
Surf Forecasts:
Lacanau Ocean surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 19 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 14s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period, WNW swell with 1,336 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 15 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period with NW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Lacanau Ocean this week:
The surf forecast for Lacanau Ocean over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Lacanau Ocean in the next 16 days are 1.8m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 2s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 20) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 19th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Fri 18th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lacanau Ocean over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what the ocean’s got cookin’ for the next couple of weeks. It’s gonna be a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s get into it.
The first few days are a write-off, plain and simple. We're looking at a lot of onshore junk and chop messing up any chance of a decent wave. The swell is weak and the wind is all over the shop, so you’re better off doing something else. This flat, poor spell is going to stretch on for a few days, and it’s not going to be pretty.
Now, the first real hope comes on Thursday morning, September 17th. It’s the first time the conditions line up. We’ve got a clean 5ft of west-northwest swell, and that's being pushed by a light cross-offshore breeze. The energy is moderate, with a combined energy reading of 460. It’s not huge, but it’ll be the first clean surf we’ve seen all week. This is looking like a proper little window.
But the standout, the one to really circle on the calendar, is the Saturday morning session on September 19th. That’s where it’s at. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the west-northwest, the period stretches out to 13 seconds, giving it some real push and shape. With that light offshore wind, Lacanau Ocean is going to be clean, lined up, and firing. The energy is strong too, with the combined energy hitting 781, which is a big jump from anything else we’ve seen. This is the one. Set your alarm.
After that, we’ll see a drop in size for Sunday, but there’s still some fun to be had with a clean 3ft on Sunday morning, the 20th. It’s not as powerful, but with the light offshore wind it’ll be clean and user-friendly. The mornings continue to be your best bet through the start of next week. Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd both have clean, glassy mornings, but the afternoons get chopped up by the sea breeze. You gotta be an early bird.
The swell fades away a bit after that, dropping down to the 2ft range by mid-week. It’s small, but the mornings are still clean. Then we get another pulse, a smaller but cleaner one, kicking in for the morning of Friday, September 25th. It’s back up to a glassy 3ft. Not a giant, but a fun one if the conditions hold. After that, it’s a slow fade into smaller surf again, with a few clean mornings but not much power behind them. The window for that Saturday the 19th is the clear winner here. Don’t sleep on it.
The water is much warmer than usual for this time of year, sitting at 73°, which is a solid 4° above the long-term average. That’s a noticeable difference, so you might not need as thick a wetsuit.
So, there you have it. A few quiet days, a couple of good mornings, and one proper standout session. Keep your eye on that Saturday. Get out there and enjoy it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Warm (max 20°C on Sat night, min 15°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | NW 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | NW 6 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 15 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
146 | 46 | 46 | 39 | 111 | 125 | 290 | 386 | 460 | 372 | 263 | 255 | 387 | 1336 | 781 | 551 | 317 | 247 | 214 | 220 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:24PM3.92m | 7:38AM3.75m | 7:55PM3.62m | 8:07AM3.50m | 8:26PM3.30m | 8:38AM3.23m | 9:02PM2.98m | 9:19AM2.96m | 9:59PM2.69m | 10:40AM2.72m | 00:08AM2.53m | 12:52PM2.69m | 1:46AM2.64m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:23AM0.26m | 1:40PM0.34m | 1:58AM0.55m | 2:18PM0.63m | 2:35AM0.87m | 3:00PM0.96m | 3:18AM1.19m | 3:50PM1.27m | 4:13AM1.47m | 4:59PM1.51m | 5:31AM1.63m | 6:34PM1.56m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | |
8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 26 |
Feels °C | 24 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 11 | NW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 |
146 | 42 | 46 | 39 | 47 | 99 | 290 | 386 | 460 | 372 | 263 | 255 | 261 | 1336 | 781 | 551 | 317 | 247 | 214 | 220 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | W 8 | WNW 10 | — | WNW 12 | — | — | — | W 16 | WNW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 13 |
— | 46 | 23 | 20 | 5 | 125 | — | 117 | — | — | — | 21 | 387 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 101 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNW 3 | W 13 | W 12 | SW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 2 | 3 | 12 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NW 3 | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | N 4 | — | NNW 3 | — |
— | — | — | 2 | 111 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 7 | — | 2 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 161 | 0 | 0 | 458 | 172 | 54 | 211 | 70 | 0 | 116 | 62 | 134 | 161 | 53 | 0 | 161 | 88 | 0 | 70 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gironde | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in France | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Lacanau Ocean Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Lacanau Ocean provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Lacanau Ocean can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Lacanau Ocean surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Lacanau Ocean) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Lacanau Ocean may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Lacanau Ocean is 38 km (24 miles) from Arcachon. If you plan a holiday in Gironde, look for hotels and other accommodation in Arcachon. Arcachon has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










