Lacanau Ocean Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Lacanau Ocean.

Honestly, mate, the outlook for the next 16 days is a real mixed bag, and the first week or so is pretty disappointing. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak swell and mostly onshore or cross-onshore winds mucking things up. The first few days – from Thursday 16 July right through to the early morning of Wednesday 29 July – are a real write-off. There’s no surf worth paddling out for. The swell is tiny, rarely cracking 3 ft, and the wind is almost always on it or across it. The wave energy is weak, barely hitting 40–60 (combined energy of all swells directed here). The exception is a few glassy mornings, but there’s just no swell to go with them. It’s a proper blank run.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on the morning of Wednesday 29 July. The wind goes glassy, and the swell bumps up to 1 ft from the WNW with a period of 9 seconds – that’s a bit of groundswell character. The wave energy is modest (40), and the conditions are described as “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s not a standout, but it’s the first thing that’s not utterly dire. The water temperature is a very unusual 77°F, which is a massive 8°F warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s a real anomaly.

The action picks up properly on Thursday 30 July afternoon. A new swell arrives, pushing 5 ft from the WNW with a period of 13 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, and the period is long enough to shape up nicely. The combined energy spikes to 653 (moderate to strong wave energy). The wind is cross-on from the NW at 12 mph, so it’s going to be a bit choppy, but there’s some real power in the water. This is the best looking window of the whole forecast.

Friday 31 July morning is the real standout. The swell holds at 5 ft from the WNW, still with a solid 12-second period, and the energy is strong at 670. The wind drops to a light breeze from the NW, which is cross-on, but with such light wind it’ll be clean with just small ripples. The water temp is still way above average. This is the pick of the forecast – the biggest swell, decent period, and manageable wind. It’s surfable for intermediates and up; 5 ft is a fun size, not too big for most. Friday afternoon sees the swell tick up to 5 ft, but the wind freshens to 12 mph from the NNW, making it choppy again.

For the best session, set your alarm for the morning of Friday 31 July. The swell is solid, the period is long, and the wind is light enough to keep things reasonably clean. The very long period (12–13 seconds) at Lacanau Ocean, a beach break, might mean the waves are a bit walled up and sety, but with that energy, there’ll be some good ones.

Stay safe, and I’ll see you out there.
Rusty

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