Les Conches Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the next couple weeks. It’s fair to say we’re in for a bit of a flat spell overall, but a patient surfer might find a couple of windows worth a paddle.

The whole run starts with some pulsey, onshore wind swell at Les Conches right now. We’ve got a solid WSW swell coming in on Saturday the 29th at 6 ft but the wind is blowing a strong 25 mph from the SW, which is straight onshore. The combined energy is moderate (476) but the quality is just poor. It’s a bit of a mess. By Sunday the 30th, the swell drops to 4 ft, still onshore WSW wind of 12 mph, and the energy backs off to 258. Not the kind of day you rush to the beach for.

Moving into early next week, Monday the 31st sees a bit more size – 6 ft from the W, period up to 10 seconds (decent groundswell), and combined energy spikes to 883. That chimes promising, but again it’s onshore wind at 12 mph, so the surf is gonna be choppy and disorganised. Tuesday the 1st of September the swell falls right off – under 3 ft, and the wind swings to a light WNW cross-onshore of 3 mph, which isn’t helping. The energy drops to 154.

From Wednesday the 2nd until almost the end of the first week, we’re looking at tiny surf. Heights hovering around 2 ft to 3 ft, periods short (8 seconds or less), and energy readings stuck well under 100 or just above. The wind is mostly onshore, cross-onshore, or cross-shore. Not much to get excited about.

Now, after a long stretch of poor surf, we get a little glimmer. On Friday the 4th of September, early conditions improve: a light 2 ft W swell, glassy conditions in the morning with a SW wind of just 3 mph. The combined energy is weak (44), but for a patient surfer on a small board, this could be a clean little session with nobody out. The wave comment even says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” – a 1/10 score, but at least it’s clean. That’s probably the best of the first week, and it’s not saying much.

From Saturday the 5th through mid-week the following week, it’s back to tiny, mostly choppy surf. Swells under 2 ft, energy readings mostly in the 20s and 50s, and cross-onshore winds. There’s another glassy window on Sunday the 6th morning with a 2 ft W swell and ENE light winds of 3 mph, but again, small.

By Tuesday the 8th, we get a brief clean window with a N cross-offshore wind at 12 mph and a 2 ft swell, but the energy is only 76. Wednesday the 9th morning also looks clean with light N cross-offshore wind of 6 mph, but the swell is only 2 ft.

Then, into the second week, from Thursday the 10th onward, it’s pretty dead. Swell drops below 1.0 ft, periods are short, and the combined energy is in single digits. There’s a weird spike on Saturday the 12th with 3 ft and onshore wind, but it’s just messy wind swell. The last day, Sunday the 13th, shows a 1 ft long-period groundswell (period 17 seconds!) from the WSW, with moderate combined energy (181) and clean N cross-offshore wind. That’s a standout in the second week, but the size is tiny. That long period (17 seconds) is very significant – it’s a true groundswell. A long-period swell that small is best for a point or reef, and with clean wind, it’ll be glassy but extremely small sets.

In summary: The best session across this whole 16-day stretch is likely Friday morning, September 4th at Les Conches – small but glassy with a light 2 ft WSW swell and a brief window of clean conditions. That’s the standout. The next best might be Sunday the 13th morning with that very long-period 1 ft swell and clean wind, but it’s tiny. The rest is mostly a write-off for quality surf. The water temp is around 70°F, which is about 2°F warmer than usual for this time of year – nothing extreme, just slightly above average. Crowds at Les Conches can show up sometimes, but with this forecast, I doubt many will come.

All in all, it’s a lean run. The good news is it tends not to stay this poor forever, and forecasts can change. Keep an eye on that 17-second pulse on the 13th – if it fills in a little more, it could be something.

Rusty.

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