Le Petit Minou Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, the 16-day run at Le Petit Minou looks like a real mixed bag. We’ve got some proper size coming, but for the most part, the wind is going to be the main issue. It’s a fairly consistent spot, which is the one thing keeping hope alive, because the conditions are going to turn it into a frustrating watch for long stretches.

We kick off this Saturday morning, the 29th of August, but honestly, it’s a write-off. A solid 10ft swell from the southwest is pushing in, but it’s arriving with a full-on 31 mph onshore gale. The combined energy is massive at 1044, but that’s just raw power, not surfable power. It’s a washing machine. Afternoon only gets worse as it jumps to 12ft and the wind stays strong. You’d have to be mad to paddle out.

Sunday the 30th is a little smaller, around 5ft in the morning, but again, the wind is straight onshore at 16 mph. It’s messy and poor. That theme holds right through Tuesday the 1st of September. We see the swell drop to 3ft by Tuesday afternoon with a weak 173 combined energy, but the wind is still cross-onshore and choppy. Nothing doing.

There’s a short gap of poor conditions before a small window opens on Friday the 4th of September morning. The swell is up to 6ft from the west-northwest, and the wind drops to a light 6 mph. It’s still cross-onshore, so it won’t be glassy, but it takes the score up to a 2. The whole thing is still marginal, but it’s the best look for the first week.

Now, mark your calendar for Saturday the 5th of September. That’s the standout of the whole outlook. The morning is absolute magic. We get a 6ft groundswell from the west-northwest with a long 11-second period, which means real power and shape. The combined energy is a solid 718, and the wind? Dead calm. Glassy as a mirror. The tip says it’s forecasting very good surf conditions, and that’s the first time we can say that all period. The swell direction is slightly off the optimum (SW), but with that period and zero wind, it’s going to be clean and lined up. It’s best for a point or reef setup here, but if the banks hold, it’ll be a dream. Expect crowds, because this spot is often busy, and on a day like this, everyone will be out.

After that high, we drop into a lull. Sunday the 6th is back to tiny, weak surf, and Monday the 7th gets rough again as a 10ft southwest swell hits with onshore wind. The energy spikes to 1221, but it’s just too big and blown out for this break—it’s a kite-surfing day, not a paddling one.

Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th see another massive pulse. Tuesday afternoon brings an 12ft west-northwest swell with a 12-second period and 2820 energy. The wind is cross-shore and moderate, which is an improvement, but it’s still too big for most. The wave state is cross-shore and choppy. This is expert territory only, and even then, it’s going to be a battle.

From Thursday the 10th right through to the end of the outlook on Sunday the 13th of September, it’s a long, grim run. Swells drop to under 3ft, the wind swings onshore and stays strong—fresh to near-gale strength—and the water gets lumpy. There’s nothing to recommend. That’s a gap of several days with poor surf.

So to wrap it up: the one true gem is the morning of Saturday the 5th of September. A glassy, long-period groundswell at a clean 6ft from the WNW. That’s your window. The rest is either too small, too windy, or too big for the setup. With the fairly consistent nature of Le Petit Minou, it won’t stay this poor forever, but for this two-week stretch, you’ve got to be picky.

Rusty.

Read more