Surf spots by wind direction
Which spot for which wind? For each of the eight directions, the beaches where it blows offshore, ranked by orientation.
- a north wind — Offshore: 7 spots (La Grande Côte, Les Grenettes, Bud Bud…)
- a north-east wind — Offshore: 28 spots (La Salie, La Grande Côte, La Côte Sauvage (La Coubre)…)
- an east wind — Offshore: 61 spots (Plage du Centre, Erretegia, Ilbarritz…)
- a south-east wind — Offshore: 50 spots (Grande Plage, Erromardie, Lafiténia…)
- a south wind — Offshore: 9 spots (Grande Plage, Erromardie, Lafiténia…)
- a south-west wind — Offshore: 0 spots
- a west wind — Offshore: 0 spots
- a north-west wind — Offshore: 0 spots
A north wind is offshore when it blows from land to sea: it smooths the face of the waves and holds them up slightly. This ranking only looks at each beach's orientation; local dunes, cliffs and headlands can shelter or funnel the wind, and only the day's forecast counts.
Careful: a strong offshore wind pushes you away from the shore and makes the way back hard, especially on a board or bodyboard; do not go out alone.
Read next
- Water safety: rip channels, flags, emergency numbers
- How to read a surf forecast
- Spots for beginners, area by area
- Gentle waves today
- Understanding swell, period and direction
- Spotting and avoiding rip channels (baïnes)
- Surfing in Lacanau
Version française · Versión en español · Versão em português