La Roche Percee (Bonhomme de Bourail) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at La Roche Percee (Bonhomme de Bourail) are a real mixed bag. There’s surf on the table, but you’ll be picking your moments carefully. The best of it looks like it’s gonna be later in the run, so don’t write the whole period off just yet.

We kick off on Tuesday the 15th of September with a bit of a nothing burger. Morning sees a 5ft southerly swell at 14 seconds, but it’s cross-shore with a moderate breeze, and the wave energy is moderate (951). It’s marginal at best. The afternoon improves a touch with 5ft southerly swell and a gentle cross-shore, energy jumps up to strong (1840), but it’s still a marginal call. Wednesday the 16th is a write-off with poor conditions and barely 3ft of swell. Thursday the 17th is even smaller – don’t bother.

Friday the 18th sees a jump in size with 8ft SSW swell, but it’s arriving with a fresh cross-onshore breeze and lumpy conditions. The energy is strong (1721), but it’s ugly. That’s expert-only territory size-wise, and the wind is killing it. Saturday the 19th is a bit smaller at 6ft SSW, but still cross-shore and messy. Sunday the 20th offers a 7ft SSW groundswell with a very long 15-second period, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s choppy. That long period at a spot like this can mean waves breaking a bit straight, so keep that in mind. Monday the 21st is similar but fading.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Tuesday the 22nd of September is the first real standout. We’ve got a 4ft SSW groundswell with a very long 18-second period and a light cross-shore breeze. The wave energy is strong (1281) for its size, and it’s looking clean. This is a point break and reef setup, so that long-period energy will wrap in nicely with shape and power. Paddling out should be manageable with those long gaps between sets. Crowds can be a thing here, so just be aware. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

Wednesday the 23rd is messy again, with a jump to 6ft SSW on the 19-second period in the afternoon, but a fresh cross-shore breeze makes it lumpy.

Then we get to Thursday the 24th of September – another one to circle. Morning brings a solid 10ft southerly swell with a 17-second period. That’s a big, powerful groundswell with very strong energy (5338). This is expert territory, no question. The wind is cross-shore and moderate, so it’s not perfect, but the raw power is there. Friday the 25th is a sneaky good day. We’ve got a 6ft southerly swell in the morning with a clean cross-offshore breeze – that’s clean surf. The afternoon bumps up to 7ft from the southeast, but the period drops to a short 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit weaker and less organised. Still, clean waves are on offer.

After that, it fades. Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th are ordinary. Monday the 28th has tiny waves.

The real golden window is Tuesday the 29th and Wednesday the 30th of September. On Tuesday, we’ve got 3ft SSW groundswell with a 17-second period and light cross-offshore winds – that’s clean, lined-up waves. The wave energy is moderate (516-549), but the quality is there. Then Wednesday the 30th is the absolute pick of the bunch. Morning delivers a 4ft southerly groundswell with a 16-second period, and it’s glassy. Glassy! Light air, no wind. The energy is moderate (695), but the conditions are as good as it gets. This is the session to aim for.

If you’re a beginner, watch out for anything over 5ft, which happens a few times, and over 8ft is for experts only. The bigger SSW swells with long periods are best handled on the point or reef here.

Alright, that’s the drill. Keep an eye on that last week.

Rusty.

Read more