MapFranceHossegor – Seignosse, LandesHossegor (south beach)Hossegor – Seignosse, Landes

Hossegor (south beach)

Metropolitan France · Landes - Hossegor/Seignosse · Soorts-Hossegor

also known as Hossegor La Sud, La Sud, Plage Sud (Ocean), Plage Sud Hossegor

Part of Hossegor – Seignosse, Landes →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

wavesnot for beginnershigh crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Jun–Oct

Months riders and schools name

How windy

10-18 kt

Character: mixed

Room to launch

access rules on record, below

Water

waves

21–25 °C in summerSandy Atlantic beachbreak

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Intermediate to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

high crowds · busy Jul Aug

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

Biarritz Pays Basque Airport (BIQ)

Transfer times under Getting there

On the clock

16:00 · 17:00

The summer thermal is a late starter: it generally comes up mid to late afternoon, often around 16:00-17:00 and sometimes earlier, after an easterly morning, and fades toward evening. Autumn and winter wind is frontal and keeps no schedule.

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.

Nearbystraight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Seignosse Les Estagnotsno page yet
Hossegor Les Culs Nusno page yet
Hossegor La Graviereno page yet
Hossegor La Nordno page yet
Capbreton Notre-Dameno page yet
Capbreton Le Preventno page yet

The spot

Location and character

La Sud is the southern, sheltered end of the Hossegor beachbreak, next to Capbreton and Notre-Dame and a short walk from Place des Landais. It is where Hossegor kiting actually happens, and it is the fallback when the open Landes coast is too big to touch.

Atlantic conditions

It is still an Atlantic wave launch: current, shorebreak, sandbanks that move, and a beach full of swimmers and surf schools.

Wind and seasons

The usable wind is W to NW thermal in summer and W to SW depression wind in September-October. East-sector wind is offshore on this coast, so it does not count. Summer is the awkward season, with lifeguarded bathing and a full beach, and Seignosse Les Estagnots is the sensible answer in that window.

Legal status and best times

One thing to know before you drive down: the commune's signed kite corridor is in the north sector, not here, so riding La Sud is tolerated rather than authorised. Come in September or October, on a front, with a small kite.

The wind

locals call it Atlantic sea-breeze/westerly flow with autumn depressions

Direction

cross-on

Direction to shore

cross-on

Dominant direction

Summer afternoons are N to NW thermal after an easterly morning; September-October depression wind is W to SW. The beach is rideable from S — where the wind is often irregular — through W to N. The whole east sector, SE through E to NE, is offshore on this coast and is ruled out locally.

Kite sizes

4567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

For a 75-85 kg rider on a twintip: 12-15 m in the 10-16 kt summer thermal, 10-12 m at 15-18 kt, 9-10 m at 18-22 kt, 7-9 m at 22-27 kt, and 5-7 m once a September or October depression runs 27-35 kt. Summer here is big-kite territory — 12 to 14 m is the normal Landes thermal size, and foil riders go larger still.Autumn is the opposite problem: the useful sizes are small, and a 40 kt front is not a day to be out on your only kite.

Character

mixed

When it fills in: see above ↑

Typical strength

10-18 kt is the usual summer thermal band, occasionally touching 20. September and October depressions are a different animal and can run 35-40 kt.

Variable. South-sector wind is often irregular, and the east sector is offshore and not ridden here.

June to August can bring usable thermal wind, but the beach is at its busiest and kiting Hossegor during supervised bathing hours is discouraged. September and October bring stronger depression wind. Autumn and winter are the honest season: less feeble thermal, fewer people, less regulation in the way.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

riding season from the spot record · the wind series here holds no strength figure

No month-by-month share of windy days is held for this spot. The months riders and schools name are Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.

Measured at Dax / Seyresse (nearest of several distant candidates; no station at Hossegor), ~25 km from the spot.

How this was measuredmeasured

The source named below holds no month-by-month figure for this place, so no season is drawn from it. The season is the one the spot record names.

A station this far away — often inland or at an airport — can understate accelerated local wind. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

Dax / Seyresse (nearest of several distant candidates; no station at Hossegor) · Windfinder

The water

Type

waves

Tides

Full Atlantic tide, about six hours between high and low, and it has to be planned for. The wave stops working at high tide, the beach narrows and the shorebreak lands close in; check a tide table before every session rather than assuming the spot works all day.

Temperature

21–25 °C summer · 12–13 °C winter

Wetsuit

Summer: shorty, 2 mm long-sleeve shorty, 3/2 spring suit, or boardshorts on warm days. Winter/early March: 5/4 or 5/3 with gloves, 3 mm boots and possibly a hood.

Currents

A fairly strong north-south current runs a few dozen metres from shore and makes remous, and it can turn violent. Baïnes and shorebreak are standing hazards along the whole Landes coast, Plage Sud included.

Conditions

Sandy Atlantic beachbreak. Plage Sud is calmer than the beaches north of it and the fallback when the sea is formed, but the shorebreak still matters depending on swell and tide. It is the last sheltered spot on this part of the coast, and the banks are not always well placed.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

not for beginners here

For surfing La Sud is the most sheltered and beginner-friendly Hossegor break, but kitesurfing here involves Atlantic waves, shorebreak, strong current, swimmers, surf schools and seasonal supervision. Treat it as intermediate-to-advanced for independent kiters; beginners should use a school that selects safer regional teaching spots.

