Surf Forecasts:
Le Petit Train surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, WNW swell with 339 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s period with WNW 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 20) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 11s period. 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 1.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 2AM. 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+) | 8AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Le Petit Train over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long, hard look at what Le Petit Train has got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a bumpy ride for the most part, but there are a couple of moments that’ll get the heart pumping.
The pattern starts off pretty grim. The first week is mostly a write-off, with tiny, weak swell and messy wind. You’ll be staring at flat, choppy water for days on end. The water temp is sitting at 78°, which is a massive 7° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, and it’s going to feel like a warm bath.
The first real glimmer of hope arrives on Thursday, August 20th. The morning session is the standout for the first week. We’ve got a clean 3ft swell from the WNW, and the wind is dead calm – glassy conditions. The energy is moderate (200), and the period is a solid 11 seconds, which will give the waves some shape. It’s a rare, clean window. The afternoon gets ruined by a cross-onshore breeze, so make sure you’re in the water early.
The rest of that week is a game of picking through scraps. Saturday, August 22nd morning is glassy again with a smaller 3ft WNW swell, but the energy is weaker (110). You’ll get some fun little waves, but it’s very ordinary. The same goes for Sunday morning, August 23rd – glassy, but tiny at 2ft. The crowds are listed as “sometimes” here, so you might have a few friends out, but it won’t be too packed.
Now, the real kicker. The forecast for the end of the month gets a bit wild. On Friday, August 28th, the swell jumps up to 5ft from the WNW with a very long 12-second period. The energy is strong (725). That’s a proper groundswell. The problem is the wind is a cross-onshore, which is going to chop it up. It’s a marginal call – the size is there, but the quality will be messy. This is one for the experienced surfers only; at 5ft+ it’s too big for beginners.
But the real highlight, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Monday, August 31st. The morning session is absolutely beautiful. A clean 6ft swell from the WNW, 7-second period, and glassy, dead-calm wind. The energy is strong (320). This is the best on offer across the entire 16-day window. The swell is pushing into the 5ft+ range, so it’s for intermediate to expert surfers, but with those clean conditions, it’s a proper session. The afternoon sees the wind switch onshore, so again, it’s a morning mission.
The following day, Tuesday, September 1st, brings a massive 6ft WNW groundswell with a very long 14-second period. The energy is very strong (1043). But the wind is a fresh cross-onshore at 18-22 mph, making it a lumpy, choppy mess. That kind of power with that wind is more interesting for the kite crew than paddle surfers. It’s a raw, powerful ocean, but not a clean one for a surfboard.
To sum it up: the first week is a grind with a few small windows of glassy fun. The clear standout is the morning of Monday, August 31st – clean, solid, and on point. The August 28th has size but will be messy. The long-range stuff on September 1st is a powerful but wind-affected beast.
Stay patient, get on that 31st morning, and you’ll be rewarded.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed night, min 20°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Thu afternoon, min 16°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 7 | WNW 7 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 4 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | WNW 9 | NNW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
48 | 59 | 31 | 22 | 18 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 79 | 200 | 204 | 339 | 240 | 251 | 180 | 99 | 54 | 51 | 32 | 26 | 48 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 8:19AM3.56m | 8:36PM3.58m | 8:56AM3.33m | 9:15PM3.25m | 9:35AM3.08m | 9:59PM2.93m | 10:23AM2.84m | 10:58PM2.66m | 11:34AM2.66m | 00:31AM2.52m | 1:14PM2.63m | 2:08AM2.58m | 2:35PM2.79m | 3:10AM2.77m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:15PM0.38m | 2:39AM0.52m | 2:56PM0.66m | 3:19AM0.83m | 3:42PM0.95m | 4:05AM1.13m | 4:37PM1.23m | 5:05AM1.38m | 5:53PM1.41m | 6:28AM1.50m | 7:24PM1.42m | 7:54AM1.43m | 8:38PM1.25m | ||||||||
7:07 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:05 | — | — | 9:02 | — | — | 9:01 | — | — | 9:00 | — | 8:58 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 6 |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 22 | 25 |
Feels °C | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 6 | NW 5 | WNW 8 | W 8 | NW 4 | WNW 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 | WNW 9 | NNW 7 |
48 | 59 | 31 | 22 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 79 | 200 | 204 | 339 | 240 | 251 | 180 | 99 | 54 | 51 | 32 | 26 | 48 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 10 | WNW 9 | — | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | — | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 12 | W 11 | WNW 10 | W 9 | — | W 9 |
— | — | 2 | 8 | — | 4 | 12 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 21 | 31 | 27 | — | 14 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NW 5 | NW 4 | — | NW 5 | NNW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | — | — | NW 7 | — |
— | — | — | — | 18 | 9 | — | 7 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 23 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 129 | 184 | 161 | 165 | 586 | 411 | 411 | 523 | 22 | 0 | 147 | 22 | 3 | 180 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 265 | 0 |
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.











