Guethary - Les Alcyons/Avalanche Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for this stretch. We’ve got a window of opportunity, but it’s not all plain sailing, so let’s break it down.

The main event is at Guethary - Les Alcyons/Avalanche, a reef setup that’s strictly for experts. It’s a consistent spot, but it doesn’t come alive straight away. The first real chance to get wet is on Friday the 21st of August, but honestly, that afternoon is a write-off with a strong onshore wind and a messy 6 ft NW swell that’s packing moderate energy (667). The water is a balmy 77°, which is way warmer than usual for this time of year, but the conditions are just not there.

Saturday the 22nd of August is where it starts to wake up. You’ve got a clean, cross-offshore breeze on the morning session. The swell has dropped to a cleaner 4 ft from the NW with a period of 9 seconds. The energy is still moderate (241), but the wind is right – it’s going to be a good morning. The afternoon turns ugly with a strong cross-shore, so don’t sleep in.

Sunday the 23rd of August is a tease. The morning is glassy and clean, but the swell is tiny at 2 ft with a short period of 8 seconds and weak energy (63). It’s not surfable. The wind stays light all day, but there’s just no power in the water.

The next solid window isn’t until Thursday the 27th of August. The morning is a write-off with a stormy cross-shore, but the afternoon sees a pulse of serious swell – 10 ft from the WNW with a period of 8 seconds. That’s a lot of water moving around (1074 energy), but it’s onshore and choppy. This is a day for experts only, and even then, it’s a battle. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, to be honest.

Friday the 28th of August morning is the first real standout. You’ve got a gentle 6 ft NW swell with a 9-second period, and the wind is light and cross-offshore. The energy is moderate (502) but the conditions are clean. This is the best of the week. The afternoon gets a bit messy with a light cross-shore, so get out early.

Saturday the 30th of August morning is another good shout. The swell is 5 ft from the NW, period 9 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-offshore breeze. It’s clean and consistent. The energy is moderate (326) but the quality is there. The afternoon turns bad with a cross-shore, so again, it’s a morning session.

Monday the 31st of August morning is a beautiful glassy morning. The swell is 4 ft from the WNW, period 9 seconds. It’s not a big day, but it’s clean and the energy is moderate (252). This is a great morning for a longboard or a funboard.

Looking further ahead, the first week of September is a bit of a mixed bag. There’s a window on Thursday the 3rd of September afternoon with a large 8 ft swell from the WNW, but it’s a bit onshore and choppy. The real highlight is Friday the 4th of September morning. The wind is dead calm, glassy as glass, and the swell is 6 ft from the NW with an 8-second period. This is a long-range promise, but it’s a good one. The energy is moderate (410) and the conditions will be absolutely clean.

The rest of the run into the 5th of September is mostly messy or onshore, so don’t plan around it.

Best call: The standout is the morning of Friday the 28th of August – clean, 6 ft NW swell, and light winds. The second best is the glassy morning of Friday the 4th of September, but that’s a longer-range hope. Keep your eyes peeled for those windows.

Rusty

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