Surf Forecasts:
Lacanau Ocean surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 13s period, WNW swell with 987 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m 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 1.7m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Sat 5th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lacanau Ocean over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Lacanau Ocean. The water is sitting at 74°F—that’s much warmer than normal for this time of year, a real bonus. After a rough start, there are a few windows of clean, rideable surf, but you’ll need to pick your moments.
The week starts poorly. Monday morning (31st August) has a WNW swell at 6ft, but the wind is onshore and the wave energy is moderate (644), with poor surf. Monday afternoon is no better, with a cross-on breeze and marginal conditions.
Things turn on Tuesday morning (1st September). A 5ft WNW swell, period around 10 seconds, and a light cross-off wind from the NE keep things clean. The energy is moderate (356), and the surf is expected to be good. That’s your first real window. Tuesday afternoon gets messy with a cross-shore breeze, so make the most of the morning.
Wednesday (2nd September) and Thursday (3rd September) drop off—swell below 2ft, weak energy, and poor conditions. Friday (4th September) is the same. A dry spell.
Then Saturday morning (5th September) brings a nice pulse: a 5ft WNW swell with a long 14-second period, and the energy jumps to 756. The wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s a bit choppy, but there’s real power. This one is marginal due to tide, but worth watching. Saturday afternoon is a bit bigger at 6ft but the moderate cross-shore breeze makes it messier.
Sunday morning (6th September) is another standout. A 4ft WNW swell, 11 seconds, light cross-off wind from the ENE, and moderate energy (341). The surf is clean and good. That’s a solid morning session. Sunday afternoon gets cross-shore again.
Monday (7th September) and Tuesday (8th September) mornings have small, clean surf with light offshore winds, but the swell is tiny—2ft and 3ft respectively. Tuesday morning has a 3ft W swell at 12 seconds, clean conditions, and moderate energy (223). Surfable but nothing special.
Wednesday (9th September) morning is glassy, but the swell is only 2ft. Not much.
Thursday (10th September) morning brings a 6ft W swell, but the period is short at 8 seconds, and the wind is cross-shore, so it’s choppy and jumbled. Marginal. Thursday afternoon jumps to 7ft—still short period, cross-shore wind, and energy drops to 437. That’s big enough for experts only, but conditions are poor.
The pattern fades out. Friday (11th September) through to Monday (14th September) mornings offer small, clean waves with light offshore winds, but the swell is between 1ft and 4ft, and the energy is weak to moderate. Ordinary surf.
Then Tuesday (15th September) morning shows promise: a 5ft W swell with a long 14-second period, and strong energy (973). The wind is light and cross-shore, so it’s a bit messy but the power is there. That’s your best bet in the second week, but it’s marginal due to tide and the breeze is not ideal.
Overall, the standout sessions are Tuesday morning (1st September) and Sunday morning (6th September)—clean conditions, moderate swell, good energy. For the long-range, Saturday morning (5th September) and Tuesday morning (15th September) have the most power but need a bit of luck.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon morning. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu night, min 17°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
644 | 698 | 500 | 356 | 312 | 143 | 79 | 69 | 25 | 21 | 68 | 82 | 58 | 73 | 121 | 756 | 987 | 585 | 341 | 242 | 111 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:18PM4.02m | 7:37AM3.80m | 7:53PM3.85m | 8:12AM3.65m | 8:33PM3.60m | 8:55AM3.44m | 9:25PM3.31m | 9:55AM3.19m | 10:46PM3.02m | 11:33AM3.03m | 00:40AM2.94m | 1:19PM3.12m | 2:10AM3.11m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:06PM0.13m | 1:29AM0.14m | 1:44PM0.23m | 2:07AM0.32m | 2:26PM0.42m | 2:51AM0.57m | 3:15PM0.67m | 3:43AM0.87m | 4:16PM0.93m | 4:49AM1.13m | 5:36PM1.10m | 6:14AM1.24m | 7:08PM1.05m | ||||||||
7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | |
— | 8:44 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 28 | 29 |
Feels °C | 19 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 22 | 24 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 |
644 | 698 | 500 | 356 | 312 | 143 | 79 | — | 25 | 21 | 68 | 82 | 58 | 73 | 121 | 756 | 987 | 585 | 341 | 242 | 111 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | — | — | — | — | W 15 | — | — | NNW 5 | — | — | N 4 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 14 | — | — | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NW 4 | NW 8 | NW 4 | — | NW 2 | NNW 4 | — | NNW 4 | NW 4 | — | — | NE 3 | ENE 3 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 11 | 4 | 69 | 7 | — | 2 | 4 | — | 9 | 15 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 185 | 116 | 0 | 0 | 161 | 70 | 161 | 161 | 88 | 88 | 211 | 0 | 11 | 286 | 151 | 27 | 151 | 53 | 0 | 70 | 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.











