Surf Forecasts:
Le Petit Train surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 6s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, W swell with 1,454 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 6s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Le Petit Train this week:
The surf forecast for Le Petit Train over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Le Petit Train in the next 16 days are 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Le Petit Train over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Let's cut straight to it. We’ve got a long, tough stretch ahead for Le Petit Train. The next week and a half is honestly a write-off, with just about every day bringing poor conditions. You’ll be waiting well over a week for a genuine wave.
The forecast starts on Tuesday 25 August with nothing to speak of – a tiny 0.3ft westerly swell with rain showers and onshore wind. That sets the theme. Through Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th, we see small, short-period swell bumping up to 2ft and 2ft, but the wind is mostly onshore or cross, and the surf quality is poor. By Friday 28th, a bigger push of 7ft to 10ft appears from the west, but that comes with a strong, messy cross-onshore wind (25-28 mph) and a combined energy reading of 582 to 1454 (moderate to strong energy, but useless when it’s blown out). That whole weekend and into the start of September stays poor – swell hangs around 3ft to 5ft but is consistently plagued by onshore or cross-onshore winds.
There’s a proper gap of nothing recommended all the way from the start of the forecast until finally, something shifts. On Sunday 6 September – a full 12 days out – we get a genuine glimmer. The morning brings a 5ft WNW groundswell at 11 seconds, combined energy of 631 (moderate), with a light cross-offshore SSE breeze at 10 mph. The afternoon gets even better: clean, glassy conditions as the wind drops to 3 mph from the west, with the swell still a solid 5ft. This is the standout of the entire 16-day window – the only time you’ll see the words “expect very good surf conditions.” That window is brief though, as Monday 7 September goes straight back to gale-force onshore winds and blown-out 4ft waves.
Tuesday 8 September serves up a big, raw 10ft groundswell from the WNW with a very long 15-second period (combined energy sky-high at 3715), but it’s accompanied by onshore wind and poor conditions – that’s expert-only territory, and only if the wind magically cleans up. The period is so long it might break too straight for a beach break like this, but worth noting. Wednesday 9 September fades back to a messy 5ft.
So, the honest call: Le Petit Train is a beginner break and inconsistent at the best of times. This run is particularly bleak. Don’t bother until Sunday 6 September. That morning and afternoon glassy session with 5ft to 5ft WNW swell is your window. It won’t be big, but it’ll be clean, and that’s gold around here.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 19°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 22°C on Thu night, min 20°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the SW by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 13 | WNW 12 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 5 | W 8 | W 7 | W 8 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
6 | 3 | 14 | 23 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 161 | 156 | 582 | 1454 | 614 | 322 | 190 | 306 | 240 | 142 | 94 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | off | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | on | on |
High Tide | 3:54AM2.99m | 4:07PM3.27m | 4:29AM3.21m | 4:41PM3.51m | 5:01AM3.40m | 5:13PM3.71m | 5:31AM3.56m | 5:43PM3.87m | 6:02AM3.68m | 6:14PM3.95m | 6:33AM3.74m | 6:46PM3.95m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:29PM1.01m | 9:42AM0.97m | 10:10PM0.76m | 10:19AM0.72m | 10:45PM0.51m | 10:53AM0.49m | 11:17PM0.31m | 11:26AM0.32m | 11:49PM0.16m | 11:58AM0.20m | 00:21AM0.09m | 12:31PM0.15m | 00:54AM0.09m | ||||||
— | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | |
8:57 | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — | |
mm | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 28 | 26 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
Feels °C | 26 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 28 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 9 | WNW 12 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | W 8 | — | — | — | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 |
6 | 1 | 14 | 21 | 15 | 19 | 13 | 17 | 161 | — | — | — | 614 | 322 | 190 | 306 | 240 | 142 | 94 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 13 | W 9 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 3 | 1 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | — | W 8 | — | W 7 | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2 | — | 1 | — | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 3 | WSW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | W 8 | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 3 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 156 | 582 | 1454 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 414 | 363 | 265 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 8 | 180 | 8 | 155 | 153 | 371 | 153 | 90 | 184 | 56 | 16 | 184 | 165 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gironde | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in France | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Le Petit Train Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Le Petit Train provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Le Petit Train can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Le Petit Train surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Le Petit Train) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Le Petit Train may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Le Petit Train is 8 km (5 miles) from Arcachon. If you plan a holiday in Gironde, look for hotels and other accommodation in Arcachon. Arcachon has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











