surf rental
Hossegor

For beginner surfers, Ya Du Surf remains one of the easiest surf reports to check. It provides the essential information needed to plan a session: wave height, tides, swell period, and wind direction and speed.

More experienced surfers often use Windguru, which offers more detailed forecasts and allows them to anticipate how conditions will evolve over several days.

To check real-time conditions, you can also view webcams for Hossegor’s main surf spots on sites like Go Surf or Surfline. These allow you to see the state of the ocean firsthand before heading to the beach.

The most favorable winds are generally from the east, southeast, and south. These offshore winds blow from the land toward the ocean, resulting in cleaner, hollower, and better-shaped waves.

Most surf spots in Hossegor work well with a swell height of 1 to 2.5 meters and a period of 10 to 15 seconds. The famous beach breaks at La Gravière, Culs Nus, and Le Nord require a bit more energy than the spots along the Basque Coast to reach their full potential.

The best time to surf is often in the morning or late afternoon, when the wind is lighter. As is the case everywhere, the tides significantly influence wave quality, and certain spots only work properly at specific stages of the tidal cycle.

You can surf in Hossegor all year round. Summer generally offers more accessible conditions and smaller waves, while autumn and winter are the most renowned seasons, featuring more consistent and powerful swells.

The period from September to November is often considered the best. Temperatures remain pleasant, Atlantic low-pressure systems begin to generate impressive swells, and conditions become particularly favorable at the region’s surf spots.

Yes, Hossegor is world-renowned for its powerful waves during big swells. When the swell picks up, surf spots like La Gravière or Les Culs Nus can offer exceptional—yet highly demanding—waves.

However, these conditions are often best suited for experienced surfers. The currents, wave power, and very hollow sections can quickly make sessions difficult or even dangerous. When conditions become extreme, some surfers prefer to head to more sheltered spots in the southern Landes or the Basque Coast.

In Hossegor, as across much of the Landes region, few surf spots truly work well at high tide. Indeed, most beach breaks become very hollow, close out quickly, or turn into shorebreak that is difficult to surf. It all depends on the sandbanks, which are constantly shifting and can sometimes offer a few rideable windows. Nevertheless, the most reliable options remain areas like Les Estagnots for more accessible conditions, or La Nord when the swell is sufficient.

The best time of year is undoubtedly the period from September to November; the swell starts rolling in more consistently, the wind is more offshore, and the surf spots are less crowded now that the summer holidays are over. It is known as “Indian summer” because the water remains warm and the days can still be very long and beautiful—it is the time of year locals look forward to the most.

In Hossegor, as along much of the Landes coast, uncrowded surf spots are rare, especially when conditions are good. It all comes down to the sandbanks and the willingness to venture away from the main access points. Nevertheless, areas like La Sud or the stretches further north towards Les Estagnots can be less crowded—provided you are willing to walk a bit and accept conditions that may be less than perfect.

In Hossegor, when the swell becomes too large at spots like La Gravière or La Nord, the main backup locations are Plage Sud (Culs Nus) and Santocha in Capbreton. Plage Sud is more accessible and less powerful, with waves that break more gradually, allowing for surfing even when conditions at the main breaks become too heavy. Santocha, sheltered by the Capbreton harbor jetty, filters out some of the swell and often offers cleaner, more manageable conditions during big swells, making it one of the area’s best refuges.

Water temperatures in Biarritz generally range from 12°C in winter to 22°C in summer. We recommend wearing a wetsuit when surfing, at least between November and May.