Surf Forecasts:
Le Petit Train surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 11s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, W swell with 923 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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 Sunday (Aug 30) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m 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 2.3m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 5AM. 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 (Sun 30th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Le Petit Train over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab a coffee, let's see what we've got.
Right, it’s a bit of a story for this stretch. We've got a wave window that opens up on the 28th of August, but don't get too excited just yet. The whole sixteen-day window is pretty lackluster to be honest. There's a long, long gap from the start of September right through, so we're really just looking at a few days at the end of August and the very beginning of September to see if there's anything worth paddling out for.
Let's start with the first bit of action, end of August. The swell coming in is mainly from the west, around chest to head high, 5 ft to 6 ft, but the wind is just awful. It's cross-on almost the whole time, blowing it out, making it choppy and messy. You'll see combined swell energy readings of 352 up to 533 (moderate to strong) but with those winds, it's a write-off. Sunday the 30th has a shred of hope with some cleaner conditions in the morning, but the wave comment calls it "marginal", and with a score that's basically a zero, I wouldn't bother. The water temp is a crazy 77°, which is a massive 7° warmer than usual for this time of year, very unusual, but that's about the only thing going for it.
Now, Le Petit Train itself is an exposed, inconsistent beginner wave. The optimum swell is from the west, which we're getting, but the quality is just not there. We have a period of clean conditions from Thursday the 3rd of September through to Tuesday the 8th, with glassy or cross-off winds. But the problem is the swell. It drops right off. On Thursday the 3rd, we're down to a tiny 2 ft, and it stays small, between 1 ft and 3 ft for the next week. The wave energy is weak, reading under 100 most days. It’s surfable but very ordinary, with the odd “clean” or “glassy” comment but just no push.
The only real standout, and I mean the *only* one, is a tiny glimmer on Saturday the 5th of September in the morning. We have a clean, cross-off wind from the south, combined swell energy at 117 (moderate), and a nice 10-second period. The swell is only 3 ft, so it's small, but with those conditions, it's about as good as it's going to get. It's a bit of a novelty, but you might get a few fun ones.
Honestly, there are long gaps here with no real recommendations. After the 5th, the swell fades and the wind goes bad again. For a spot that's already "inconsistent", this is a pretty bleak run. The whole setup looks more like a washout than a surf session. Maybe a kite would have fun when the wind is up and the waves are messy, but for a paddle surfer, it's a tough watch.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 21°C on Fri afternoon, min 20°C on Sat afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Fri night, light winds from the S by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 18°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | ||||||||||||||
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) | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
326 | 874 | 533 | 339 | 355 | 416 | 315 | 262 | 442 | 480 | 433 | 307 | 258 | 116 | 96 | 98 | 36 | 39 | 22 | 78 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 9:01AM3.33m | 9:31PM3.21m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:13PM0.69m | 3:41AM0.88m | |||||||
— | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | |
8:50 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:44 | — | — | 8:42 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:38 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 23 |
Feels °C | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | — | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 10 | — | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | — | NW 4 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 |
326 | — | 533 | 339 | 355 | 416 | — | 262 | 442 | 480 | 433 | 307 | 258 | 116 | 96 | — | 8 | 39 | 22 | 78 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | — | — | — |
26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 10 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | — | NW 8 | — | — | NNW 2 | — |
— | 874 | — | — | — | — | 315 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | 98 | — | — | 1 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 184 | 137 | 76 | 184 | 94 | 16 | 94 | 111 | 91 | 94 | 3 | 70 | 153 | 111 | 128 | 182 | 2 | 56 | 401 | 14 |
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.











