Le Moule Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks for the Guadeloupe coast look like a bit of a grind, if I’m honest. There’s consistent swell, sure, but the wind is the real story here, and it's not a good one. We’re looking at a lot of lumpy, cross-shore chop messing up what could be a solid run of waves. The water’s sitting at about 84°F, which is pretty average for the time of year, so at least the bathwater’s warm.

We kick off on Wednesday the 29th of July at Le Moule (Guadeloupe). There’s a 7 ft easterly swell rolling in, but it’s short-period stuff at just 8 seconds, so it’s a bit weak and unorganized. The real killer is that 30 km/h (about 19 mph) cross-shore wind—it’s tearing the surface to pieces, leaving us with poor surf conditions and lumpy cross-chop. The combined wave energy is only moderate at 527, but you wouldn’t know it from the look of the waves. This pattern just doesn’t let up.

Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are more of the same—7 ft to 7 ft east swell, still short period, and that persistent 25 to 30 km/h (15 to 19 mph) cross or cross-onshore wind. It’s choppy, it’s bumpy, and frankly, it’s not worth paddling out for unless you love a fight. The combined energy stays in that moderate zone (526 to 558), but the wind is just too strong for it to be any fun.

We roll into the first weekend of August (Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd). The swell drops a touch to 5 ft to 5 ft, but the period is still 8 seconds or less. Morning sees a risk of thunderstorms and a fresh breeze, but Saturday afternoon the wind eases to a gentle 15 km/h (9 mph) cross-shore. That’s the best we get in the first week—still only 5 ft and 8 seconds, combined energy down to 264. It’s rideable for an intermediate looking for a soft session, but it’s not going to blow your mind. Sunday is back to a moderate breeze, so that window closes fast.

The first half of the following week (Monday 3rd to Wednesday 5th) sees the swell shrink further. We’re down to 2 ft to 4 ft, and the period drops to just 6 or 7 seconds. The combined energy falls off a cliff into the weak zone—as low as 61 on Tuesday afternoon. That’s not surf, that’s flat bump. Wind is still cross-shore or cross-on, so the surface is rubbish.

Thursday the 6th of August through to Sunday the 9th is a bit of a re-run. The swell builds slowly back to 5 ft, but the period stays short at 6 seconds. The wind is fresh again—30 km/h (19 mph) easterly—so it’s all just lumpy cross-chop. Combined energy climbs back to a moderate 272 by Thursday afternoon, but the quality just isn’t there.

Then we hit something interesting. Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th of August see the swell start to build back up. Tuesday morning jumps to 7 ft from the east, and by Tuesday afternoon we’re at 8 ft with combined energy surging to 616—moderate but pushing strong. Wednesday the 12th is the real standout in the whole window. The swell hits 8 ft from the east with an 8-second period, and the combined energy rockets to 968 in the morning and 1016 in the afternoon—that’s strong, powerful surf. BUT—and it’s a big but—the wind is still screaming at 30 km/h (19 mph) cross-onshore, making it lumpy and choppy. At 8 ft, this is big for a beach-and-reef setup like Le Moule, and with that wind, it’s likely going to be a mess. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Thursday the 13th of August the swell holds at 7 ft to 8 ft, but the period remains short (8 seconds) and the wind stays fresh and cross-shore. Combined energy is still high in the 700–800 range, but the same old story—poor surf conditions.

Best on offer? If I had to pick a window, the Saturday 1st of August afternoon is the most surfable for a competent surfer: only 5 ft, gentle cross-shore wind, combined energy at 264. It’s small and soft, but it’ll be clean-ish. For the big wave crowd, Wednesday the 12th of August has the power (8 ft, 1016 energy), but only if you can handle a cross-onshore nightmare—it’s an expert-only day, and even then, you’ll be battling the wind.

Bottom line: it’s a frustrating forecast. There’s swell, but the wind ruins it. This area doesn’t stay poor for long, and forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it. For now, I’d pick the calmest day and make the most of it.

Rusty.

Read more