
Surf Forecasts:
Le Petit Train surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s period, WNW swell with 560 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 2AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s period with NW 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 Friday (Sep 04) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 8s 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 12s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) 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+) | 2AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 11AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Le Petit Train over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is a bit of a tough one to call at first glance. Le Petit Train is the only spot on the radar, and for the first few days, it’s a real struggle. The water is sitting at a warm 75°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year.
We start off on Wednesday the 2nd with a tiny 0.5ft swell from the WNW, but a strong 16 mph cross-onshore wind has it completely chopped out. Forget it. Thursday the 3rd morning goes glassy, with a whisper of a breeze from the east, but there’s only 0.5ft of weak swell (energy 34). It’s flat and clean, but there’s nothing to ride. Thursday afternoon, the wind picks back up and ruins it again.
Friday the 4th morning is our first real flicker of hope. The wind goes glassy again from the NE, and the swell nudges up to 1ft from the WNW. It’s still small, but the energy is a bit better (59). It’s surfable, but only just. The afternoon gets blown out again.
Saturday the 5th morning is the standout of the first week. The wind turns light cross-offshore from the NE, and the swell bumps up to 2ft from the WNW. The energy jumps to a solid 258, and the conditions are clean. It’s not big, but it’s the best we’ll see for a while. The afternoon gets messy with a 12 mph cross-on and a 2ft swell that’s just too short and choppy.
Sunday the 6th morning is a close second. A gentle offshore from the ESE keeps it clean, with a 2ft swell from the WNW and a period of 11 seconds. The energy is moderate at 243. It’s a nice little session, but it’s small. The afternoon turns onshore and it’s done.
Then we hit a long dry spell. From Sunday afternoon all the way through to the morning of Tuesday the 15th, it’s pretty much a write-off. The wind is either onshore, cross-on, or just too strong, and the swell is either tiny or messy. There’s a pulse of 2ft on the 8th and 9th, but it’s all onshore and choppy, so it’s a no-go. The 10th of September sees a 3ft to 4ft swell, but with a fresh 19-22 mph onshore wind, that’s kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing.
The next real window is Tuesday the 15th morning. The wind goes glassy again from the NNE, and the swell is a clean 2ft from the WNW with a nice 11-second period. The energy is a solid 202. This is the second standout. It’ll be a very clean, small wave day. The afternoons get blown out by a strong 19 mph cross-on.
The last few days (16th and 17th) offer a few sessions with light cross-offshore winds and small, clean surf, but nothing to get too excited about. The swell is dropping and the energy is weak.
So, bottom line: the best windows are Saturday the 5th morning and Tuesday the 15th morning. Keep your expectations low for everything else. Le Petit Train is inconsistent, and it shows.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Fri afternoon, min 17°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 33°C on Sat night, min 18°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 6 | W 13 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
38 | 25 | 34 | 51 | 69 | 59 | 77 | 79 | 141 | 451 | 436 | 243 | 249 | 85 | 68 | 171 | 512 | 415 | 245 | 227 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | off | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 8:38PM3.49m | 9:01AM3.33m | 9:31PM3.21m | 9:59AM3.10m | 10:43PM2.94m | 11:24AM2.94m | 00:25AM2.83m | 1:05PM2.99m | 2:00AM2.96m | 2:27PM3.25m | 3:08AM3.22m | 3:28PM3.58m | 4:00AM3.50m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:24PM0.45m | 2:48AM0.60m | 3:13PM0.69m | 3:41AM0.88m | 4:16PM0.94m | 4:51AM1.13m | 5:42PM1.08m | 6:22AM1.21m | 7:19PM1.01m | 7:51AM1.06m | 8:37PM0.74m | 8:58AM0.77m | 9:34PM0.42m | |||||||
— | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | |
8:40 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 18 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 30 | 33 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 |
Feels °C | 17 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 27 | 30 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | — | WNW 10 | WNW 6 | W 13 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 |
38 | 25 | 34 | 51 | 69 | 59 | 77 | 79 | 141 | 451 | 436 | 243 | — | 85 | 68 | 171 | 512 | 415 | 245 | 227 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 9 | W 9 | — | — | — | WNW 12 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 117 | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | 39 | — | — | — | 161 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 2 | NNW 3 | — | NNW 3 | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 4 | — | — | — | — | WNW 11 | WNW 5 | — | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — |
1 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | 11 | — | — | — | — | 249 | 62 | — | 59 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 265 | 56 | 8 | 421 | 0 | 0 | 182 | 2 | 0 | 102 | 0 | 0 | 153 | 153 | 153 | 147 | 153 | 94 | 147 | 153 |
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.










