spot, so with this size and strong wind, the setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The swell direction is from the east, which matches the optimum for this break, but the period is short (7 seconds), so it’s windswell, not groundswell – it’ll be a bit crumbly, not that clean, lined-up wave.

Wednesday the 23rd drops off quickly. The morning shows 3 ft from the ESE with a 5-second period (energy 64), and the wind is light and cross-off, so it’s clean. The afternoon goes to 2 ft from the east, period 5 seconds (energy 35), with a light cross-onshore breeze. Nothing special.

The standout window is the afternoon of Tuesday the 22nd of September. That’s your best bet, but only if you’re an experienced surfer comfortable with 7 ft, strong cross-off wind, and a short-period, choppy wave. Don’t expect perfection. For the rest of us, it’s a long wait for very little payoff.

Rusty.

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