Trestraou Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, it’s a pretty bleak run for Trestraou. This spot is sheltered, and that’s the problem. For the next week, we are dealing with a lot of cross-shore and cross-onshore wind messing things up. The water’s sitting at 65°F – a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, which is nice, but that’s about the only good thing.

The first half of the week is a write-off. The swell is weak – only about 3ft on Monday afternoon, and the energy is low (135). The wind is cross-on, so it’s choppy and messy. Tuesday picks up a bit more size to 5ft by the afternoon and energy jumps to 446, but the wind is still cross-shore and moderate, creating a cross-chop. Wednesday morning sees 7ft with energy at 722 – that’s a moderate wave energy now, but the wind is cross-onshore and the surface is choppy. Still no good.

Thursday morning (17th September) is the first hint of something cleaner. We get a cross-offshore breeze from the WSW at 16 mph, and the swell is 5ft from the west with a 10-second period. It’s described as clean, but the surf conditions are still poor. The energy is moderate (450), but the quality just isn’t there.

Friday 18th September is where we finally get a bit of hope. Morning has 7ft of swell from the WNW with a 13-second period – that’s a proper groundswell. The energy is strong at 1430. The wind is cross-shore but moderate. It’s still only a marginal call – tide or something is questionable. But this is the biggest, most powerful swell of the window. The afternoon drops a bit to 6ft but keeps that long 13-second period and energy at 1042. The wind eases to a gentle breeze. This is the closest we get to something worth paddling out for.

Saturday 19th September morning has a clean cross-offshore breeze from the SW with 5ft swell from the west at a long 12 seconds, energy at 546. Again, marginal. But that offshore wind is a real positive for shape. After that, the trend is downhill.

Sunday 20th September morning is glassy – dead calm wind, which is a rare treat. The swell is 5ft from the WNW with a 10-second period, energy at 363. Surfable but very ordinary. The glassy conditions are a major positive for clean faces, but the swell is weak. It’s the only glassy window we get.

From Monday 21st September onwards, it’s back to cross-on winds and small, weak swell. Energy drops below 200 for most of the second week. There’s a small pulse on the 24th September (Thursday) – 4ft from the WNW, 12-second period, energy at 357 – but the wind is cross-onshore and moderate, making it choppy.

The last few days of the month are tiny – 1.0ft – with fresh to strong cross-onshore winds. Not worth a look.

So what’s the best on offer? Honestly, Friday 18th September is the standout. The swell is biggest, the period is longest, and the energy is the strongest of the whole window. Even though the wind is cross-shore, that 13-second groundswell will have some push and shape. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got. The Sunday 20th September morning glass-off is also a shout if you want clean, small waves for a longboard or a fish. The water’s warm, so you won’t need a thick suit.

Keep in mind, Trestraou is sheltered from a lot of directions, and the optimum swell is from the WNW, which we do get. But the wind is the killer. If you’re after anything good, you’ll have to wait until Friday the 18th, and even then, keep expectations in check. There’s a big gap of nothing good before that, and another gap after the 20th.

Rusty.

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