Le Petit Minou Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again, same forecast, but in feet and Fahrenheit.

The 16-day window for Le Petit Minou is a real mixed bag, with a lot of wind-affected slop early and a couple of promising windows later. The first surf worth mentioning is on Monday, 31st August, but it’s marginal. The best of the bunch is a stand-out on Saturday, 5th September, so let’s break it down.

We start with a dry spell. Nothing worth paddling out for from Friday, 28th August through to Sunday, 30th August. The swell is either too small, too blown out, or both. On Monday, 31st August, the morning sees a 7ft swell from the west with a period of 10 seconds, combined energy of 1427, but the wind is a cross-on 25 km/h. The afternoon improves a little: 8ft from the west-northwest at 10 seconds, energy 1155, with a lighter cross-on 15 km/h, but it’s still choppy and only a marginal shout.

Tuesday, 1st September, is the first real flicker of hope. First thing in the morning, the wind swings to a light north-northwest at 5 km/h, blowing cross-offshore. The swell is 5ft from the west-northwest at 9 seconds, energy 299. The water temp is 65°F, about 1°F above normal, so nothing wild. The conditions are clean. This is a solid session for intermediate surfers, but the afternoon gets messy again.

Wednesday, 2nd September, and Thursday, 3rd September, are poor. Onshore winds and messy, lumpy conditions. The swell is there but the wind kills it.

Now, Friday, 4th September, brings a shift. Swell jumps to 7ft from the west-northwest, but the period stretches to 13 seconds in the morning and 14 seconds in the afternoon. That’s a proper groundswell. Combined energy is 1554 and 1891. The wind is onshore from the west-southwest at 15 km/h though, so it’s still a bit of a battle. This is only for experienced surfers. The long period means the waves will have strong shape but longer lulls. At a beach and point setup like Le Petit Minou, that long period can work well on the point, but the beach may close out. It’s marginal.

The standout is Saturday, 5th September. This is the one to circle. The morning delivers 6ft from the west-northwest at 12 seconds, with a combined energy of 851. The wind is glassy – a light 5 km/h from the west, flat calm. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is a clean, powerful, medium-sized groundswell. Perfect for an intermediate to advanced surfer. The afternoon holds 5ft at 11 seconds but the wind shifts cross-on, so get it early. The water is still about average for the time of year. Crowds at Le Petit Minou are often busy, so expect company.

Sunday, 6th September, drops off. The north wind is cross-offshore but the swell fades to 3ft, then 2ft. Monday, 7th September, through Wednesday, 9th September, is small and weak, with energy dropping below 200. Not worth the wetsuit.

The second week, from 10th September onwards, is a write-off. Tiny swell, howling onshore winds, and even a bit of rain. The only energy spike is on Saturday, 12th September, with 2-3ft from the west at 16 seconds, but that’s a long-period groundswell blowing straight into a 35 km/h cross-on wind. That’s a lumpy, blown-out mess, more interesting for a kite than a paddle.

So, bottom line: The first week is a grind. Get on it Saturday morning, 5th September. That’s your best shot. The rest is either onshore slop or too small.

Rusty

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