St Gilles Croix de Vie Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for St Gilles Croix de Vie over the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got surf coming and going, but the conditions are going to be fiddly, with plenty of days where it’s just not worth paddling out. There’s a nice little window early in the second week that looks promising, but you’ve got to be patient.

We start off on Monday the 14th with a small, clean wave. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 69 °F. The swell is a tiny 2 ft from the west with a long 10-second period, but the combined energy is weak (96). The morning is your best bet with glassy conditions and a light offshore from the northeast. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The afternoon goes poor with a cross-onshore wind.

Tuesday the 15th is a wipeout. Small, weak swell and messy cross-shore winds all day. Swell energy drops right off (69). Leave the board in the truck.

Wednesday the 16th morning offers a glimmer of hope. Swell picks up a bit to 4 ft from the west-northwest with moderate energy (240) and clean conditions from a cross-offshore wind. It’s still only marginal, and the period is a solid 10 seconds which gives it a bit of shape. The afternoon gets blown out by a fresh cross-shore wind.

Thursday the 17th is a write-off. Small, onshore junk all day.

Friday the 18th morning is clean again with a 4 ft west-northwest swell, but the real story is the afternoon. We get a spike of long-period groundswell, 5 ft from the west with a very long 16-second period. The combined energy jumps to a strong 967. However, the wind is a moderate cross-shore, which will chop it up. It’s a marginal call, but that energy is real – keep an eye on it.

The weekend of the 19th and 20th is small and mediocre. A 3 ft west-northwest swell with 12-second period on Saturday, but the wind is cross-onshore. Sunday morning is cleaner with an offshore breeze, but the swell drops back to 3 ft and the energy is moderate (144). Just small, ordinary waves.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Monday the 21st of September is your standout. The morning is clean with a cross-offshore wind on a 2 ft west swell with a long 14-second period and moderate energy (252). But the afternoon is the call: solid 3 ft from the west-northwest with a 13-second period, a moderate offshore wind from the northeast, and clean conditions. This is the best on offer – a proper, clean, long-period groundswell with favourable winds. The combined energy is up at 299 (moderate). This is the session to work for.

After that, it fades fast. Tuesday the 22nd is tiny again with a glassy morning, but not worth getting wet for. The rest of that week into the 25th is mostly flat with onshore winds pestering small, short-period junk.

There’s another small spike of swell on the 25th with a 3 ft west swell carrying a very long 15-second period and strong energy (350), but the wind is a howling 19 mph cross-offshore. It’s clean, but blown out. A kite surfer might have a look, but it’s not a paddler’s wave.

The final days to the 29th are small and inconsistent. There is a last chance on Tuesday the 29th of September. The morning brings a 2 ft west swell, long 14-second period, with a gentle offshore wind from the northeast and clean conditions. The energy is moderate (201). It’s small, but it’s clean and the period gives it some push. A good finisher for the run.

So, to sum it up: don’t bother until Monday the 21st afternoon. That is your number one pick. Tuesday the 29th morning is a solid backup for a small-wave board. The rest is a whole lot of nothing with some frustrating near-misses.

Rusty.

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