Lacanau Ocean Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good, long look at what’s coming down the line for Lacanau Ocean. It’s a bit of a slow burner this time, but there’s some serious potential hiding in the second week if you’ve got the patience and the skills.

Right now, the opening days are pretty flat and messy. The first solid sign of life doesn't show up until Wednesday morning, the 26th of August. We’ve got a tiny 2ft swell rolling in from the west, but the real story is the wind. It’s a clean, gentle offshore breeze from the east, making for some tidy, lined-up waves. The water is feeling much warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 77°F, so the rubber will be thin. The energy is weak though, with a combined swell energy of just 45. It’s a small, clean session for the longboard or a foamie, but don't expect much push.

Thursday the 27th starts with a glassy, 2ft west swell, but the sky is threatening a thunderstorm. The energy is still low (28). It’s surfable, but hardly a standout.

We hit a real rough patch from Friday the 28th through the start of September. The swell tries to build, hitting 7ft on Friday morning and even 8ft on Friday afternoon, but the wind is howling onshore from the west-southwest at 15-22 mph. It’s a complete washing machine. The combined energy spikes to 811, but with that wind, it’s a write-off for a paddle board. Frankly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

That windy, messy pattern hangs around through the weekend and into Monday the 31st of August. The swell stays in the 4ft to 6ft range, but it’s constantly cross-on or onshore, creating a choppy, bumpy surface.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Tuesday morning, the 1st of September. The swell drops to a clean 5ft from the west-northwest, and the wind swings to a light, cross-offshore breeze from the east-northeast. The combined energy is a solid 425, and the period holds at 10 seconds. This is a proper surfable session with clean faces and a bit of grunt. It’s the best call in the first week, but it’s a short window.

Wednesday and Thursday of that week are a bit of a letdown again, with smaller, choppy waves.

Now, we get to the real standout. Mark your calendars for Saturday morning, the 5th of September. We’ve got a 5ft groundswell from the west-northwest with a very long period of 12 seconds. The combined energy hits 579, and it’s only a light cross-onshore breeze. This is a proper, powerful swell. The long period will make the waves at Lacanau Ocean (Gironde) feel punchy and well-shaped, but it might break a bit straight on the beach. For a point break or a rivermouth, this would be heaven. Still, for a surfer ready for some size and power, this is the session to target.

The final big call is a huge one, but it’s a monster. On Monday afternoon, the 7th of September, a massive 10ft west swell arrives with an incredibly long 18-second period. The combined energy is a staggering 5755. The wind is light and cross-shore, so the conditions could be clean, but this is way too big for anyone but serious experts. This is a serious, raw ocean.

Overall, the best two windows are Tuesday morning, the 1st of September, for clean, solid fun, and Saturday morning, the 5th of September, for the power and size of a true groundswell.

Rusty.

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