Surf Forecasts:
Les Dunes surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 9s period, WSW swell with 2,257 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s period with WNW 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 (Aug 22) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Les Dunes in the next 16 days are 4.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (CEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Les Dunes over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what we’ve got on the cards for Les Dunes.
Honestly, mate, it’s a bit of a tough stretch. We’re looking at a long run of mostly poor surf, with the best of it only just touching 'surfable' on a couple of mornings. The first proper crack at anything worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until Saturday the 22nd of August. Before that, Friday the 21st is a write-off – messy onshore winds and weak, sloppy swell. Not worth getting the wetsuit wet.
So, Saturday the 22nd morning is where we start. It’s a small one, with 3ft of swell rolling in from the WNW at a short 8 seconds. The energy is weak (87), but the real story here is the wind. We’ve got a light ESE breeze, 10 km/h, and it's cross-offshore. That’s going to keep the surface clean. It’s a beginner-friendly spot anyway, so if you’re looking for a gentle cruise, that’s your window. The water temp is sitting around 70°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.
After that, it drops right off again. Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th are tiny and weak, with the swell barely pushing 1ft to 1ft. The combined energy falls to single digits and low 30s – it’s just flat really. That trend continues right through until Wednesday the 27th.
Now, things get interesting from Wednesday the 26th, but not in a good way for paddle surfing. The swell starts to build, but it comes with strong, onshore winds. By Thursday the 27th afternoon, we’re looking at 7ft of swell from the WSW at 8 seconds, with a howling 25 mph SW wind pumping onshore. The energy jumps up to 606, but it’s a complete mess. That setup is far more interesting for kite surfing than a surf session on a log.
The peak of the size comes Friday the 28th of August. We’ve got 8ft of WSW swell with a raw energy of 859, but it’s accompanied by 28 mph onshore winds. It’s blown out, dangerous, and only for the absolute experts, if anyone. Saturday the 29th afternoon is the only real standout for size, with 7ft, and while the wind eases to a gentle 9 mph, it's still cross-onshore and choppy. The guidance actually flags it as potentially too big for this break.
From the 30th of August through to the 5th of September, it’s a slow fade. The swell drops, and while we get a few cleaner moments on the 3rd and 4th of September with some light cross-offshore winds, the wave heights are tiny – 2ft to 3ft – and the period is short, under 8 seconds. The energy is low, and the surf is just ordinary.
So, the only real highlight is the Saturday morning of the 22nd of August. It’s not going to set the world on fire, but with clean conditions and small, surfable waves, it’s the best on offer in a pretty barren run. Don't bother with the rest unless you've got a kite.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (calm on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the ENE by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 26°C on Mon afternoon, min 17°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 9 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 9 | WSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | W 5 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | W 8 | W 9 | WSW 7 | WSW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
225 | 188 | 132 | 90 | 34 | 36 | 14 | 17 | 46 | 38 | 28 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 14 | 50 | 30 | 165 | 99 | 574 | 2009 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 11:17AM2.94m | 00:57AM2.80m | 1:45PM2.94m | 2:34AM2.91m | 2:58PM3.13m | 3:30AM3.12m | 3:46PM3.39m | 4:09AM3.37m | 4:22PM3.67m | 4:41AM3.60m | 4:53PM3.92m | 5:10AM3.82m | 5:21PM4.14m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:57PM1.52m | 6:29AM1.61m | 7:17PM1.56m | 7:49AM1.56m | 8:32PM1.40m | 8:55AM1.33m | 9:29PM1.12m | 9:45AM1.04m | 10:13PM0.81m | 10:25AM0.73m | 10:51PM0.52m | 11:02AM0.46m | 11:26PM0.27m | ||||||||
7:11 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:06 | — | — | 9:04 | — | — | 9:01 | — | — | 9:00 | — | 8:58 | — | — | 8:57 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 6 | 12 | 5 | 5 |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 29 | 29 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 19 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 14 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 13 | 11 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 9 | WSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | W 5 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | W 8 | W 9 | — | — |
225 | 188 | 132 | 90 | 34 | 36 | 14 | 17 | 46 | 38 | 28 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 14 | 50 | 30 | 165 | 99 | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 8 | W 9 | WNW 7 | W 8 | W 7 | — | N 6 | W 9 | SSE 4 | SSE 4 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 12 | 24 | 5 | 6 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 17 | 16 | 5 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 10 | WNW 4 | W 16 | NW 7 | — | — | W 9 | W 14 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 7 | S 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | ENE 4 | ENE 3 | ENE 4 | E 3 | S 3 | S 3 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 2 | WSW 8 | WSW 7 | WSW 9 |
— | — | — | — | — | 4 | 15 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 50 | 574 | 2009 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 22 | 353 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 151 | 264 | 144 | 129 | 458 | 272 | 278 | 256 | 274 | 152 | 0 | 231 | 3 | 273 | 547 | 353 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Vendee | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in France | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











