Capbreton - La Piste Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Capbreton - La Piste has got cooking for us over this sixteen-day stretch.

Honestly, it's a pretty grim run to start with. We're looking at a solid week of nothing worth paddling out for. The water is sitting at a very warm 76°F, which is a whopping 5°F warmer than usual for mid-August, so it feels more like a swimming pool than the Atlantic.

The first sign of any real swell energy doesn't show its face until Thursday, the 20th. We've got a 3ft northwest swell rolling in with a period of 11 seconds, giving us moderate energy (180). The morning is glassy, a real treat, making those waves look clean. The size is small, though, and the conditions are just ordinary. It’s not the day to get excited about.

Friday the 21st is the standout in this whole outlook. The morning session is your best bet. A 5ft northwest swell with a solid 10-second period is pushing in, creating moderate wave energy (408). But the real winner is the wind: a light northeast breeze, blowing cross-offshore. That means clean, lined-up waves. For a spot that is fairly exposed and handles a west swell best, this is about as good as it's going to get. It's still a bit small for a truly epic day, but it's clean and surfable.

The weekend after that, on the 22nd, offers a glimmer, with a 4ft north-west swell and proper offshore winds from the east in the morning. The energy is back to moderate (187), but it’s not as strong as Friday. Crowds are often a factor here, so if you're heading out Friday morning, expect company.

After that, it's a long, dry spell. The swell just dies, and the wind turns onshore or cross-shore for days on end. There's nothing worth mentioning until Sunday the 30th, a full week and a half away. That morning sees a solid pulse: a 5ft northwest swell with a 12-second period, giving us strong combined energy (669). That's a proper swell. The problem is the cross-onshore wind. It's a mixed bag—decent size, long period, but messy wind. Then Monday the 31st has a 4ft swell, but again, the wind is onshore. These late days are promising in size but are let down by the conditions.

For a beginner, anything over 5ft could be a handful, and that 5ft on the 30th is right on the edge. For an expert, that's a fun size, but the wind is a buzzkill.

So, to put it simply: the entire first half of the forecast is a write-off. Your one true shot is Friday morning, the 21st of August. It won't be pumping, but it'll be clean. The run from the 23rd to the 29th is a total flat spell. The two days at the very end of the month have the size but the wind is against us. Keep an eye on that long-range forecast, but for now, don't book the time off.

- Rusty

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