Seignosse - Le Penon Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cookin’ for this stretch of coast.

Straight up, it’s a tough run of surf. Things kick off on Tuesday the 21st of July, but honestly, it’s a write-off right from the start. We’re dealing with a tiny, weak 3ft swell from the NNW, a short 6-second period, and a combined energy of only 76. The wind is onshore out of the WNW at 9 mph, and the water’s sitting at a balmy 76°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. But it’s poor, no two ways about it.

Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd are more of the same – tiny, weak swell, cross or onshore winds, and the surf is just not there. We’re in a proper glum spell.

Friday the 24th morning might offer a moment of calm. The wind goes glassy out of the NW at 3 mph, and the wave comment says "glassy". But the swell is pathetic – 2ft from the NNW with a 5-second period and energy of just 25. It’s surfable if you’re desperate for a bob, but it’s not a session to write home about.

Then we get a spike on Saturday the 25th. The swell jumps to 8ft from the W, with a 7-second period and a combined energy jumping to 681. That’s a solid, powerful lump of water. But the wind is howling onshore at 25 mph from the W in the morning, and even though it drops to a light cross-onshore in the afternoon, the forecast is for marginal surf with questionable tide. That’s a full-on mess. For a beach/jetty setup like Seignosse - Le Penon, with that much west in the swell and that much wind, it’s looking more like a kite session than a paddle session. Only for the experts, and even then, it’s gnarly.

Sunday the 26th drops back to 5ft, but the wind is cross-onshore, and it’s still poor. The pattern drags on through the rest of the week. Monday the 27th afternoon shows a 4ft swell from the NW with a 10-second period and energy of 287, but the wind is cross-shore and it’s still rated poor.

Now, here’s a glimmer. Tuesday the 28th morning. The wind goes offshore out of the east at 6 mph, with a 4ft swell from the NW, a 9-second period, and 203 energy. The wave comment says "clean" and "expect good surf conditions." That’s the best on offer in this whole 16-day window. The setup is Seignosse - Le Penon, a beach/jetty, and it’s inconsistent, so you’ve got to be patient. But with that offshore wind cleaning it up, and a decent 4ft of groundswell from the NW, it’s the standout. The water temp anomaly is only for the first record, so I’ll say it’s still that warm, much-warmer-than-normal water.

Wednesday the 29th morning has a glassy moment with a 3ft swell from the NW and a 10-second period, but the wave comment says "surfable but very ordinary." It’s a shadow of the Tuesday morning window.

After that, it’s a long, drawn-out fade. From Thursday the 30th all the way through to Wednesday the 5th of August, the swell drops to 2ft or less, periods are short, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore. There’s a brief moment on Tuesday the 4th of August morning with a clean, offshore wind out of the east, but the swell is only 1.0ft with a 9-second period and energy of 31. It’s a window of glass, but no wave to ride.

The best window is Tuesday the 28th of July morning. If you have some flexibility, that’s your target. The rest of the run is a waiting game. It’s been a dry spell, but forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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