Capbreton - La Piste Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at the charts for Capbreton - La Piste over the next couple of weeks, and I gotta be straight with you… it’s a tough stretch. The water is sitting at a very unusual 76°, which is about 6° warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least the water temp’s got a nice vibe, but the surf? Man, it’s a struggle.

We kick off around the 21st of July, and right out of the gate, there’s nothing doing. Tiny little 3-ft swell from the NNW with a short, weak 6-second period and combined wave energy a measly 84. The wind’s coming from the NW, not helping at all – it’s a messy little cross-onshore. That sets the tone for a real dry spell. The 22nd is smaller, 2-ft, and the 23rd sees a bit of glass in the morning but the swell’s still gutless at 2-ft and 38 energy. Thursday the 24th morning goes glassy again, but we’re still scraping the bottom of the barrel with 2-ft.

Then things get a bit spicy, but not in a good way for paddling. On Saturday the 25th, a fresh westerly wind howls in at 22 mph, ramping the swell up to 7-ft from the west, with wave energy jumping to 371 (moderate). The period is still short at 7 seconds, and that wind is onshore and nasty. It’s chopped up and blown out. For a beach-and-reef setup like La Piste, this is looking more interesting for the kite crew than anyone on a surfboard. Sunday the 26th is still too messy.

We finally get a little window of hope on the morning of Monday the 28th. It’s still only a 4-ft NW groundswell with a longer 9-second period, but the wind goes offshore from the ENE at 3 mph! That’s clean. The combined energy is 203, so there’s a bit of push. It’s not epic – just “surfable” – but after a whole week of nothing, this is the standout. The afternoon goes cross-shore, so hit it early.

After that, Tuesday the 29th morning is dead calm, glassy, but the swell drops back to 3-ft. Pretty weak. The rest of the run into the first week of August is a washout. The 31st and the first few days of August see onshore winds and small, junky swell. There’s a real gap of several days where there’s genuinely no recommendation worth paddling for. Even the long-period NW groundswell showing up around the 27th and 28th isn’t enough to save the quality.

So the honest truth… if you’re jonesing for a surf, your best bet is that Monday the 28th morning. It’s not going to be a classic, but it’s the closest thing to a clean wave we get in this whole 16-day run. Otherwise, the forecast is a tough one to work with.

Rusty.

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