Belle Ile - Les Donnants Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Belle Ile - Les Donnants.

Right off the bat, this is a tough run. We’re in a bit of a slump for the next week or so. We’re looking at a solid 9-day stretch starting now where the conditions are just fighting us. The swell is there on some days, but the wind is making a mess. It’s going to be a frustrating wait for something good.

Let’s start from the beginning. This Saturday morning (12th September) actually gives us a clean-looking window with a light offshore breeze from the east at 6 mph. The swell is a small 3 ft out of the west-southwest, and with that wind, the surface will be clean. The energy is moderate though, sitting at (109) combined energy, and the swell period is a short 8 seconds, so it'll be a bit weak and gutless. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

That’s the last we’ll see of anything decent for a while. From Saturday afternoon all the way through to the 20th of September, it’s pretty bleak. On the 16th, the swell bumps up to a 4 ft to 5 ft from the west-northwest with a bit of period (10-11 seconds), but the wind is howling straight onshore (WNW at 12-22 mph). That’s going to be blown-out, choppy, and basically unsurfable. The energy on the 16th afternoon jumps to (585) but it's all wasted with that wind. It’s a real shame. A couple of those days, like the 13th and 17th, even have a 7-second period swell, which is just too short to do anything fun.

Then we get to Monday the 21st of September, and things finally start to look up. Monday morning we get a light offshore breeze from the east-northeast at 6 mph, with a 3 ft west-northwest swell. The period jumps up to a very nice 13 seconds, putting real energy into those waves (304 combined energy). This is the first time in the forecast where the quality is actually “good.” This is a promising window for a fun, clean session, just small.

But the real standout is a week and a half away. Mark your calendars for Friday morning, 25th of September. We’ve got a strong 7 ft west-northwest groundswell with a long 14-second period. The wind is glassy, dead calm. The combined energy shoots up to (1421), which is proper juice. That is excellent surf, but be warned: for a river break like Les Donnants, a 7 ft swell is well into expert territory. The current will be pushing and the waves will have some serious power. This is not for beginners. For the experienced crew, that Friday morning is the absolute gold at the end of this long tunnel.

So to sum it up: Bide your time through the next 9 days. Monday the 21st morning offers a small, clean reprieve. But the big prize is that Friday 25th morning with a clean 7 ft groundswell. It’s a long way out, so it’s not locked in, but that’s the one to keep an eye on. Heaps of energy coming that day.

Rusty.

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