Conditions at Cote des Basques in July
July: Flat, Warm and Crowded
July is the heart of the Basque summer. The average swell remains around 3ft (0.9m) but the period slides to 9.0 seconds, the lowest of the year. The direction distribution is extreme: NW alone accounts for 66.5 percent of all swell readings, with another 27 percent from WNW. Yet the energy is almost all in the 0.5-1m (2-3ft) category, about 58 percent of the waves are under 1m. This is a month of small, soft, often disappointing surf unless a stray summer groundswell appears out of a remote North Atlantic storm.
The wind is equally unfavourable. Only 17 percent of the time is ideal, and the prevailing flow is a mixture of WNW, NW, NNW and W, directly onshore for Cote des Basques. Add in strong summer sea breezes and heavy beach crowds, and July becomes more about swimming than serious surfing. Air temperatures average 20.0°C and the water warms to 22.1°C, so when a clean 3-4ft set arrives, it is worth chasing early in the morning.
Average Spot conditions at Cote des Basques in July
Swell history for July
Wind history for July
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Cote des Basques during July. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Cote des Basques for your next trip in July.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Cote des Basques for July. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Cote des Basques.