Surf Forecasts:
Le Petit Train surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period, W swell with 607 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 2.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Le Petit Train over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
Alright, most of this 16-day window looks pretty grim, with a couple of bright spots if you’re patient. First up, the only break on the radar is Le Petit Train. This spot is an inconsistent, beginner-friendly wave that’s exposed to the west, but it’s picky. The water is sitting at a very unusual 78°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year.
We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions starting now. Thursday morning, 20th August, kicks off with a light north breeze putting the wind cross-on, making things messy. That afternoon and all of Friday, the wind swings hard onshore from the WNW, with strong gusts up to 12 mph, lumping up the 4ft to 5ft swell. The swell period is around 10 seconds, so not great. The combined energy is moderate (226–394), but it’s all blown out. No good.
Saturday 22nd August morning looks like the first real chance. The wind shifts to a light east cross-off, cleaning up the 3ft WNW swell. The period is a short 9 seconds, and the energy is moderate (165), but it’ll be surfable. That afternoon, though, the wind goes cross-on again and kills it.
Sunday 23rd and Monday 24th are tiny. Swell drops to 1ft–1ft with short periods and weak energy (15–32). Barely a ripple.
Tuesday 25th August afternoon sees a bump in swell to 4ft from the WNW, but the period is a terrible 4 seconds, and it’s cross-onshore. Choppy junk.
The best on offer looks like Thursday 27th August morning. The swell builds to 6ft from the west, with a 8-second period, and the wind is a light SSE cross-off, making it clean. The combined energy is moderate (383). That’s the standout window for a decent paddle. But be warned: that Thursday afternoon, the swell jumps to 10ft from the west with a 9-second period and massive energy (1252). That’s too big for beginners and only for experts. The wind will be cross-on, making it lumpy, but if you’re a charger, that’s your window.
After that, Friday 28th August morning is still big but dropping (6ft, 9-second period, 627 energy), but the wind is light cross-on. Then it’s all downhill again with strong onshore winds and rain showers through the end of August and into September.
From the 29th of August right through to the 4th of September, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-on, with a few small windows of clean conditions but tiny swell. The 1st of September brings a longer-period swell (11 seconds) from the WNW, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-on, so it’s blown out.
So, bottom line: if you’re a beginner, the best clean window is Thursday 27th August morning for shoulder-high waves. If you’re an expert, the afternoon of the 27th will be big and heavy, but it’s not for the faint of heart. The rest of the 16 days is mostly a write-off.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Warm (max 27°C on Sat night, min 17°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 32°C on Sun night, min 20°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue morning, calm by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 4 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 346 | 226 | 319 | 339 | 394 | 275 | 165 | 129 | 69 | 19 | 8 | 31 | 29 | 14 | 6 | 9 | 223 | 348 | 258 | 297 | 201 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 4:41PM3.51m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 10:19AM0.72m | 10:45PM0.51m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  | | | | | |  | | | | | |  | |
 | 7:11 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:02 | — | — | 9:01 | — | — | 9:00 | — | 8:58 | — | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — |
mm | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 7 |
Temp °C | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 25 | 27 | 23 | 31 | 32 | 25 | 26 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 20 |
Feels °C | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 28 | 30 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | — | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NW 7 | NW 7 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | — | W 12 | W 9 | W 9 | — | W 8 |
| kJ | 346 | 226 | 319 | 339 | — | 275 | 165 | 129 | 69 | 19 | 8 | 31 | 29 | 14 | 6 | — | 3 | 348 | 258 | — | 201 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 7 | N 4 | W 7 | WSW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 17 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 | — | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 13 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WNW 10 | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | — | N 4 | SE 2 | — | — | W 4 | WNW 8 | — | — | W 9 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 394 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 9 | 223 | — | — | 297 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 21 | 147 | 153 | 147 | 153 | 10 | 0 | 184 | 21 | 56 | 239 | 233 | 475 | 328 | 392 | 345 | 184 | 0 | 16 | 94 | 24 |
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.
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