Surf Forecasts:
Lacanau Ocean surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, W swell with 1,016 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 10s period with WNW 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 01) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 10s period. 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 2.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lacanau Ocean over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let’s take a look at what’s coming our way down at Lacanau-Ocean.
To be honest, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty average for us here. The swell is mostly up and down but the real issue is the wind. For the first several days, we’ve got a window of surf but it's plagued by onshore and cross-onshore winds, keeping things messy and choppy. The water temp at the start is a standout, sitting at 76°, which is a huge 6° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s really unusual and feels like bathwater for late August.
From Friday the 28th through to Monday the 31st, there’s a decent push of West to West-northwest swell running around 5 ft to 6 ft. The combined energy is moderate, hitting 400 to 540 (kilojoules or whatever we call it). But the wind is your enemy here – cross-onshore from the Southwest or West all the way. The waves will be lumpy and pretty poor quality, not really worth paddling out for.
We get a tiny break on Tuesday morning, September 1st. The swell drops to 4 ft from the West-northwest with a 10-second period, and the wind goes cross-shore from the North at only 3 mph, almost glassy. Combined energy is still moderate at 307. This is probably the cleanest window in the first week, but the swell direction isn’t ideal for Lacanau’s open beach setup, and the shape will be so-so. A marginal call at best, but if you’re desperate, it’s the least choppy option.
After that, from Tuesday afternoon onward, the swell really fades. We’re looking at drops to 3 ft and smaller, with mostly messy wind. There’s a good gap from about September 3rd to the 7th where the swell is tiny, under 3 ft, and even though we get some glassy mornings on the 3rd and 5th, the wave height is just too small to get excited about. Combined energy is weak, mostly below 100.
There’s a slight pulse around the 6th with a 3 ft swell and a very long 12-second period from the West-northwest. That’s a proper groundswell, but it’s small and the wind is onshore. For a beach break like Lacanau, long period swells can be too straight and close out, so not great.
The second week, from the 8th to the 12th, stays small and inconsistent. We see a little lift on the 8th with a 4 ft northwest swell, but it’s cross-onshore. Nothing really stands out as a proper session.
If I had to pick the best of a mediocre bunch, it’s Tuesday morning, September 1st, for the cleanest conditions, but don’t expect much. The real standout is the water temperature – it’s weirdly warm.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 20°C on Sun afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Fri night, light winds from the S by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 18°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | ||||||||||||||
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) | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
388 | 1016 | 533 | 339 | 452 | 454 | 337 | 290 | 471 | 540 | 433 | 307 | 258 | 116 | 96 | 86 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 93 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:46PM4.04m | 6:04AM3.85m | 6:16PM4.11m | 6:34AM3.90m | 6:46PM4.11m | 7:04AM3.89m | 7:18PM4.02m | 7:37AM3.80m | 7:53PM3.85m | 8:12AM3.65m | 8:33PM3.60m | 8:55AM3.44m | 9:25PM3.31m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:47PM0.15m | 11:57AM0.17m | 00:19AM0.06m | 12:31PM0.11m | 00:53AM0.05m | 1:06PM0.13m | 1:29AM0.14m | 1:44PM0.23m | 2:07AM0.32m | 2:26PM0.42m | 2:51AM0.57m | 3:15PM0.67m | 3:43AM0.87m | |||||||
— | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | |
8:50 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:44 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:38 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 |
Feels °C | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | — | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 10 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 |
388 | — | 533 | 339 | 452 | 454 | — | 290 | 471 | 540 | 433 | 307 | 258 | 116 | 96 | — | 36 | 37 | 37 | 93 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | — | — | — |
12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 10 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | — | WNW 8 | NW 4 | — | NNW 2 | — |
— | 1016 | — | — | — | — | 337 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19 | — | 86 | 7 | — | 1 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 211 | 169 | 108 | 211 | 62 | 47 | 62 | 143 | 116 | 62 | 11 | 53 | 185 | 143 | 96 | 151 | 11 | 88 | 415 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gironde | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in France | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











