Étang sale
Surf spot · France
Is it worth the trip?
70Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 4 ft swell at 11 s, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 80 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft11 shollow
- Energy
- 361kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Wed 4 · 75 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 242kJ
- Wind
- SE 5 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Thu 5 · 67 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 172kJ
- Wind
- E 0 kn
- Temp
- 25°C
Fri 6 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 202kJ
- Wind
- SSW 2 kn
- Temp
- 26°C
Sat 7 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 218kJ
- Wind
- WSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 57 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 184kJ
- Wind
- SSW 6 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Mon 9 · 43 out of 100
- Swell
- 3 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 98kJ
- Wind
- SW 4 kn
- Temp
- 27°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 275, good
- Tue 380, good
- Wed 475, good
- Thu 567, good
- Fri 669, good
- Sat 769, good
- Sun 857, fair
- Mon 943, too small
- Tue 1047, fair
The spot in six facts
- Faces SWtakes swell from the SW
- Offshore: NEwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 3–10 ftof swell
- Water 26 °Cno wetsuit
- Best Oct–Jan1 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
Étang sale does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 75, good | 4 ft11 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 411kJ | wind from the south, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 80, good | 4 ft11 shollow6 ft at break (est.) | 361kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 26°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 75, good | 4 ft10 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 242kJ | wind from the south-east, 5 knots | 26°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 67, good | 3 ft10 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 172kJ | offshorewind from the east, 0 knots, offshore | 25°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 69, good | 3 ft10 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 202kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 2 knots | 26°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 69, good | 3 ft10 shollow5 ft at break (est.) | 218kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 57, fair | 3 ft10 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 184kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 6 knots | 27°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 43, too small | 3 ft9 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 98kJ | wind from the south-west, 4 knots | 27°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 47, fair | 3 ft8 shollow4 ft at break (est.) | 91kJ | wind from the south-west, 3 knots | 27°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:52 +0.1 mLow 10:46 +0.0 mHigh 16:43 +0.1 mLow 23:35 −0.2 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:48 +0.1 mLow 12:33 −0.1 mHigh 18:21 +0.1 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:42 −0.2 mHigh 07:26 +0.2 mLow 13:21 −0.1 mHigh 19:20 +0.2 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Oct–Jan
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May0of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug0of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep0of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Étang sale on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Étang sale
More surf near here
5 places
- Etang Sale Bridge - Le Tournant 0.6 km away
- Le Cimetiere 10.6 km away
- La Cafrine 11.5 km away
- Saint Leu 11.6 km away
- La Tortue (Turtle reef) 13 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Étang sale
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces SW (238°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (58°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 3–10 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 21). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 24°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 28°C in January, its warmest (no wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, October, November and December, with about 1 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is L'Étang-Salé, 4 km away (about 10 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot, 1 wind sports spot and 2 dive sites.
Water about 26°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,830–US$3,500 each
about US$1,830–US$3,500 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to RUN, estimated from distance and season, changing at CDG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$978–US$2,030 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$234 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$281–US$469 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$114–US$188 |
| Total | about US$1,830–US$3,500 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 10 min by car · 18 places to stay
About L'Étang-Salé its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Saint-Leu on Booking.com
about 20 min by car · 27 places to stay
- Beds in Saint-Pierre on Booking.com
about 35 min by car · 39 places to stay
Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 29h 30m
About 29h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → RUN, changing at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG), then 1h 05m by road
Flights ORD → RUN on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.