Guethary - Les Alcyons/Avalanche Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a tough stretch ahead. We’re looking at a real dry spell with nothing but poor surf conditions across the entire 16-day window. There’s no standout day, no session to get excited about. The whole period is a blank run.

Right now, the water is sitting at 76°F – that’s much warmer than normal for this time of year, a real anomaly of nearly 5°F, so you’ll be comfortable in a spring suit at Guethary - Les Alcyons/Avalanche (France).

The first record shows Thursday afternoon, 30th July, with a tiny 3ft NW swell and a weak combined energy of only 86. The wind is a light onshore breeze, just messing up what little there is. It’s not worth paddling out for.

Friday morning, 31st July, the swell drops to 2ft from the WNW, and while the wind goes glassy, the surf is still rated as poor. The energy is down to 48. You might get a few clean but tiny waves on a longboard, nothing more.

The rest of the first week is more of the same. Through the weekend and into the start of August, the swell never gets above 3ft, and the wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore from the NW. The combined energy is weak, staying in the two-digit numbers. It’s a frustrating time for anyone who wants to paddle.

Moving into the second week, from the 5th of August onward, it gets even smaller. We’re looking at 0.7ft to 1ft swells, with periods that are sometimes short (4 to 6 seconds) and sometimes a bit longer (9 to 11 seconds), but the energy is pitiful, dropping to single digits by the 10th. The wind is a mix of glassy mornings and choppy onshore afternoons, but the lack of swell means those glassy sessions are flat.

By the 12th and 13th of August, there’s a slight bump to 3ft, but it’s still onshore wind and poor conditions. The energy hits 59, which is still weak. It’s a tease.

The reality is this spot is exposed to the W, and the optimum swell direction is W, but we’re getting a lot of NW and NNW energy that isn’t lining up well. The consistency is usually good here, but these forecasts show a total shutdown. For now, it’s more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, if you’ve got the gear.

We’ll keep an eye on it – it tends not to stay poor for long, but for now, find something else to do.

Rusty

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