Trestraou Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break it down. Rusty here, looking at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, the outlook is a tough one for the whole 16 days. There’s always something to be said for a clean little wave, but the numbers are all pointing to a long stretch of poor surf. The first recommendation doesn’t kick in until the morning of the 26th of July, and that’s a full five days of waiting before any real swell shows up. But even then, that swell comes with a cross-shore wind that’s going to chop things up, so it’s not going to be pretty.

The water temperature is sitting at 64°F right now, which is about average for the time of year, so nothing weird there.

The main spot to talk about is Trestraou. It’s a sheltered spot, so it needs a specific swell window from the WNW to really get going. The biggest wave energy we see is on the afternoon of the 26th of July, with a combined energy of 642 – that’s moderate to strong, and the swell is 7 ft from the WNW. However, with a short period of 8 seconds and a moderate cross-shore wind, it’s going to be messy and powerful. That size is over 5 ft, so it’s not for beginners, and with the chop, it’s really only for the experienced crew. The wind is cross-shore, so it’s not going to be clean.

The next day, the 27th of July, still has some size, 6 ft in the morning and 6 ft in the afternoon, with a combined energy of 570 and 429. The period is still short at 9 seconds, and the wind stays cross-on or cross-shore. It’s still a bumpy, high-energy affair. Again, experts only.

The best chance for a session might be the morning of the 31st of July. The swell is 5 ft from the ENE, but the wind is a light cross-offshore, which is a major positive. The combined energy is 199 (moderate), but the period is only 6 seconds. That’s a short-period swell, so it’s going to be a bit soft and lumpy despite the clean wind. It’s a better option than the earlier days, but it’s not a standout.

The morning of the 1st of August also looks promising with 2 ft of swell from the WNW and a light cross-offshore wind, giving a clean surface. The combined energy is 127 (moderate), and the period is a decent 10 seconds. This is a small, clean wave for the longboard or a fun board.

The morning of the 2nd of August has glassy conditions with 2 ft of swell from the W, but the period is 9 seconds and the combined energy is a weak 60. It’s clean, but tiny.

The morning of the 4th of August has a clean cross-offshore wind and 3 ft of swell from the WNW, with a combined energy of 132 (moderate). The period is 9 seconds, so it’s a little better. The morning of the 5th of August has offshore wind and 3 ft of swell from the WNW, but with a very short period of 5 seconds, it’s going to be weak and messy.

The best on offer is a toss-up between the morning of the 31st of July for the clean cross-offshore wind and the morning of the 1st of August for the longer period and clean conditions. The 31st has the size (5 ft) but a short period, while the 1st has a better period (10 seconds) but is smaller (2 ft). For a real surfer, the 31st of July morning is the pick if you can handle the short period, because the clean wind makes it rideable. The 1st of August is the safer bet for a fun, clean session.

Everything else is just a waste of a paddle out. The setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of the bigger days because of the strong cross-shore winds and short period.

Rusty.

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