Belle Ile - Les Donnants Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The first real surf window here is a long way off, so be patient. The next 16 days are mostly a write-off for Belle Ile - Les Donnants, with a real dry spell running from July 12th right through until July 20th. There’s a few tiny pulses but they’re all buried under poor conditions; nothing worth paddling for. The combined energy is weak, barely cracking 30 or 40 (32–38) most days, and the wind is just never on our side.

The first faint glimmer comes on the morning of July 21st. Tuesday morning, the sky looks sketchy with a risk of t-storms, but the wind goes glassy, dead calm, out of the NNE at 3 mph. That’s a rare clean window. The swell is tiny, just 2 ft from the W with a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy is only 51 – weak. It’s surfable but very ordinary. Still, if you’re desperate for a paddle, that glassy morning is the only clean chance in the first week and a half.

After that, we get walloped by onshores again until July 23rd. Thursday the 23rd sees a spike in size – morning pushes 5 ft from the W (period 6 sec, energy 191), and by the afternoon it’s a thumping 8 ft from the W (period 9 sec, energy 1279). That’s a lot of power, but the wind is onshore and strong, 19 mph from the WSW, so it’ll be a messy, blown-out mess. This is definitely expert-only territory size-wise, and with the wind on it, honestly, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The water temp is running 71°F, which is a full 6°F warmer than normal – very unusual for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick suit.

The best bet in the whole 16-day window is the morning of July 27th. Monday the 27th, it’s clear skies, a light offshore breeze from the NE at 9 mph, making for clean conditions. Swell is 4 ft from the W with a period of 9 seconds, and combined energy hits 225 – that’s moderate, solid enough. The score is marginal, but it’s the only morning that has a legit offshore wind with some body to the swell. It’s still inconsistent, and the break is a river mouth, so don’t expect a perfect A-frame, but if you want the pick of a very lean run, that’s your window. Crowds are likely here – it’s often busy, so get there early.

Overall, a tough outlook. The water is warmer than you’d expect, but the surf just isn’t cooperating. Hang tight for that Monday morning on the 27th.

Rusty

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