This guide was written by a French local with over 30 years of experience surfing in southern France, we asked him to help us create this Surfer’s Guide to Southern France for Swob. All French cities and words are formatted in italic font.

Let me being clear, I will talk about the known spots in the south west of France, only the known ones. For sure, they are a lot of small towns and surf spots between Soulac and Lège cap Ferret in the Médoc between Biscarosse and Seignosse in les landes between Capbreton and Anglet, and further south of Biarritz. The above photo is of Lacanau, firing with no one out. Most of the know spots are crowded in the summer but you can find empty line-ups off the beaten path or during the fall and winter.

Generalities

The French south west coast is mainly exposed full west, which means that the off-shore wind is mainly from the east. Here are the facts:

•    The swells come from the northwest or the west.

•    The best swells come from the northwest.

•    The biggest and most powerful waves break on sand bars.

•    There are some reefs in the south, around Biarritz, mainly to the south of the city.

•    The best surf period is in autumn, September, October and November. These three month are synonymous with French Power, with off shore winds, barrels, and some big swells. Water temperatures is still good, between 20° C to 17° from south to north of the Aquitaine region.

•    Surfers can bring a short sleeves spring suit, good enough through September; you’ll need 3/2 full suit in October and sometimes into November. In deep winter, we surf with 3/2 or 4/3 full suits.

In autumn, the crowd is back at work, so the surf is not too crowded, except in the areas of Biarritz, Hossegor, and Lacanau. The best surf is in Hossegor and Biarritz/Anglet—but the European surf industry is there too. There are always a lot of surfers there, no matter of the season.

There are various ways to travel to southern France. The biggest French airport is obviously in Paris, but there is one small international airport in Bordeaux called Bordeaux Mérignac. There is also a national airport in Biarritz. There are a lot of trains from Paris to Bordeaux and Biarritz, and from there, you can take a bus to the coast—but I’d recommend renting a car.

Surf by regions

Region I: The Médoc

The best waves are in Médoc, even if it's perfect, you can surf alone or just with your friends. The waves are only on sand bars and there is a spot on every “baïnes”, which means a spot every 300 or 400 meters. A baïne is a kind of big hole in the beach, parallel with the ocean, made by the currents. At the door of the baïne, you find the sand bars. Be careful when surfing the baïnes, people die every year from the currents.

The worst thing about the Médoc is that there aren’t a lot of sheltered spots and thus if the wind can cause some real havoc in this region. When the wind is onshore, it’s best to look inside the mouth of the river called the Gironde—here you’ll find some off shore waves, but usually a bit smaller than other places. You can also check that waves in the north from Lacanau to Soulac, but the waves tend to get smaller as you travel north—depending on the swell.

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