Lacanau Ocean Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a lean stretch ahead. We’re looking at a long, slow start. The first few days have got next to nothing worth paddling out for. From Tuesday the 18th through to the 22nd, conditions are poor, with tiny, weak swell and mostly onshore winds messing things up. The water temp is sitting at a balmy 78°, which is 6° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, almost like summer’s hanging on a bit too long around here.

We finally get a tiny window for a surf on the morning of Sunday the 23rd. The break is Lacanau Ocean. It’s a consistent, exposed beach, and the early session sees a small 2 ft swell from the NW with a short 7-second period, so the energy is weak (50). The good news is we’ve got a light cross-offshore breeze, so it’ll be clean. But honestly, it’s barely surfable, just ordinary ripples. If you’re desperate for a little glide, it’s an option, but don’t expect much.

After that, we hit another flat spell. Monday and Tuesday the 24th and 25th are back to poor, tiny waves and onshore winds. The energy is pitiful, with combined energy readings staying in the double digits (13 to 73). It’s a real struggle.

Things start to look a bit more promising around Wednesday the 26th. The morning session sees a clean 3 ft swell from the WNW with a moderate 8-second period (energy 95) and a light cross-offshore breeze from the SSE. It’s still small, but it’s clean and surfable. Then the afternoon picks up a bit more – 5 ft from the W, 8-second period, with a light cross-onshore breeze (energy 245). It’s marginal, but it’s the first real bump in size we’ve seen.

Now, the standout to keep an eye on – and I mean really keep an eye on – is the big pulse that arrives on the morning of Thursday the 27th. We’re talking a solid 8 ft swell from the W, with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 1052 – that’s strong wave energy. But here’s the catch: the wind is howling, a fresh 35 km/h cross-onshore from the WSW, turning it into a lumpy, stormy mess. This is serious size, over 8 ft, so it’s for experts only. The conditions are poor, so it’s more of a raw, powerful beast than a clean, rideable wave. Honestly, given the strong wind and the beach setup, this might be more interesting for the kite crew than paddle surfers. The afternoon stays big at 7 ft, but the wind is ripping 40 km/h onshore, making it grim.

The swell hangs around into Friday the 28th, with 5 ft to 6 ft from the W (10-second period, energy 470 to 711), but the wind is still onshore and strong, so the quality is poor. It’s a lot of water moving, but not a lot of fun.

The following weekend – Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th – sees the swell drop back. Saturday morning has a 4 ft swell from the W with a 9-second period (energy 269) and a light onshore wind, so it’s marginal. Sunday morning, the 30th, offers a clean 2 ft from the WNW with a 7-second period and a light cross-offshore wind from the NE, so it’s clean but small.

Then, on the last day of the month, Monday the 31st, we finally get a proper window. The wind goes glassy – zero wind – in the afternoon, with a small 4 ft swell from the WSW. The period is short, only 5 seconds, so it’s a bit weak (energy 80), but if you’re patient, the glassy conditions will make it feel a lot better than the size suggests. The morning also has a clean 2 ft swell with a light offshore ESE wind.

As we roll into the first week of September, things get small again. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd are back to poor, onshore, tiny waves.

So, the best on offer? The afternoon of Monday the 31st of August is my pick. It’s a long way off, but the glassy wind and clean conditions at Lacanau Ocean (France) make it the most promising session for a fun, relaxed paddle. The other standout is the Thursday morning pulse on the 27th of August, but that’s a big, stormy beast for experts only. If you’re not experienced, give that one a miss. For the rest of it, it’s a case of picking your moments and being patient.

Rusty.

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