The scene

What riders come here for

wavesadvancedstrapless wave ridingstorm/depression sessionsfallback wave spot when northern Hossegor is too big

A surf-town beach: swimmers, surf schools, restaurants and promenade traffic. The kiters here work around the rules and the crowd rather than owning the beach.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

3 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: ok

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

4 spots nearby

All 4 spots within 40 km are under Nearby

Rescue

VHF channel 16

Rescue — full text1 min read

Plage Sud has a staffed lifeguard post across the 2026 season, 4 April to 25 October, 12:30-18:30 outside the peak and 11:00-19:00 from 4 July to 30 August; its direct line is 05 58 43 53 58, and the general emergency number is 112.

At sea, alert CROSS Etel on 196 or VHF channel 16. There is no kite-specific rescue and no club safety boat: the post watches the flagged bathing strip. Outside those hours, or anywhere outside the flags, plan on self-rescue and a downwind exit toward Capbreton.

Launch

Sandy city beach with several access points; the closest access is the Plage Sud parking. The beach is near Place des Landais services and has a lifeguard post in season. Launch only with clear separation from bathing and surf-school zones and enough downwind room.

Hazards riders report 14 reported

Wind

East-sector/offshore winds are locally advised against for kitesurfing

Crowds and zones

Crowding
Restricted to outside lifeguard-patrolled swimming hours in high season
No kite-specific rescue and no club safety boat: the lifeguard post covers the flagged bathing strip only, and outside its hours every session is self-rescue.

Waves and currents

Strong shorebreak and rip currents typical of the Landes coast
Strong north-south current and possible violent current near shore
Atlantic shorebreak that can still be significant at La Sud depending on swell and tide
Crowding from swimmers, promenade traffic and surf schools, especially in summer
Surf lineup conflict at a busy surf spot
Sandbanks are not always well set and the wave may stop working at high tide
At high tide the beach narrows and the shorebreak lands close to the promenade, squeezing the launch and landing area.

Protected areas and rules

Rip currents/baïnes are a known Landes coast hazard, even though Plage Sud is described by the municipality as more protected than other Hossegor ocean beaches
Plage Sud sits outside the commune's officially designated 2026 kite corridor, which is confined to the north sector between Plage Naturiste and the Seignosse/Estagnots boundary at least 300 m from bathing zones
Rip currents and baines are a standing Landes hazard, even though Plage Sud is the more protected of the Hossegor ocean beaches

Rules & access

1 min read

2026: Soorts-Hossegor's official beach information authorizes kitesurfing only in the commune's north sector, between the Plage Naturiste and the Plage des Estagnots boundary, at least 300 m from bathing areas and reached by a channel perpendicular to the beach.

Authorized zones

Plage Sud is outside that corridor; riding it is tolerated local practice rather than the signed zone, and is advised against in summer during supervised bathing hours, with Les Estagnots in Seignosse as the summer alternative. Kitesurf and e-foil are banned on the whole Hossegor lake, and e-foil is banned on every municipal beach.

Bathing areas and hours

Water sports on the ocean beaches must stay 50 m clear of the red-and-yellow bathing flags, in the zones marked by black-and-white chequered flags; groups must announce themselves at the lifeguard post beforehand.

Plage Sud is supervised 4 April to 25 October 2026, 12:30-18:30 from 4 April to 3 July and again 31 August to 25 October, and 11:00-19:00 from 4 July to 30 August.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

Rider tips

Check the 2026 Plage Sud lifeguard hours before you rig, and keep off the flagged bathing strip and the surf-school peaks.
Do not kite the Hossegor lake. Kitesurf and e-foil are both prohibited there.
Avoid east-sector and offshore wind even when it is the clean surf wind everyone else is enjoying.
Plan the session around the tide: the wave stops at high water, the beach narrows, and the launch strip is at its worst then.
Expect the thermal around 16:00-17:00 rather than at lunchtime, and expect it light; in summer take Les Estagnots in Seignosse instead.
Save the lifeguard post number, 05 58 43 53 58, and remember 196 or VHF 16 for CROSS Etel once you are out. If the surf is up or the current is running hard, plan a downwind exit toward Capbreton and do not launch alone.

Getting there

Airport

Biarritz Pays Basque Airport (BIQ) is the nearest main airport commonly cited for Hossegor; Bordeaux is another option.

Route

By car from Biarritz airport, or by train to Dax, Biarritz or Bayonne and then bus, taxi or hire car; the A64 Capbreton-Hossegor exit puts you on the beach road. Bus and rideshare combinations from BIQ exist, but the bus runs about 2h13 and costs you most of the day.

Transfer

30-45 min by car from Biarritz airport depending on the route; about 2h13 by bus.

Cost level

mid

Staying

Surf-oriented accommodation, campsites, hotels, villas and rentals, a lot of it within walking distance of the beach.

No-wind days

Surfing, surf lessons, cycling on the Velodyssee and local cycle paths, paddling on the marine lake, walking in the Landes forest, golf, Basque pelota/jai alai, lake oysters and beach/restaurants around Place des Landais. Kitesurfing on the Hossegor lake is prohibited.

Photos

FAQ

Is Hossegor South Beach suitable for beginners?

No, independent kiters should treat it as intermediate to advanced because of Atlantic waves, shorebreak, strong current and surf-school crowds; beginners should use a school that selects safer spots.

What is the wind like at Hossegor South Beach?

Summer afternoons commonly bring W to NW thermals of 10-20 knots after easterly mornings, while September-October depression winds from W to SW can reach 35-40 knots.

Are there rules at Hossegor South Beach?

Plage Sud is a supervised ocean beach from 4 April to 25 October 2026; kitesurfing is discouraged during lifeguard hours, and it is prohibited entirely on the Hossegor lake.

When is the best time to kitesurf at Hossegor South Beach?

June to October offers usable wind, though local guidance recommends Seignosse Les Estagnots instead during the busy summer bathing season.

The bigger pictureEverything about Landes - Hossegor/Seignosse

Last updated: August 2026