SURFER SPOTS: HOSSEGOR

A finger of extremely deep water, half a mile from the beach, called the “Gouf of Capbreton” points towards this are, that helps to explain the power of waves. Spots include le Pic Ouest in front of the notorious “Rockfood,” the popular surfer hangout at night, les Culs Nuls and la Graviere which need more swell than Seignosse to work properly. Right before the jetty is the epi nord which is the last bank outside, producing pounding right from 4-12'.

The Surf
France is divided into three distinct surf regions: The Mediterranean with occasional winter swells, the NW Atlantic with less swell exposure and colder weather, and the SW, referring to the Aquitaine region. Aquitaine’s stretch of coast stands out at France’s best surf. A vast undersea canyon off shore funnels the swell into the wide right-angled V formed by France and Spain. The result can be surf of great speed and power. This setup also helps to explain why the surf in NW France has less impact and consistency.

Most swells are generated by low-pressure systems traveling from NE of Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, and Scandinavia during summer ad lower latitude tracks in winter may bring cold storms ashore. The beach breaks north of Anglet work best on small to medium swell.

Surfing remained a marginal sport in France until the World Amateur Championships at Hossegor in 1980. The professional circuit then began to make an annual stop in France, first at Lacanau and then at Hossegor and Biarritz, with a big boom in the surf industry. There are now about 25,000 surfers spread out all over the country, but mainly concentrated in Aquitaine.

More Info:
•See photos from the Rip Curl Hossegor Super Series