Capbreton-Hossegor-Seignosse: an incomparable surfing terroir

Surfing doesn’t do well with time constraints, but it’s also hard to get used to geographical constraints.

In fact, sandbanks and surf spots don’t really care about the inter-communal boundary and place themselves where the natural elements have taken them. That’s why it’s so difficult for town councils to regulate the beach to ensure the safety of bathers and limit the number of surf schools at the height of the season.

That’s also why, at Ki Surf School, I’ve opted for mobility, to find the best surf spot at the best time. Plant your flag in front of a spot: an hour later, the waves will have shifted to the left or right, simply due to tidal variation.

In addition, certain areas are prized by surfers for their geographical features, both in terms of the quality and diversity of their spots. Capbreton-Hossegor-Seignosse, for example, can be described as a surfing terroir.

A natural and human conjunction

This terroir is the result of a combination of geological features andhuman development. Whatever the size of the waves – except for huge winter swells – there is almost always a beach sheltered from the swell, and sometimes from the wind, offering waves of modest dimensions.

To the south of the Capbreton breakwater, protected by the Estacade and rocky groynes, the beaches of Centrale, Prévent and Santocha offer smaller waves than elsewhere. From north to south, wave size increases, and the closer you get to the blockhouses on La Piste beach, the more powerful the waves become.

North of the Capbreton harbor exit, you’ll also find beaches offering smaller waves than elsewhere: the Plage de Notre-Dame, then with the start of Hossegor, the Plage Sud.

The decisive role of the Gouf de Capbreton

This is where one of Capbreton’s major geological features comes into play: the Gouf, an underwater fault which, at 1,500 meters from the shore, plunges to a depth of 100 meters and gradually sinks to 3,500 meters, into the abysses said to be frequented by the Kraken.

It’s on the head of the Gouf that the sand piles up, allowing the La Nord wave to break in front of Hossegor’s central beach during large swells. This rise of the seabed offshore, combined with the current exiting the baïne, attenuates the swell, which first breaks offshore before arriving weakened on the south beach, sometimes three times smaller.

But the Gouf also acts as a shoal, in the manner of the Hawaiian Islands. The swell is not slowed by the continental shelf: the depth of the canyon allows the wave to arrive at full speed, generating particularly hollow waves, ideal for tubes, on the beaches of Capbreton and Hossegor, from La Centrale to Culs-Nus, via the mythical spot of La Gravière.

Seignosse, the length of the waves

Further north, at Seignosse, the waves are both bigger and gentler, which may seem paradoxical. The sandbanks here are much more extensive, and the continental shelf falls away very gradually.

Waves are formed farther from shore with less intensity than at La Gravière, for example, and arrive at the shore having lost much of their energy. As a result, they are generally longer, allowing the full range of surfing maneuvers to be performed.

This rich surfing terroir means that every surfer can find a wave to suit his or her technical level, tastes and physical condition. Capbreton has a more urban profile, Hossegor a structured continuity, and Seignosse wild beaches where the eye can’t embrace the end, with a myriad of spots over just ten kilometers.

It’s no coincidence that one of the stages of the world surfing championship has long been held between Capbreton, Hossegor and Seignosse, contributing to the renown of these three villages which, surf-wise, are one and the same.

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