Rade de Croisic Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – if you’re chasing waves around the Rade de Croisic over the next couple of weeks, you’re going to be doing a lot of staring at flat, lumpy water. The surf is pretty ordinary for the first week and a half, with nothing worth paddling out for. The swell energy is weak for most of it, and the wind just keeps messing things up. It’s a tough stretch, so if you’ve got other things to do, do them.

Looking at the start, Tuesday the 8th is a write-off. We’ve got a 5ft swell in the morning, but it’s coming from the WSW with a strong cross-on wind at 28 mph, making it a total mess. The energy is moderate (550), but it’s not doing anyone any favours. The water is sitting at 69°, which is a fair bit warmer than normal for this time of year – over two degrees warmer, which is notable. You won’t need a thick suit, that’s for sure. The afternoon doesn't improve, with a 7ft W swell but the period drops to 8 seconds and it’s lumpy.

Wednesday the 9th drops right off. We’re looking at a 3ft W swell in the morning, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. The afternoon sees a bit more energy (314), but it’s still only 4ft and the wind is on it. Nothing doing. Thursday the 10th has a brief window in the morning – the wind goes light offshore from the ESE and it’s glassy, but the swell is tiny at 2ft. You might get a tiny ripple, but it’s not worth getting wet for. The energy is weak (39). The afternoon is rubbish again.

Friday the 11th through to the 16th is just a grim run of small, weak, and often wind-blown conditions. We’re talking 1ft to 3ft of swell, with the energy mostly under 100 – that’s weak stuff. There’s a lot of cross-onshore and lumpy conditions. The period is mostly around 8-10 seconds, so no real punch to it. It’s going to be a flat week, with only a few moments of clean but tiny surf. A long way from good.

Now, here’s the one bright spot in the whole outlook. Thursday the 17th of September, in the morning, things finally come together. The swell bumps up to 4ft from the W, with a period of 10 seconds. The wind goes cross-offshore from the NNE at 9 mph, and the conditions are forecast to be clean. The energy is moderate (231), which is the best we’ve seen in over a week. This is the standout – the only proper surfable window in the whole run. It’s not huge, but it will be clean and have a bit of shape. The afternoon it falls apart again as the wind swings cross-on, so make the most of that morning.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. The 18th and 19th have some offshore winds and clean conditions, but the swell is tiny – 2-2ft – and the energy is weak. You might get a knee-high dribble if you’re desperate. The 20th is flat, and then the 21st and 22nd see a pulse of energy (448 and 246) but it’s all blown out by strong to near-gale cross-onshore winds from the WNW. The swell is 3ft and 3ft, but it’s messy and ugly. Not for surfing. The period gets long (16-20 seconds), but that just means it’s breaking straight and messy with the wind. You’re better off looking at the kites, to be honest.

So, the bottom line is: don’t hold your breath. There’s a single, decent morning on Thursday the 17th. Everything else is either flat, messy, or both. The water is warmer than usual, which is nice, but it doesn’t help the waves. Keep an eye on the forecast, because things can change, but as it stands, it’s a lean stretch.

Rusty.

Read more