The town of Hossegor:
This town is located in the southwest of France, on the Atlantic coast in the Landes. It is located north of the mouth of the port of Capbreton. Hossegor is a paradise for surfers, the entire surfing industry is present there because the distributors of international surfing brands have set up their factories there. In addition, this town has one of the best waves in the world, which hosted one of the stages of the WSL World Surfing Championships. The famous Gravière wave, powerful, hollow and tubular for experienced surfers. Don't worry there are waves for all levels.
I present the spots in the following order, from north to south.
The Guardians:
It is the northernmost beach in Hossegor. It's a breaking wave, the further north you go the more wide and deep sandbanks you can find. The upwelling is gentle so there are long waves that unroll in the Baines. I advise you to surf there at low tide or mid tide, although it can work at high tide, it will depend on the swell, the sand bank and the coefficients.
It is an accessible wave for beginners and intermediate surfers when there are small swells of less than 1 meter. I advise you to surf there at low tide if you are a beginner.
For intermediate surfers it depends on your level but be careful as soon as the swell approaches 1 meter 20 cm it is advisable to have experience in the water because the wave can become very powerful with the current.
For Expert levels, it's up to you, you will be able to test your physical and technical condition. After two meters of swell, the spot tends to saturate.
The Bottomless:
Beach south of Les Gardians, don't be shocked by the nudity of the people who frequent it, as its name suggests, it's a Naturist beach.
The Assless wave is a World class wave, it can look like a Tubular gravel short and hollow then some years longer which opens resembling its neighbor the Gardians.
Beginners and intermediates can surf here during small swells on low tide up to 1 meter.
For experts, this wave is one of the best on the coast but can saturate very quickly after two meters of swell.
The Gravel:
The beautiful, the famous, the powerful, known to all surfers, this wave is the jewel of Hossegor, it is one of the best waves in the world. The World Surf League organizes a stage of the World Surfing Championships there.
It is a short and very powerful tubular wave comparable to the waves of Hawaii or Tahiti.
I recommend it to experienced surfers even if it can be accessible to beginners and intermediate surfers during small swells less than one meter.
For experts from 1 meter and 20 cm you will be able to start making real tubes and that up to 3 meters. After this size you often need a jet ski to be able to stay in the breaking zone, fight against the current which is very strong and cross the bar which is very complicated to pass.
The North:
It is such a world famous wave because of its power and beauty.
It breaks on an offshore sandbar created by the current coming out of the pass of the port of Capbreton and the swells from the North West.
It's a wave that works at low tide when the swells are big with period. It can work from 1 meter 50 cm up to 4 meters.
This wave is most often surfed with large boards to leave easily because it is a wave where the movement of water is important.
I recommend this wave only to experienced surfers.
The Golden Point (The South)
It is the only fallback spot in Hossegor, easy wave ideal for beginners who are new to the practice.
It's a wave that needs swell to work, it can also depend on the seasons and the sandbank that moves often.
For novices, I advise you to surf there at low tide to have a good footing and enjoy the beautiful foam that unfolds. If you have already surfed a bit you can go there at mid tide.
When all the other Hossegor spots saturate (too big) it's a good solution to be able to surf whatever your level.
Be careful the wave does not work at high tide, it breaks too close to the edge.
Information valid for all spots:
All of these spots work best with east wind or no wind.
When the coefficients are high, the waves will not work at high tide and the good surfing slot will be very short because the tides will change too quickly. On the other hand, if the coefficients are low, on the contrary, the spots will be able to work at all tides.
Know that the information I give you is a trend and it may not correspond exactly to what you will discover when you visit the spots. You should know that for each beach in Hossegor and the Landes, we are on sandbanks which evolve with the storms and the movement of the water. Moreover, compared to some countries, the tides and coefficients have a strong influence on our waves.
My biggest advice is therefore to anticipate the sessions and favor the time slots around low tide. It is better to be in front of the spot when the tide is too low than too high. This will give you time to observe the waves, settling on your way up.
I hope this information will be useful to you and that the article will help you more.
See you soon in the water.
Benjamin Pilon
Les Vagues Surf School
