La Tranche sur Mer Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at our local stretch for the next couple of weeks. It’s gonna be a mixed bag, with some real flat spells and a couple of late-month pulses that might get the blood pumping, but you’ll need patience.

Right now, things are pretty meek. We start with small, weak swell. Thursday morning the 13th at La Tranche sur Mer is just about rideable with waves around 2ft from the west, but the energy is low (64). Still, the wind is light offshore out of the WNW, so it’s clean if you’re on a longboard or just want to get wet. The water is sitting at 70°, pretty normal for this time of year. The afternoon gets messy as the wind picks up to 15 mph, so don’t bother.

Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th are more of the same—tiny 2ft to 2ft west swell. Light offshore on Friday morning keeps it tidy, and Saturday afternoon actually gets a moderate offshore breeze, but the wave energy is dropping into the 40s and 60s. It’s small, weak, and only for the most determined.

Then we hit a dead zone. From Sunday afternoon the 16th all the way through Wednesday the 20th morning, it’s mostly flat. We’re looking at swell heights below 2ft, combined energy readings in the single digits and low teens, and mostly cross-off winds that just make it feel lifeless. This is a proper gap of a few days with nothing on offer.

But, eyes on Thursday the 20th afternoon. A new groundswell starts building, and it’s got some legs. The morning shows 3ft at a long 12-second period from the west, with solid moderate energy (264). The afternoon kicks it up to 4ft with an 11-second period and strong energy (298). Here’s the rub: the forecast calls for a fresh 19 mph offshore wind, which cleans it up, but it also says the swell might be too big for this break. It’s a beach/jetty setup, and that long-period west swell can be a bit tricky—it might wall up and close out. If you’re experienced and can handle the current, it might be the best we see for a while, but for beginners, this is a no-go. The stand-out in the entire window is likely here, but proceed with a healthy dose of caution.

Friday the 21st is a step down. Morning has rideable 2ft west swell (energy 132) but a cross-off wind, while the afternoon gets blown out by 19 mph again and more energy (244) but with poor quality. The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd is back to flatness—under 1ft. Not worth the paddle.

Then we see something interesting late in the game. On Tuesday the 25th afternoon, a bump of lumpy 6ft west-southwest swell hits with short 8-second period and strong energy (327). Strong cross-off wind, but again, the model suggests it might be too big for this spot. Wednesday the 26th morning really ramps up: 6ft from the west, short period of 8 seconds, and very strong energy (714). That’s a lot of water moving. Again, the commentary flags it as potentially too big for the break. For a beach/jetty, that much short-period, wind-affected swell is going to be a washing machine. More interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, honestly. The 26th afternoon settles back to 3ft but remains messy.

So, to wrap it up: the next few days are a write-off. The only real pulse worth checking is Thursday the 20th late afternoon if you’re brave and skilled, and maybe the very last days (25th-26th) if you want to watch something big and unruly roll through. It’s a long haul between waves, but that’s the coast for you sometimes. Stay tuned.

- Rusty

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