SurfPlanet

Landes, France

Hossegor (La Gravière)

Also known as Hossegor, La Gravière, Seignosse, Soorts-Hossegor

Expert Beach break Sand bottom Peels both 1–4 m Mid tide

The heavy-water heart of European beach-break surfing: a shallow, powerful sandbar at La Gravière that throws fast, hollow barrels close to the beach, breaking in waist-deep water. It is the wave the WSL uses for the Quiksilver/Roxy Pro France and it is genuinely dangerous when over chest-high — the takeoff is late and vertical and the wipeouts land in shallow sand. On smaller days the outer peaks further north (Les Casernes, La Centrale) are far more forgiving.

Hazards

ShallowRipCrowdsLocalismStrong Current

Conditions

Best swell
W, WNW, NW
Best wind
E, SE, NE
Season
Sep, Oct, Nov, Mar, Apr, May
Wave size
1–4 m
Wave quality
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Consistency
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Crowd
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Coordinates
43.6612, -1.4333

Facilities

ParkingCafeSurf SchoolBoard Rental

Getting there

Park at the La Gravière car park off the D1852 between Soorts-Hossegor and Seignosse. Walk over the dune. A localism gradient exists on the main peak — beginners should surf the southern peaks or Les Casernes.

Sources