Le Petit Train Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s be straight with you – this stretch isn’t looking like a classic run. Le Petit Train has some windows where you could paddle out, but the whole 16-day period is rough around the edges. We start pretty flat and messy, then there’s a gap of about five days with nothing on offer at all until Thursday, August 20th. After that, the swell tries to lift, but the wind and conditions just keep getting in the way. It’s one of those outlooks where you have to pick your moments very carefully, and even then, it’s not going to be epic.

Right out of the gate from the 13th, you’ve got tiny waist-high waves around 2ft from the west, but the wind is all over the place – cross, cross-on, onshore – and the combined energy is weak (94–95). The water temp is sitting at 77°, which is a massive 5° warmer than normal for this time of year; that’s really unusual, like you’re in a bathtub. Not much to get excited about. Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th are similar: small 2ft–3ft west-northwest swell, onshore breezes, and combined energy only climbing to around 157. Poor surf conditions all the way through. Sunday the 16th through Tuesday the 19th of August is even worse – swell drops to knee-high (0.7ft–2ft), energy plummets (15–100), and you’ve got cross-onshore winds or onshores. Nothing surfable there. That’s a solid stretch of flat, blown-out junk.

We finally see a real change on Thursday, August 20th. The swell lifts to around 5ft out of the west-northwest with a period of 12 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell, clean lines and good energy. Combined energy jumps to 686 (moderate-strong). But here’s the catch: the wind is cross-onshore in the morning and onshore by afternoon, so the surface is going to be choppy and bumpy. Thursday gets a score of just 1 out of 10 – marginal at best. It’s the standout only because it’s the best of a rough lot, but honestly, it’s not a day to call in sick for. The size (5ft) is okay for intermediate to advanced surfers, but beginners will find it a bit much with the chop. Friday the 21st holds similar 4ft–4ft west-northwest swell but with onshore winds and energy dropping (251–346), so it’s still messy.

Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd of August sees the swell back down to 2ft–2ft. Sunday morning actually offers clean conditions with light offshore wind from the east, and the wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” with a score of 1. The period is only 8 seconds – short-period wind swell – so it’s weak and won’t have much push. Energy is low (52). It’s glassy, but tiny. Then Monday the 24th morning is another clean moment: glassy wind, 1ft of west-northwest swell with a 10-second period – small but clean. Combined energy is still weak (81). Not worth paddling miles for.

From Tuesday, August 25th onward, the swell tries to come back – Tuesday afternoon hits 8ft from the west with a 9-second period and combined energy of 1159, which is very strong. But it’s onshore wind and marginal tide conditions, so that size will be a washing machine. That’s expert-only territory, too big for beginners and messy on a beach-break setup. Wednesday the 26th has 5ft–5ft but cross-shore and onshore winds with rain showers, so no thanks. The rest of the month just fades into small, windy, choppy conditions again.

If I’m honest, the only day I’d even look at with a shred of optimism is Thursday, August 20th. The west-northwest groundswell at 5ft and 12 seconds has potential if you can find a bank that’s holding, and the wind might just be light enough early to sneak a few clean ones. But Le Petit Train is inconsistent and exposed – it won’t always have a wave when you want it, and crowds are possible. Just don’t expect perfection. For the rest of the run, it’s a case of checking the forecast again because this stretch is mostly a write-off.

Rusty.

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