La Tranche sur Mer Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what we’ve got for the next couple of weeks. Straight up, it’s lean. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak conditions, so we’ll have to wait for a bit of life to show.

The forecast kicks off with nothing worth paddling out for. We’ve got a run of days with tiny swells, mostly under 2 ft, and the energy is low, often in the weak range. The water temp at La Tranche sur Mer is sitting at 69°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a little bonus, but not enough to make the surf good.

For the first week, from Tuesday July 7th right through to Thursday July 16th, it’s a write-off. The swell is tiny, the periods are short (5 to 11 seconds), and the combined energy is just not there. There are a couple of afternoons where the wind goes clean, like Tuesday afternoon July 7th with a cross-offshore breeze, but the waves are still only 1 ft. Not a wave worth chasing. Thursday afternoon July 9th gives us a 2 ft swell from the west with a 10-second period and moderate cross-offshore wind, but the combined energy is still weak. Nothing doing.

The only flicker of hope in the first week comes on Saturday afternoon July 11th. The swell is still only 2 ft from the west, but the period stretches to 11 seconds and the combined energy hits 96. That’s the highest energy we see during that long flat spell. You could possibly find a knee-high roller on a good sandbank, but it’s a gamble.

Sunday afternoon July 12th offers a moment of peace with glassy conditions – a 1 ft west swell with a 9-second period. It will be clean, but the size is laughable. Not a serious surf session.

We then get a full gap of no real surf from Monday July 13th right through the week. The swell drops to 0.3 ft and the energy is pathetic. It’s a proper drought.

Now, the standouts finally appear in the third week. Friday July 17th is when things get interesting. The morning sees a 2 ft west swell with a short 7-second period and clean conditions from a cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is 49, still moderate, but it’s a step up. The afternoon is better: the swell builds to 3 ft from the WSW, period still at 7 seconds, and the energy climbs to 84. Still a short-period swell, so the waves will be a bit crumbly, but at least you’ll have something to push against. That’s easily the best session of the entire run.

Monday July 20th is another one to watch, especially in the afternoon. The morning is messy with a risk of thunderstorms, a strong cross-onshore from the SSW at 18 mph, and the swell at 3 ft from the WSW. Not great. But the afternoon gets a bump: the swell hits 4 ft from the WSW with an 8-second period and a cross-offshore wind that cleans it up. The combined energy jumps up to 151 (moderate wave energy). That’s the biggest swell of the entire forecast, and with clean conditions, this could be a fun session if you’re not a beginner. At 4 ft, it’s still okay for most intermediates, but it’s getting punchy enough to be fun.

As for the break itself, La Tranche sur Mer is a beach/jetty setup, exposed to the swell. It’s fairly consistent but crowds are possible here. The optimum swell direction is WSW, and the best swells on offer are coming from the west or WSW, so that’s on the money. The water temperature anomaly is a touch warmer than normal, as I mentioned, so you won’t be freezing your toes off.

Overall, if you’re desperate for a paddle, the call is Friday July 17th afternoon and Monday July 20th afternoon. The rest is a flat, wind-affected snoozefest. Surf is coming, but you’ll have to be patient.

Rusty

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