Le Petit Minou Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

It’s going to be a lean couple of weeks around Le Petit Minou (in France). The outlook starts out pretty flat and stays that way for a long stretch. We’ve got a tough run of conditions through the end of July and into the first week of August, with mostly small, weak, and badly wind-affected surf. The first few days barely register as surfable – Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th of July are basically write-offs, with poor, choppy, cross-on junk around 3 ft to 3 ft and combined swell energy sitting weak, between 92 and 112 (low hundreds or less). Not worth paddling out for.

Friday the 31st of July morning is the first time things clean up a little. We’ve got a gentle, cross-off breeze with 3 ft NW swell, period a short 8 seconds, and the energy is only 80 (still weak). It’s surfable but very ordinary – you’d be scratching for something rideable. Saturday and Sunday the 1st and 2nd of August are even smaller, with 1 ft to 2 ft waves and winds that are cleaner but the swell is just too tiny to get excited about. Energy drops into the 40s and 60s. Monday the 3rd through Wednesday the 5th of August is more of the same – a few cleanish mornings but nothing over 2 ft. That’s a solid week of nothing much.

Thursday the 6th of August afternoon we get a spike in energy, with 5 ft SW swell rolling in and a period of just 6 seconds. The combined swell energy jumps to 180 (moderate), but the short period and cross-shore wind make for messy, choppy conditions. Not the kind of day you’d tell a mate to rush down for.

Now here’s the standout. Friday the 7th of August morning is the one to circle on your calendar. The swell picks up to 7 ft from the WSW, period 8 seconds, and here’s the real magic: the wind drops to absolute glass – dead calm, 0 mph from the NE. The combined swell energy hits 521 (strong). That’s proper power and no wind to mess it up. Expect very good surf conditions. This will be clean, with some decent push. It’s not huge but it’s the best on offer by a long way. Because the swell direction is WSW, and the optimum swell direction for this spot is SW, it’s a good match. The break is a beach-and-point set-up, so that clean offshore glass should make for some nice lines. Keep in mind, at 7 ft this is getting a bit solid for beginners. Also, being a break that’s “often” crowded, you can bet there will be a few locals out for this one.

Saturday the 8th of August morning still holds some good energy: 5 ft WNW swell, period 9 seconds, with a light offshore NE breeze at 6 mph. Combined energy is 482 (strong). It’s a good follow-up day, a bit smaller and with a light breeze keeping things clean. Sunday the 9th of August morning also has a clean offshore 4 ft WNW swell at 9 seconds, with gentle conditions, combined energy 209 (moderate). Worth a look, but not the standout.

After that, the swell fades again through the second week, with the 10th of August onward dropping back to under 4 ft and weaker energy, most mornings showing clean conditions but very small surf. The 12th and 13th of August mornings have clean offshore wind but the swell is tiny, only 3 ft to 3 ft with periods under 8 seconds and combined energy dropping to 53–142 (weak). Not much to get excited about.

The water temperature is 66°F with a 1°F anomaly, which is pretty average for this time of year, nothing out of the ordinary.

So bottom line: if you’re patient, wait for Friday the 7th of August morning. That’s your best chance for some proper, glassy waves. The rest of the window is mostly a waiting game.

Rusty

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