Le Petit Minou Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking at Le Petit Minou for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one. The next 16 days are looking pretty flat and messy for any kind of decent paddle session. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf conditions ahead. The first few days, from Thursday the 9th through to the 23rd of July, are basically a write-off. There’s no real window of quality surf to get excited about.

For the first week, the swell is tiny, never pushing above 3ft, and the energy is weak, with the combined energy reading just 132 on Thursday morning. That swell is coming from the WNW with a period around 10 seconds – not terrible, but the size just isn’t there. The winds are offshore from the NE on Thursday morning, which is a massive positive for cleanliness, but the waves are just too small and ordinary. The water temperature is 66°F which is 4°F warmer than normal, so it’s much warmer than you’d expect for this time of year. That’s a nice touch, but it doesn’t make the surf any better.

We then go through a long, flat spell. From Friday the 10th right through to the 23rd, it’s a parade of poor surf conditions. The wind stays offshore or cross-off for most of it, but the swell is pathetic – often below 2ft. The energy figures are in the dumps, often under 100. There’s a brief moment on the 17th of July where a little 3ft swell shows up in the morning, but it’s ruined by a strong cross-shore wind, so it’s lumpy and choppy. Not worth the paddle. The onshore winds start to dominate from the 13th onwards, making it even worse.

The only real standout in the whole 16-day window is a sneaky pulse on the 23rd of July, Thursday. The afternoon sees a jump in swell to 4ft from the NW with a nice 12-second period. The combined energy hits a solid 446, which is a moderate bump of energy. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so it’ll be a bit choppy but still clean enough. This is a long-period groundswell, so it’ll have long gaps between sets, making it easier to get out the back. It’s a middle-of-the-week option for those who can wait, but it’s still a bit of a gamble since it’s so far out.

Then on the 24th of July, Friday, the swell builds a bit more – 5ft to 6ft from the WNW, but the period drops to 7 seconds, which is short-period junk. The wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy and lumpy. The bigger size will be too much for beginners, and the short period means it’ll be a bit close-out and messy. It’s not a day for a beginner, and for an expert, it’s just a washing machine.

So, bottom line: the first two weeks are a dead loss. The 23rd of July afternoon is the best of a bad bunch, but it’s a long way off and conditions are far from perfect. It’s a waiting game, lads.

Rusty.

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