Le Kerou Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’ve had a good look at the charts for Le Kerou. Honestly, mate, it’s a bit of a tough stretch ahead. We’re looking at a solid 16-day window, but the first week and a half is pretty grim. The wind is just rubbish for most of it, and the swell is either too small or too messy.

Let’s start with the pattern. Right now, through the end of August and into the first few days of September, it’s all onshore and cross-offshore winds. The swell is small and weak, with periods under 10 seconds – that’s just windswell, not the good stuff. We’re talking combined energy values mostly in the low hundreds, which is weak stuff. The water temp is sitting at 66°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no drama there.

Monday the 24th? Tiny 1ft SW swell, but the wind is a mess. The morning has a cross-off E breeze, and the afternoon goes offshore with a NE wind, but the swell is just too small to care about. Tuesday and Wednesday are the same story – small, weak, and crossed up.

We get a bit of a pulse on Thursday the 27th with a 7ft SW swell and a 10-second period, which brings some moderate energy, but it’s all onshore. The wind is straight on from the south and south-southwest, so it’s going to be a washing machine. That’s expert-only territory at that size, but with the wind, it’s just not worth it.

The whole first week is a write-off. The wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is inconsistent. There’s a long gap here with no real recommendations.

Now, if you can wait, the second week starts to get interesting. On Saturday the 5th of September, we see a jump in the charts. A 8ft WNW swell rolls in with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is through the roof. The wind is fresh cross-shore from the WNW at 19 mph, which is going to create some lumpy cross-chop, but it’s not a total loss. The morning is marked as marginal, but it’s the first real sign of life.

But the real standout... the one that’s got me a little excited, is Sunday the 6th of September. Now, I know the rating is nothing special, but check this out. The morning has a 2ft swell from the SW, but the period? 19 seconds. That’s a very long-period groundswell. The combined energy is healthy, and the wind is a light 6 mph cross-shore from the NW. It’s going to be glassy. For a spot like Le Kerou, which is exposed to the west, this long-period SW swell will wrap in nicely. A long-period swell like this is best for a point or reef, but even at a beach, it’s going to offer some clean, lined-up waves. It’s small, but it’s clean. If you’re keen, this is the pick of the whole forecast.

The next day, Monday the 7th, is also promising. A 5ft swell from the WSW with a 15-second period, and the energy is strong. The morning has a light 3 mph cross-shore wind from the NW. Again, that’s a very clean, glassy morning. The swell is a bit bigger, but still manageable for most. The only catch is that as the day goes on, the wind swings onshore, so get in early.

After that, it gets messy again. Tuesday the 8th has a 6ft W swell with a 12-second period – still decent energy – but the wind is onshore from the WSW, so it’s a write-off.

So, the long and short of it: the first week is a total dud. Don't bother. But if you’ve got the patience, the morning of Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th of September are your best bets. Small, clean, long-period groundswell. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Rusty.

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