Menakoz Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, checking in with the long-range look for our local zone. Let's be straight with you – it’s a pretty lean run coming up. We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions ahead before a window opens up, so get ready to wait.

The first spot on the radar is Menakoz (Biscay). This is an expert-only reef break, and for the next week and more, the stars just aren't aligning. The water is sitting at 75°F currently, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, a real tropical feel for the Atlantic.

For the first few days, from the 18th right through to the 25th of August, we’re looking at tiny, weak energy. The combined swell energy is in the doldrums, barely cracking triple digits (12 to 104 units), with swells under 3 feet. The winds, while sometimes light, are mostly cross or onshore, churning up the surface. It’s just not worth paddling out.

We get a slight bump in energy on the 26th with a 6 ft swell (216 units), but it’s coming with a 16 mph cross-onshore wind, turning it into a choppy mess. Still no good.

Then, things get interesting for a moment. On the morning of Thursday the 27th of August, we finally see a proper pulse. The combine energy jumps to 784 units, pushing in a 7 ft groundswell from the NW. This is the standout of the whole outlook, a solid size that'll get the blood pumping. Critically, the wind is glassy light offshore from the SSE. That’s the magic combination for a reef like Menakoz: solid NW groundswell with clean, light offshore breezes. Just keep in mind, this is a peak morning window. The afternoon sees the wind shift onshore, and by Friday the 28th, while the swell is still around 4 ft, it’s back to an ordinary, clean but weak state.

After that, from Friday afternoon through to the 2nd of September, we sink back into a pattern of weak swell and average to poor onshore winds. Swell energy drops back below 400 units, and the chop returns. There are no other worth saving graces on the calendar.

So, to sum it up: the first week and a half are essentially a write-off. The one and only true moment of excitement is the Thursday 27th morning session at Menakoz. If you’re an expert and can read a reef, that’s where you want to be for a solid, clean window. For the rest of us, it’s a waiting game. The blank run is pretty normal for this part of the world in late August, but forecasts can change.

Keep an eye on the sky, lads.
Rusty.

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