Rade de Croisic Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Rusty here.

First up, we’ve got Rade de Croisic. They’re telling us the water is sitting at 68°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 4°F above average, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home for a bit longer.

The outlook for the next couple of weeks is pretty bleak to be honest. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and messy surf ahead. From Wednesday the 16th through to Tuesday the 22nd, it’s mostly onshore wind and junk. The combined swell energy is moving between just 50 and 228 for most of that – that’s weak to barely moderate energy. On Wednesday the 16th morning, we’re looking at a 3 ft swell from the west with an 8-second period, but that NW wind at 15 km/h is cross-on and making it choppy. The score is a zero – not worth paddling out. Thursday the 17th isn’t any better, with onshore wind and the same poor surf conditions.

Friday the 18th morning is the first little glimmer. We’ve got a 3 ft west swell, but the period jumps to 16 seconds – that’s a proper long-period groundswell. The combined energy reads 507, so the ocean has some real push. The wind is light, only 5 km/h from the NNW. It’s cross-on, but that’s just a slight air. The catch is, it’s only rated as marginal due to questionable tide conditions, so it’s not a green light. That long period swell at a beach break like this can make waves a bit too straight, but if you get the tide right, there might be a sneaky one.

Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th are poor. The swell drops to 2 ft – 2 ft, and the combined energy falls off a cliff to 141 and then 82. Sunday morning has a clean window with light cross-off wind from the NE, but the swell is so small it’s just surfable but ordinary. Monday the 21st is the same deal – tiny swell, no energy.

Then we hit a big gap. From Tuesday the 22nd morning through to Friday the 25th afternoon, it’s mostly offshore wind and clean conditions, but the swell is tiny – 1 ft to 1 ft. The energy is in the double digits and low triple digits. It’s clean, sure, but you’d be fighting for a ripple. On Tuesday the 22nd afternoon, there’s a 1 ft swell from the WSW with a 19-second period. That’s an incredibly long period, but with almost no height, it’s just a long, flat bump.

Now, the real standout – and the best on offer by a long shot – is Wednesday the 23rd. We’ve got a clean, solid day. Wednesday morning sees a 3 ft west swell with a 15-second period. The combined energy is 435, so the ocean has got some moderate power. The wind is offshore from the ENE at 30 km/h. That’s a fresh breeze, but it’s clean. The morning is still a bit marginal, but Wednesday afternoon? That’s the pick. The swell holds at 3 ft, the period is 14 seconds, the energy is 411, and the wind is offshore at 20 km/h. The rating flips to “expect good surf conditions”. This is the window. Get on it. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and has some push.

After that, Thursday the 24th is a letdown. The swell drops back to 2 ft, and the wind goes onshore in the afternoon. The rest of the week fades out with small, punchless surf.

Saturday the 26th morning deserves a mention – the swell picks up to 3 ft from the WSW with a 14-second period and an offshore wind at 25 km/h. The energy is back to 263. It’s good, clean surf, but it’s not as good as the 23rd.

Then we’ve got another stretch of very small surf through to Monday the 28th. There is some good news for the brave: On Wednesday the 30th of September, the swell is predicted to get huge – 12 ft from the WSW. But the finder is very clear: the swell is too big for this break. The wind is cross-off and clean, but this is expert territory only, and even then, it looks more like a clean washing machine. It’s a hard pass for paddling.

The first of October sees that swell drop back to 7 ft, but the period is only 8 seconds, and the wind is cross-off. Combined energy is still 460, so there’s power, but it’s short-period, messy, and likely still too big for a good time.

So, to wrap it up: if you’re looking for the one day to circle, it’s Wednesday the 23rd afternoon. Clean, offshore, waist-to-chest high, with some long-period energy. The rest of the 16 days is a lot of waiting or paddling for tiny dribbles. It’s not a terrible run for the area – there are some clean windows – but the swell is just not cooperating for most of it.

Rusty.

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