Surf Forecasts:
Le Petit Train surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, WNW swell with 402 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 10s 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 1.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Le Petit Train over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Grab a coffee, ‘cause we’ve got a long 16-day window ahead, but honestly, most of it’s gonna be a struggle. The opening days are a complete write-off, and it’s not until later in the first week that we see a tiny window of clean, rideable waves. There’s a lot of wind and messy energy to sift through first.
For the first few days, don’t even bother. Thursday the 20th through to Monday the 24th of August are a total bust. The wind is either onshore, cross-shore, or just plain strong, and while there’s some moderate wave energy pushing through (over 300 on the meter in spots), the conditions are poor. We’re looking at choppy, lumpy, or just messy surf. It’s not worth your time.
Now, Saturday the 22nd of August is the first day that offers a real glimmer. Early morning at Le Petit Train, we’ve got a glassy surface with the wind swinging light easterly at only 3 mph. The swell is small, about 3ft out of the WNW with a period around 9 seconds. It’s not going to bowl you over, and the combined energy is moderate at 151, but with clean conditions, a beginner could have a fun little session on a longboard. It’s an exposed spot, so it picks up whatever is out there, and because it’s inconsistent and a beginner-friendly wave, you won’t find it crowded. The water temperature is a whopping 78°, which is a massive 39°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.
Sunday the 23rd morning stays clean with a light cross-offshore breeze from the NE, but the swell drops right off to a tiny 2ft and the period is a short 7 seconds. The energy is weak (68), so it’s just ankle-biters. Still, if you’re desperate, the paddle out will be easy.
The next real standout doesn’t appear until way down the track. Wednesday the 2nd of September shapes up as the best day on offer. Early morning, you get a clean surface with a cross-offshore breeze from the SE at 12 mph. There’s a solid 5ft swell rolling in from the WNW with a moderate 10-second period. The combined energy is strong at 532, so there’ll be some push behind them. The wind is right, the waves are a fun size, and the conditions are clean. This is the one to circle on the calendar. Afternoon gets a bit glassy as the wind drops, but it turns slightly cross-onshore, so stick to the morning.
Before that, there’s some seriously big, unruly swell in the final week of August and into early September. From the 26th of August onward, you see powerful swells – well over 8ft at times, with energy readings in the thousands. But the wind is absolutely howling from the west, smashing it all up. On the 27th of August, you’ve got a 10ft W swell, but with 22-25 mph cross-onshore winds, it’s a mess. That’s kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing. The period is short, and the setup is a beach-and-reef mix, so it’ll be a washing machine.
Overall, if you can wait, Wednesday morning the 2nd of September is your standout. For the short term, Saturday the 22nd of August is a clean, small option for beginners. The rest is either flat trash or blown-out giants. Keep your eye on the long-range forecasts for that 2nd of September window.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 19°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, strong winds from the W by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 6 | WNW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
23 | 11 | 77 | 300 | 226 | 290 | 346 | 402 | 231 | 151 | 126 | 112 | 54 | 43 | 23 | 47 | 40 | 138 | 34 | 25 | 23 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 3:28PM3.02m | 3:54AM2.99m | 4:07PM3.27m | 4:29AM3.21m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 8:56AM1.22m | 9:29PM1.01m | 9:42AM0.97m | 10:10PM0.76m | ||||||||
7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:05 | — | — | 9:02 | — | — | 9:01 | — | — | 9:00 | — | 8:58 | — | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:54 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
Feels °C | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 5 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 6 | — | — | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 5 |
23 | 11 | 19 | 300 | 226 | 290 | 346 | 402 | 231 | 151 | 126 | 112 | 54 | 43 | 23 | 47 | — | — | 34 | 25 | 12 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 7 | WNW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | — | W 9 | WSW 4 | WNW 11 |
— | 1 | 77 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 14 | 14 | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | 23 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 13 | W 8 | W 8 |
— | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 6 | NW 6 | WSW 5 | — | — |
— | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 40 | 138 | 13 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 523 | 670 | 165 | 147 | 147 | 153 | 147 | 147 | 22 | 0 | 104 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 122 | 134 | 347 | 170 | 175 | 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.











