Capbreton • Statistics for June

June: Small, Clean and Summer-Zoned

June marks the official beginning of the low season in Capbreton, though it is rarely completely flat. The average swell height falls to 3ft (0.9m) and the average period drops to 9.4s, which puts most surf into the average, punchy, rideable category rather than the powerful long-period category. The directional window is still dominated by the northwest: NW alone is 54.8% of all swell and WNW adds 36.6%, meaning whatever energy shows up is aimed straight at the beach. But the wave-height distribution is heavily compressed: over half the observations are in the 0.5-1m range, and 1-1.5m waves account for about 25%; the 2m+ percentage shrinks to nearly zero. This is fun-sized summer surf-great for fins-free boards and grovelers, but not a spot to go looking for winter power. Wind quality becomes the limiting factor. Ideal offshore/easterly winds fall to just 15%, while the prevailing north-to-northwest flow strengthens: NNW at 19%, WNW at 16.4%, NW at 15.9% and W at 13.9% combine for roughly 65% of all wind. Many afternoons see a thermal westerly/northwesterly sea breeze that puts a bump on the surface. Seek out the early morning easterly glass, when the sea is cleanest. Water temperature rises to 19.3°C, air temperatures average 18.5°C, and precipitation is low-summer sessions become spring suit territory.