Belle Ile - Les Donnants Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, checkin’ in from the coast. Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – the next week or so is a real mixed bag, and honestly, mostly a washout at Belle Ile - Les Donnants. We’ve got a long stretch of ordinary to poor conditions, with the wind just not giving us a break. The wait is a tough one, but there’s a glimmer of hope way out at the end of the forecast window.

The first few days are a write-off. Wednesday morning the 12th kicks off with tiny 2ft swell from the west and a 10-second period, but the combined energy is weak (73). It’s clean, sure, but the swell is just too small to get excited about. After that, it’s a brutal run of onshore wind and poor surf right through until the 19th. We’re talking about a full week of junk, with the wind swinging from the west to the northwest, and the swell rarely breaking 3ft. The combined energy does bump up to 228 on Thursday afternoon, but it doesn’t matter because the wind is straight onshore and messy.

Thursday morning the 20th shows a little flicker of life. Swell picks up to 4ft from the west-northwest, with a 10-second period and a combined energy of 281 – that’s moderate wave energy. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, but the forecast calls it “marginal” with questionable conditions. It’s a tease, not a goer.

Then we get another gap. From Thursday afternoon the 20th right through to the evening of the 26th, it’s back to poor surf with onshore winds and tiny, weak swell. The combined energy drops to triple digits but mostly sits below 200, and the wind is either howling or onshore. Just a flat, frustrating stretch.

Now, here’s the payoff. The standout is Thursday morning, the 27th of August. This is the one we’ve been waiting for. The swell jumps to 6ft from the west-northwest, with a solid 9-second period and a combined energy of 1033 – that’s strong wave energy. The wind is offshore from the east at 12 mph, which is a dream. The report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers,” and that’s no lie. At 6ft, it’s pushing the limit for beginners, but for anyone with a bit of salt in their veins, this is a proper session. The swell direction is west-northwest, which, given the guidance says the optimum swell direction is from the southwest, means it’s not a perfect match, but a 6ft groundswell with clean offshore wind is a rare treat after all this junk. This is the one to circle on the calendar. Keep in mind it’s a river mouth spot, so with a longer period (9 seconds) it should hold up well there.

Rusty.

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