Pontaillac Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again, and I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Pontaillac are looking pretty bleak. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak swell and onshore wind, and the forecasts are pretty much all showing "poor surf conditions." It’s going to be a grind, but there might be a tiny light at the end of the tunnel if you’re patient.

Right now, starting Sunday the 23rd, we’ve got almost nothing. Flat, weak energy in the water with a combined energy of only 16, meaning zero push. The swell is a pathetic 1.0 ft from the west with a short 9-second period, and the wind is a cross-off from the ENE at 12 mph, trying to help but there’s just nothing to work with. The water is unusually warm for this time of year, sitting at 75°F, which is 5°F above normal – that’s pretty wild.

Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th are more of the same – tiny waves, onshore winds, poor quality. Don’t bother paddling out.

We finally see a spike on Thursday the 27th, with the swell bumping up to 5 ft from the west, and the combined energy climbing to 306. That’s moderate energy, but the wind is cross-on from the WSW at 9 mph, making it choppy and messy. The period is a short 9 seconds, so it’s not going to be clean.

Then Friday the 28th gets dangerous. A big swell rolls in at 12 ft from the west with a 12-second period, and the combined energy jumps to a massive 3235. That’s strong to very strong energy. But it’s going to be blown to hell with a near gale from the WSW at 31 mph. This is expert-only territory, and honestly, it’s likely to be a washing machine. For a beginner spot like Pontaillac, this is a hard pass unless you’re a kiter looking for some serious power.

The next several days – through the end of August and into early September – are a write-off. Small, weak swell, onshore winds, poor conditions. There’s a gap of about a week where you won’t find anything rideable.

Now, here’s the one potential standout. If you can wait until Saturday, September 7th, we might get something. On Monday morning, September 7th, we’ve got 5 ft swell from the west with a very long 12-second period, and the combined energy hits 1120, which is strong. The wind is a cross-shore from the NW at 12 mph, which could keep things relatively clean. The wave comment still says "marginal," but this is the best setup in the whole outlook. The swell direction is W, which matches the optimum swell direction for Pontaillac. That long period means better shape and more energy, but at a beach break, it might break a bit straight. Still, it’s the closest thing to a real session we’ve got.

For the rest, it’s a long blank run. Conditions like this are part of the deal here sometimes. Just keep an eye on the forecasts, because it never stays bad forever.

Rusty.

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