Le Petit Train Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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.

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