The spots of the French Basque Country, are all directly exposed to Atlantic swells from NW to SW direction, offer a large variety of world-class beach breaks, with plenty of waves all year round. As the tide and swell period affect the quality of the wave dramatically, and the sandbanks change constantly, so do not hesitate to ask the locals about the current surf conditions.
Autumn is the best season to surf in France. The kids are back at school, the adults back at work, the water is still warm and the waves get bigger and more consistent. The low-pressure systems start forming up in the North Atlantic and send lines of swell marching straight into France’s beach breaks. Winter is great as well, as long as you are ready to be challenged by the freezing temperatures.
In Summer, the surf is less consistent and smaller. You might even face a few flat spells if you are unlucky… It is a risk to take -or not- if you want to surf in boardshorts or bikinis. But you will also need to deal with the crowd, which doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to enjoy some epic sessions.
