Lacanau Ocean Surf Break

Lat Long: 45.00° N 1.21° W

Lacanau Ocean Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 18 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Lacanau Ocean sea temperature is
25.3° C
3.5° 

Lacanau Ocean surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Lacanau Ocean surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, WNW swell with 339 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 9s 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 1.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 8AM. 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 Tuesday (Aug 25) at 2PM.

Wave TypeTime (CEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Sat 22nd Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 9s
Best Surf 5AM (Sat 22nd Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 9s
Most Powerful 8AM (Fri 21st Aug)4.5ft (1.3m) 10s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lacanau Ocean over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a lean stretch ahead. We’re looking at a long, slow start. The first few days have got next to nothing worth paddling out for. From Tuesday the 18th through to the 22nd, conditions are poor, with tiny, weak swell and mostly onshore winds messing things up. The water temp is sitting at a balmy 78°, which is 6° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, almost like summer’s hanging on a bit too long around here.

We finally get a tiny window for a surf on the morning of Sunday the 23rd. The break is Lacanau Ocean. It’s a consistent, exposed beach, and the early session sees a small 2 ft swell from the NW with a short 7-second period, so the energy is weak (50). The good news is we’ve got a light cross-offshore breeze, so it’ll be clean. But honestly, it’s barely surfable, just ordinary ripples. If you’re desperate for a little glide, it’s an option, but don’t expect much.

After that, we hit another flat spell. Monday and Tuesday the 24th and 25th are back to poor, tiny waves and onshore winds. The energy is pitiful, with combined energy readings staying in the double digits (13 to 73). It’s a real struggle.

Things start to look a bit more promising around Wednesday the 26th. The morning session sees a clean 3 ft swell from the WNW with a moderate 8-second period (energy 95) and a light cross-offshore breeze from the SSE. It’s still small, but it’s clean and surfable. Then the afternoon picks up a bit more – 5 ft from the W, 8-second period, with a light cross-onshore breeze (energy 245). It’s marginal, but it’s the first real bump in size we’ve seen.

Now, the standout to keep an eye on – and I mean really keep an eye on – is the big pulse that arrives on the morning of Thursday the 27th. We’re talking a solid 8 ft swell from the W, with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 1052 – that’s strong wave energy. But here’s the catch: the wind is howling, a fresh 35 km/h cross-onshore from the WSW, turning it into a lumpy, stormy mess. This is serious size, over 8 ft, so it’s for experts only. The conditions are poor, so it’s more of a raw, powerful beast than a clean, rideable wave. Honestly, given the strong wind and the beach setup, this might be more interesting for the kite crew than paddle surfers. The afternoon stays big at 7 ft, but the wind is ripping 40 km/h onshore, making it grim.

The swell hangs around into Friday the 28th, with 5 ft to 6 ft from the W (10-second period, energy 470 to 711), but the wind is still onshore and strong, so the quality is poor. It’s a lot of water moving, but not a lot of fun.

The following weekend – Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th – sees the swell drop back. Saturday morning has a 4 ft swell from the W with a 9-second period (energy 269) and a light onshore wind, so it’s marginal. Sunday morning, the 30th, offers a clean 2 ft from the WNW with a 7-second period and a light cross-offshore wind from the NE, so it’s clean but small.

Then, on the last day of the month, Monday the 31st, we finally get a proper window. The wind goes glassy – zero wind – in the afternoon, with a small 4 ft swell from the WSW. The period is short, only 5 seconds, so it’s a bit weak (energy 80), but if you’re patient, the glassy conditions will make it feel a lot better than the size suggests. The morning also has a clean 2 ft swell with a light offshore ESE wind.

As we roll into the first week of September, things get small again. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd are back to poor, onshore, tiny waves.

So, the best on offer? The afternoon of Monday the 31st of August is my pick. It’s a long way off, but the glassy wind and clean conditions at Lacanau Ocean (France) make it the most promising session for a fun, relaxed paddle. The other standout is the Thursday morning pulse on the 27th of August, but that’s a big, stormy beast for experts only. If you’re not experienced, give that one a miss. For the rest of it, it’s a case of picking your moments and being patient.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 19°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Warm (max 21°C on Fri afternoon, min 16°C on Sat afternoon). Wind will be generally light.

Tue
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
NW
5
0.3
W
8
0.4
WNW
8
0.4
NW
6
0.5
WNW
12
1.2
WNW
11
1.1
WNW
10
1.3
WNW
10
1.3
WNW
10
1.3
WNW
10
1.1
WNW
10
1
WNW
9
1
WNW
9
1
WNW
8
0.8
WNW
7
0.8
WNW
7
0.7
NW
7
0.6
WNW
6
0.7
NW
6
0.6
NW
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
17
12
23
11
78
305
226
308
339
318
214
151
141
125
61
70
47
26
36
23
Wind (km/h)
15
NW
15
NNW
10
W
20
W
15
W
10
NNW
15
NW
10
WNW
15
NW
20
WNW
10
NNW
10
SE
10
SW
5
WNW
10
SW
15
W
15
W
15
WSW
20
W
5
WNW
Wind State
cross-on
cross
on
on
on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
High Tide
9:16PM3.36m
9:36AM3.18m
10:01PM3.03m
10:27AM2.93m
11:09PM2.75m
11:51AM2.76m
00:51AM2.64m
1:30PM2.77m
2:16AM2.73m
2:41PM2.94m
3:14AM2.93m
3:32PM3.18m
3:57AM3.15m
Low Tide
2:55PM0.64m
3:17AM0.83m
3:40PM0.96m
4:03AM1.15m
4:33PM1.25m
4:59AM1.41m
5:42PM1.46m
6:16AM1.56m
7:10PM1.50m
7:43AM1.51m
8:30PM1.34m
8:50AM1.29m
9:25PM1.08m
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
part cloud
light rain
light rain
rain showers
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:09
7:11
7:11
7:13
7:15
7:16
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
9:07
9:05
9:04
9:01
9:00
8:59
8:57
 mm
2
2
2
2
1
Temp °C
22
21
22
22
22
20
21
20
20
21
20
17
16
18
19
20
20
20
21
20
Feels °C
22
21
23
21
21
20
20
18
19
18
19
17
15
16
18
19
18
18
18
17
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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