
Surf Forecasts:
Les Dunes surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 5AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 5PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 15s period, W swell with 435 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 11AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Les Dunes this week:
The surf forecast for Les Dunes over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 11AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 8s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Les Dunes in the next 16 days are 1.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Fri 18th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Les Dunes over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight—this stretch is a mixed bag, and for a while, it’s about picking the right session, not chasing any big swell. The water’s at 69.6°F at the first break we’ll talk about, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a small win.
The first real call is for Saturday morning, the 12th of September. It’s small, only 2.3ft of west swell at Les Dunes (Le Touquet-Paris-Plage), with a short 8-second period. The energy is weak (64), and while it’s glassy with a light SE breeze, it’s just not got much push. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it. The afternoon turns cross-on and choppy, so that morning window is the only one.
Sunday the 13th is a touch better. The swell bumps to 2.6ft, and the period stretches to 10 seconds, giving it a bit more shape. Morning glass again, and the energy is moderate (127). It’s still not epic, but it’s cleaner and has more life. The afternoon gets ruined by a cross-shore, so again, get on it early.
Monday morning the 14th is your first real clean window. 2.3ft of W’ly swell with a 10-second period, a light cross-off breeze, and moderate energy (102). It’s clean and lined up. But it’s all pretty ordinary until a notable pulse arrives.
Now, look at Wednesday the 16th. The swell jumps to 4.3ft, but the period is only 8 seconds, and the energy is moderate (233). The problem is it’s predicted to be too big for this break, and with a cross-off wind, the morning might have some juice, but it could be messy. Thursday the 17th sees a similar situation—3.6ft, but the period stretches to 11 seconds and the energy climbs to 292. Again, it’s too big for the break, and there’s a cross-shore. This is expert territory.
But then, hold on. Friday the 18th morning looks like the pick of the first week. The swell drops back to a clean 2.3ft, west-northwest direction, with a 9-second period. The energy is moderate (201), and you’ve got a light cross-off breeze, making it clean. It’s the best balance of size and shape. Then Saturday the 19th morning is a standout. 2.6ft of WNW swell, a 12-second period, light offshore NE wind, and the energy is solid at 202. That’s clean, lined-up surf with a proper groundswell pulse. This is the one to circle.
We roll into the second week, and the quality fades as the swell drops. Monday the 21st morning has a fun pulse—2.6ft west swell at 15 seconds, with a moderate offshore wind and energy at 353. That’s a long-period, clean morning, and it’s worth getting out for. But the afternoon gets questionable. From Tuesday the 22nd onwards, things get small—down to 2ft and less, and the period drops. The energy fades to weak (44-115), and while there are clean moments, they’re not really worth the paddle. The longer period on Thursday the 24th (14 seconds) is there, but the swell is tiny at 1.3ft.
The last real notable is Sunday the 27th, but it’s a mess. 3.6ft of short-period NW swell at 5 seconds, with onshore winds. The energy is weak (93), and it’s just lumpy, cross-on junk. This stretch is not for the board.
So, in the short term, don’t hold out for quality. Get out on Saturday the 12th morning if you’re desperate, but the true standout is Saturday the 19th morning—that long-period groundswell with clean offshore conditions is your best bet. The Monday the 21st morning is a promising second option, but you’re looking at ankle to waist-high waves at best. The second week is mostly flat and poor, so save your energy.
The beach setup at Les Dunes is exposed, so when the swell is over 3.3ft and the wind is cross, it’s going to be a wash. On those days, it looks more interesting for the kites than the paddleboards.
Keep it salty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Mon afternoon, min 17°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Tue night, light winds from the N by Thu morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | WNW 11 | W 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 16 | W 15 | WNW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
64 | 63 | 49 | 127 | 150 | 138 | 102 | 90 | 59 | 38 | 36 | 315 | 196 | 202 | 240 | 292 | 170 | 100 | 86 | 435 | 384 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:22PM4.58m | 6:39AM4.33m | 6:52PM4.43m | 7:06AM4.21m | 7:20PM4.19m | 7:31AM4.03m | 7:46PM3.90m | 7:56AM3.80m | 8:12PM3.59m | 8:24AM3.53m | 8:43PM3.27m | 9:00AM3.24m | 9:25PM2.95m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:02PM-0.18m | 00:25AM-0.21m | 12:40PM-0.13m | 1:02AM-0.06m | 1:18PM0.03m | 1:38AM0.20m | 1:56PM0.30m | 2:15AM0.52m | 2:35PM0.63m | 2:54AM0.88m | 3:18PM0.99m | 3:38AM1.24m | 4:10PM1.33m | 4:34AM1.53m | |||||||
7:39 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | |
— | 8:25 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 21 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | WNW 11 | W 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 11 | WNW 8 | W 13 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 15 | WNW 13 |
64 | 63 | 49 | 127 | 150 | 138 | 102 | 90 | 59 | 38 | 36 | 37 | 196 | 3 | 240 | 292 | 170 | 100 | 86 | 435 | 384 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 16 | WNW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 10 | W 13 | W 11 | — | W 11 | — | W 12 | — | — | — | W 16 | — | — |
— | 5 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | 3 | 10 | — | 37 | — | 46 | — | — | — | 78 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 12 | — | — |
— | — | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 37 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 2 | — | — | NNW 3 | — | — | — | SSE 3 | WSW 2 | WNW 7 | — | WNW 8 | NNE 3 | — | — | NW 4 | — | — | — |
— | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 315 | — | 202 | 3 | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 226 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 129 | 474 | 172 | 9 | 172 | 9 | 9 | 293 | 9 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Vendee | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in France | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Les Dunes Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Les Dunes provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Les Dunes can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Les Dunes surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Les Dunes) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Les Dunes may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Les Dunes is 8 km (5 miles) from Les Sables-d'Olonne. If you plan a holiday in Vendee, look for hotels and other accommodation in Les Sables-d'Olonne. Les Sables-d'Olonne has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










