Surf Forecasts:
Le Petit Train surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, WNW swell with 586 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 8PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s. 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 1.6m 11s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 8PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Le Petit Train over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this stretch is not looking flash for Le Petit Train. The next week and a half is mostly a write-off, with a few small windows where you might find something rideable, but nothing that’ll get the heart racing. There’s a long gap of poor conditions stretching from now through the first days of September, with only Wednesday the 2nd and Friday the 4th offering anything close to surfable—and even then, it’s tiny and ordinary.
The first real glimmer shows up on the morning of Saturday the 5th. We’ve got a clean 4ft swell from the WNW, period 11 seconds, light cross-off breeze, and a combined energy of 301—moderate. That’s the best call of the first week. Sunday the 6th morning is similar, 4ft, same direction, clean, energy up to 427. Both mornings are worth a paddle, but afternoons get chopped by cross-onshore winds, so get out early.
Then it goes flat and messy again until Monday the 7th afternoon. That’s a glassy one—4ft WNW, period 10, energy 314, and it’s clean. Tuesday the 8th morning is cross-off but the score is only marginal, so I’d skip it unless you’re desperate.
The standout of the entire window is Thursday the 10th morning. Swell bumps to 5ft from the WNW, period 9, light cross-off breeze, clean face, energy at 471—strong. That’s your best bet. The afternoon gets wrecked by a fresh cross-onshore, so it’s a morning-only deal. Given the period is short, it won’t be the most powerful, but it’s the cleanest sizeable surf we see.
One thing to note: the water temp at first mention here is 77° with an anomaly of 7°, which means it’s much warmer than normal for this time of year—unusually warm, so you can go with a thinner suit.
Le Petit Train is an inconsistent, exposed beach break, so it doesn’t handle the cross-onshore winds well at all. It’s also beginner-friendly but only when it’s small; the 5ft days are still okay for confident beginners, but anything over that would be pushing it. Crowds are possible on the good mornings, but the consistency is so poor that I wouldn’t stress about crowds too much.
After the 10th, it fades again—Friday the 11th morning is offshore but small, 3ft, weak energy at 154, not worth much.
So overall: there’s no single epic day, but Thursday the 10th stands out, with Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th mornings as solid backups. The rest is mostly waiting and watching.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 23°C on Thu afternoon, min 19°C on Thu night). Mainly strong winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 18°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | ||||||||||||||
PM | 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) | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NW 5 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
21 | 72 | 303 | 215 | 326 | 517 | 393 | 355 | 307 | 294 | 243 | 314 | 480 | 487 | 307 | 258 | 203 | 99 | 98 | 26 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:13PM3.71m | 5:31AM3.56m | 5:43PM3.87m | 6:02AM3.68m | 6:14PM3.95m | 6:33AM3.74m | 6:46PM3.95m | 7:05AM3.74m | 7:20PM3.88m | 7:39AM3.67m | 7:57PM3.72m | 8:17AM3.53m | 8:38PM3.49m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:17PM0.31m | 11:26AM0.32m | 11:49PM0.16m | 11:58AM0.20m | 00:21AM0.09m | 12:31PM0.15m | 00:54AM0.09m | 1:05PM0.17m | 1:28AM0.18m | 1:42PM0.28m | 2:06AM0.36m | 2:24PM0.45m | 2:48AM0.60m | |||||||
— | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | |
8:51 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:44 | — | — | 8:42 | — | — | 8:40 | — | |
mm | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 |
Feels °C | 23 | 22 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | NW 11 | — | W 7 | W 12 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | — | NW 5 |
21 | 5 | — | 215 | 26 | 517 | 393 | 355 | 307 | 294 | 243 | 314 | 480 | 487 | 307 | 258 | 203 | 99 | — | 23 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 |
— | — | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 10 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 5 | W 8 | W 7 | — | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 8 | — |
5 | 72 | 303 | — | 326 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 98 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 379 | 203 | 137 | 153 | 184 | 122 | 104 | 175 | 56 | 56 | 147 | 117 | 111 | 94 | 3 | 87 | 184 | 111 | 0 | 265 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gironde | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in France | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











