Lacanau Ocean Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up.

Honestly, the next couple of weeks look pretty grim for a proper surf. The opening week is a write-off with weak swell, rubbish winds, and poor conditions. There’s a small glimmer right at the very end of the forecast, but it’s a long way off and comes with a major catch. You’ll be waiting until late August before anything even starts to look interesting.

From now through to about the 22nd of August, it’s flat and messy. We’re talking tiny swell – under 3 ft most days – with cross-shore or onshore winds messing up what little there is. The wave energy is weak, often well under 100 (combined energy of all swells directed here will be low, like 24, 43, 55, that kind of range). The water temp at Lacanau Ocean is sitting at 77°F with a 6°F anomaly, so that’s much warmer than normal for this time of year – a weird one for sure.

There’s a slight tease around the 22nd morning. For the first time in days we get a light cross-offshore breeze from the NE at only 5 km/h (3 mph), and the water goes clean. But the swell is tiny – 2 ft from the NW – and the period is short at 6 seconds, so it’s barely a ripple. The energy is only 45 (weak), so honestly, you’re just floating around out there. Not worth paddling out for.

After that, it’s back to nothing or junk until the 27th of August. That Thursday morning, a new west swell pushes in at 5 ft with an 8-second period. The combined energy jumps to 331 (moderate), and the wind is light from the S – cross-shore – so the conditions are workable. The afternoon looks even better with light SSE winds going cross-offshore and the water cleaning up. This is the first real *chance* for a surf in two weeks. But the swell direction is west, and the guidance says Lacanau Ocean is best with a W swell, so that’s a good match. Crowds could be a problem here though – it’s listed as "sometimes" packed, so expect some company if you go.

Now for the 28th and 29th of August. Swell size jumps up – 7 ft to 10 ft from the WNW, with a long period of 10 to 13 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy is massive: 803 on the Friday, over 2300 on the Saturday. This is serious-wave territory. But here’s the catch – the wind is a nightmare. Strong to near-gale onshores from the WSW and NW, gusting to 50 km/h (31 mph). The surf will be a messy, blown-out, dangerous soup. For anyone but experts, this is a no-go. And even for experts, the wind will make it sketchy. If the wind had been offshore, this would be a standout, but as it is, it’s one to watch from the beach. At these sizes and with that gusty cross-onshore, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Overall, the only window that’s even worth mentioning is the 27th of August. If you can wait that long, the light winds and solid 5 ft W swell should give you some clean, surfable waves. Everything before that is a bust.

Rusty.

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