Belle Ile - Les Donnants Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long, hard look at the only spot worth talking about right now: Belle Ile - Les Donnants. It’s a river mouth setup exposed to the southwest, and it’s consistent, which is a bit of a lifeline because honestly, the next two weeks are a tough watch.

We kick things off on Friday the 10th of July with the only real glimmer of hope. Early morning, the sky is clear and we’ve got a moderate easterly breeze blowing offshore. The swell is tiny – just 2ft – coming out of the WNW with a period of 10 seconds. It’s not going to blow your mind, but the offshore wind will make it look clean. The water temperature is sitting at 70°, which is a whopping 6° above normal for this time of year, so it’s way warmer than usual – you won’t need a thick suit. The combined energy is weak, only 94, so don’t expect any punch. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. That Friday afternoon the wind swings onshore out of the west and it’s game over.

From Saturday the 11th right through to almost the end of the month, the story is grim. The swell stays tiny and weak, and the wind is a mess. There’s a brief flicker on Sunday morning the 12th with a light offshore breeze and a tiny 1ft wave, but that’s about it. For over a week, we’re looking at near-flat conditions with onshore or cross-shore winds ruining anything that might pop up.

There’s a slight pulse of energy on the 17th of July, Friday, where the swell lifts to 5ft from the WSW, but the period is a short, weak 6 seconds and the onshore wind is howling at 15-18 mph. The combined energy hits 160 (moderate), but with the wind and short period, it’ll be a messy, blown-out wall. The 22nd and 23rd of July see a bit more energy with readings in the 100s again, but it’s all onshore wind, so it’s not worth paddling out for.

The biggest pulse arrives at the very end, around the 25th of July, a Saturday. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the west with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is a whopping 441 (strong wave energy). However, the wind is onshore from the WNW at 18 mph. It’s a lot of water moving, but the conditions will be terrible. For a river mouth spot, that much onshore wind is going to be a messy, bumpy, washing-machine affair. The morning of the 25th has a cross-shore wind, but it’s still not clean.

So, what’s the standout? Honestly, the only window worth even looking at is Friday morning, July 10th. The offshore breeze will turn that tiny 2ft swell into something rideable for a few hours, especially if you’re keen for a longboard and want to enjoy the unusually warm water. Crowds are likely here – it’s a consistent spot and the only game in town. If you miss that, the rest of the fortnight is a write-off. A river mouth setup with this much onshore wind is going to look better for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of the second week. Forecasts can change, but this one is looking bleak.

Stay patient,

Rusty.

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