Excenevex has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance
On the clock
10:00 · 18:00
The Bise is synoptic. When it is established it blows through the day and the night, so there is no hour at which it comes in; you go by the forecast, not the clock. In summer the timetable is set by the rule instead of the wind - from mid-June to the end of August you ride before 10:00 or after 18:00, and only when the kite zone is installed.
The marks are the clock times the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The bar between the first and the last covers those hours; it is not a promise of wind.
The wind
locals call it Bise
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
synoptic
fills in: The Bise is synoptic. When it is established it blows through the day and the night, so there is no hour at which it comes in; you go by the forecast, not the clock. In summer the timetable is set by the rule instead of the wind - from mid-June to the end of August you ride before 10:00 or after 18:00, and only when the kite zone is installed.
Typical strength
10-40+ in Bise; 20.2 knots is the quoted spot average.
Also on record
20.2
The quiver, in words
Indicative, worked from the wind range rather than a local size table. Against a roughly 20-knot average a 75-85 kg rider is on a 9 m for an established Bise, a 12 m when it sits in the mid-teens, and a 7 m or smaller once it is over 30 knots - and on the big days here it goes past 40. Size down rather than up: the Bise is gusty and the gusts, not the average, are what you ride.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month34
- Feb, riders' month18
- Mar, riders' month21
- Apr, riders' month23
- May, riders' month6
- Jun5
- Jul5
- Aug8
- Sep12
- Oct19
- Nov23
- Dec18
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May.
- 34%Jan
- 18%Feb
- 21%Mar
- 23%Apr
- 6%May
- 5%Jun
- 5%Jul
- 8%Aug
- 12%Sep
- 19%Oct
- 23%Nov
- 18%Dec
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34% | 50% | 42% | 11.2 kt | SW | 13:00 | 4.1°C | 62 |
| Feb | 18% | 25% | 18% | 7.9 kt | NNE | 13:00 | 5.7°C | 57 |
| Mar | 21% | 35% | 32% | 9.9 kt | SW | 13:00 | 8°C | 62 |
| Apr | 23% | 43% | 33% | 10.5 kt | NE | 13:00 | 10°C | 60 |
| May | 6% | 31% | 24% | 9.5 kt | NNE | 15:00 | 15.5°C | 62 |
| Jun | 5% | 27% | 17% | 9.3 kt | NE | 16:00 | 20.4°C | 60 |
| Jul | 5% | 31% | 21% | 8.9 kt | SW | 16:00 | 22.7°C | 62 |
| Aug | 8% | 21% | 18% | 8.4 kt | NE | 15:00 | 23°C | 62 |
| Sep | 12% | 32% | 25% | 8.8 kt | NE | 15:00 | 18.1°C | 60 |
| Oct | 19% | 29% | 27% | 8.4 kt | NE | 12:00 | 15.5°C | 62 |
| Nov | 23% | 40% | 35% | 10 kt | SW | 12:00 | 9.1°C | 60 |
| Dec | 18% | 39% | 31% | 8.6 kt | SSW | 11:00 | 5.7°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
freshwater lake
Standing depth
Unresolved. The beach shelves gently, and standing depth is put as far out as roughly 200 m from the sand in one description and as no footing at all in another, both attached to the same spot. Treat the shallows near the sand as reliable and assume you cannot touch once you are out toward the channel.
Tides
No sea tide; Lake Geneva water level and wind setup matter. Summer navigation rules use the 300 m shoreline band rather than tidal state.
Temperature
22°C summer · 8°C winter
Wetsuit
Summer surface water is often around 21-23 C, but Bise sessions can be cold and windy; use a full suit outside warm summer days, and a 5/4 mm or similar cold-water setup in spring, autumn and winter.
Currents
No spot-specific current hazard was found; risk is primarily wind-driven drift in onshore Bise and the regulated 300 m band.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
No school names this spot
Nobody has been recorded teaching or running a boat here.
On your own
Room to launch: designated beach/grass zone; reduced by swimmers, restaurants and summer beach use
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
Launch
Use the marked kite zone when the cones and flags are up. Kites are inflated and stored inside the zone and rigged on the grass or sand; in summer launch preferably in the water at the start of the channel, and land in the water with another rider's help.
Space
designated beach/grass zone; reduced by swimmers, restaurants and summer beach use
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Check that the orange and white kite zone is actually set up before you unpack; without it, summer riding is not allowed at all.
- In strong Bise launch and land in the water, with another rider: the restaurants and trees downwind are where loose kites end up.
- From 15 June to 31 August ride only before 10:00 or after 18:00, go out through the channel and stay beyond 300 m from shore.
- Pack a 5/4 mm for spring, autumn and winter; the surface may read 21-23 C in summer but a Bise day is cold anyway.
- Get in touch with Au Gre Du Vent before a first session; they keep the rules current with the mairie.
- Do not plan around a summer Bise in a heatwave; it often fails to arrive here.
Getting there
Airport
Geneva Airport (GVA)
Route
Drive from Geneva Airport toward Excenevex and the Avenue de la Plage: 31.1 km, about 36 minutes by car. Public transport exists but is indirect and much slower.
Transfer
36 min
Staying
Lakeside rentals, chalets, mobile homes and hotels around Excenevex and the neighbouring Lake Geneva towns.
No-wind days
Swimming beach, stand-up paddle, pedal boats, kayaking, water walking, cycling on the Leman route, hiking and family beach facilities.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kitesurf at Excenevex?
January through May is listed as best, since the Bise is generally more regular in late autumn and early spring, while summer episodes can be weak or fail in very hot conditions.
Is Excenevex suitable for beginners?
No, sources rate it intermediate because the onshore Bise can be strong and gusty, and the marked channel rules, beach users and obstacles require experience.
What is the wind like at Excenevex?
The Bise blows from north to northeast, onshore, typically 10-40+ knots, with an average around 20 knots.
Are there rules at Excenevex?
A municipal order requires kitesurfing beyond 300 meters from shore using the reserved channel from 15 June to 31 August, and prohibits it from 10:00 to 18:00 during that period; outside that window it is tolerated outside the channel.
Last updated: August 2026