La Tranche sur Mer Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for our stretch of coast.

Right off the bat, I’ve gotta be honest with you – it’s a rough start. For the first handful of days, from now through to the end of the month, the waves are pretty much a write-off. We’ve got tiny, weak swell and messy wind. You’ll be looking at a whole lot of nothing, or close to it. The combined swell energy is barely registering, with values as low as 13 and 6. Don’t bother paddling out.

Things start to shift a bit by Sunday the 30th of August. The morning session is the first real chance, but it’s nothing to write home about. We’ve got a 3ft swell coming from the WSW, period around 8 seconds. The wind is light and cross-offshore though, so it’ll be clean. The energy is still weak at 140, and it’s just surfable – ordinary but at least you won’t be paddling on glass. I’d still keep expectations low.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Monday the 31st of August shows some real potential. The afternoon sees a 5ft WSW groundswell, with a period of 8 seconds, and it’s clean with a cross-off breeze. The combined energy jumps up to a solid 349 – that’s moderate power. The notes say the swell might actually be a bit much for this break, which is a heads-up. For the experienced crew, this could be the pick of the week. The wind’s favourable, the waves have some push to them.

Tuesday the 1st of September is also a standout. Morning has a light offshore wind and a 4ft swell from the west, period hitting 10 seconds – proper groundswell. The energy is moderate at 303. The afternoon is slightly bigger at 4ft, with the same quality, but the wind swings a bit cross-off. Again, it’s flagged as maybe a touch big for this spot, but for a competent surfer, these two days are the best on offer across this whole outlook. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

After that, we drift into a long stretch of poor conditions. From the 2nd of September all the way through the 5th, it’s mostly small, wind-affected, or just messy. The swell drops right off, and the wind cranks up. It’s not worth the effort.

Then, on Sunday the 7th of September, we get a wild card. The afternoon shows a 4ft swell from the west, but with a period of 22 seconds – that’s very long period groundswell. The combined energy is a massive 1982, which is strong. It’ll be clean. But the wind is a near gale at 31 mph. For most of us, that’s a kite-surfing setup, not a paddle session. This spot is a beach/jetty setup, so with that much power and wind, it’s going to be a handful and not a pleasant one for a regular surfer.

Finally, Monday the 8th of September brings the biggest swell of the forecast. Morning sees a 8ft WSW groundswell with a 15-second period, and offshore wind from the NW. The energy is huge – 2294. This is expert territory only. It’s flagged as too big for this break, so unless you’re a local charger with a gun, sit this one out. The afternoon drops to a still-serious 6ft. The following day, the 9th of September, drops back to a weaker 3ft and is only marginal.

So, to sum it up: the start is a bust, the best windows are the 31st of August and the 1st of September for solid, clean waves, and the 8th of September is for experts only if they’re game. Keep an eye on that long-range stuff, but don’t lock in any plans yet.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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