Belle Ile - Les Donnants Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks. Rusty here with the long-range look at what’s coming down the pike for us.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid gap of nothing happening. The surf is flat or junk through Monday and Tuesday of this coming week. A couple of tiny dribblers, but honestly, not worth wetting your wetsuit for. That quiet spell runs until the morning of Wednesday the 26th, so we’re looking at a bit of a wait.

Wednesday 26th August morning: We finally see a pulse of life. A 4ft swell from the SW with a short period of 7 seconds pushes in. The combined energy is still modest (126), nothing to shout about, but the wind is SSE at 25 mph, which is a clean cross-off. It’s surfable, but it’s ordinary. Just something to get a few grovelly ones on.

Thursday 27th August afternoon: This is where the first real hint of something better shows. The swell builds to a solid 6ft from the WSW with a 9-second period, and for a window, the wind goes completely glassy – 0 mph from the SW. The combined energy jumps to a notable 459. That glassy spell is a golden moment. It’ll be clean and lined up, but that 6ft is starting to push into the "bit much for a beginner" territory.

Friday 28th and Saturday 29th: A mess. The wind goes onshore and the swell gets mushy and choppy. Not worth a second look.

Sunday 30th August: A raw, angry 7ft to 8ft swell with near-gale force winds. This is blown-out chaos. Only for the hardcore, if anyone is silly enough.

Monday 31st August: More of the same. Big, onshore slop. The combined energy hits 921, but it’s just churning whitewater.

We then get another small lull, with marginal, poor conditions right through the start of September. The wait is on.

Monday 7th September morning: Now we’re talking. A clean 5ft from the WNW, period is a nice 10 seconds. The wind is offshore at 16 mph from the E. The combined energy is cranking at 771. The write-up says "very good surf conditions." This is the standout session of the run. Clean, punchy, offshore lines at Belle Ile - Les Donnants (France). It’s a consistent river mouth, and the crowd can be "often" there, so expect company. That offshore wind will put a lip on it.

Monday 7th September afternoon: The swell bumps up to 7ft from the WSW, but the period drops to a weak 6 seconds. It’s a clean cross-off, but that short period will make it fat and soft on the face. Still fun, but not as good as the morning.

Tuesday 8th September morning: This is the big fish, but it’s a long way out. The forecast shows a 8ft groundswell from the W with an insane 16-second period, and the combined energy is a colossal 5552. The wind is light offshore at 6 mph. This is "exceptional surf conditions for expert surfers." That size is well over 8ft, so it’s a big, heavy beast. At a river mouth, that long-period groundswell will wrap in cleanly, but it will be a very powerful, big-wave day. Only for the experienced crew. It’s far out, so keep an eye on it, but if it holds, this is the one to aim for.

Overall, the first week is a write-off. The real gold is that Monday the 7th morning, with a possible monster day on Tuesday the 8th if you’re a charger.

Rusty.

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