Riding essentials
Season
Apr–Sep
Months riders and schools name
How windy
15-25 kt
Character: thermal
Room to launch
Large grassy area of about 300 m of grass/technical zone; low lake level can make water access stony.
access rules on record, below
Water
flat
23 °C in summer
Hazards
10
Reported by riders
Level
Beginner to advanced
With a caveat: see Your level
Crowds
medium crowds · busy Jul Aug
Schools
2
named at this spot
From the airport
Marseille Provence Airport
no transfer time published
When it fills in
From midday to early afternoon, lasting into late afternoon in summer.
Lac de Serre-Ponçon has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance
Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.
- Savines-le-Lacno page yet
- Embrun plan d'eauno page yet
- Chanterenneno page yet
- Baie Saint-Michelno page yet
The spot
Wind and thermal
Water and lessons
Bathing restrictions
The wind
locals call it Thermal breeze
Direction
Dominant direction
W/SW daytime thermal; can be reinforced by Mistral/North wind.
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
Typical strength
15-25 kt in May-July, dropping to 8-12 kt from late July to early September as the lake warms; at least 15 knots on sunny thermal days, up to 20-30 knots when reinforced by Mistral.
Forecast
Live forecast
Month by month
- Jan3
- Feb7
- Mar23
- Apr, riders' month15
- May, riders' month5
- Jun, riders' month0
- Jul, riders' month3
- Aug, riders' month2
- Sep, riders' month3
- Oct0
- Nov3
- Dec3
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 3%Jan
- 7%Feb
- 23%Mar
- 15%Apr
- 5%May
- 0%Jun
- 3%Jul
- 2%Aug
- 3%Sep
- 0%Oct
- 3%Nov
- 3%Dec
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · season highlighted
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.
Every figure, month by monthWindy days · Force 4+ · 12 kn or more · Knots · Wind from · Peaks at · Air · Readings
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | Wind from | Peaks at | Air | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3% | 6% | 3% | 4.9 kt | SE | 15:00 | 3.7 °C | 62 |
| Feb | 7% | 14% | 11% | 6.5 kt | W | 15:00 | 6 °C | 57 |
| Mar | 23% | 35% | 29% | 10.7 kt | W | 15:00 | 7.5 °C | 62 |
| Apr | 15% | 52% | 35% | 11.3 kt | W | 15:00 | 10.3 °C | 60 |
| May | 5% | 35% | 19% | 10.4 kt | W | 15:00 | 14.7 °C | 62 |
| Jun | 0% | 25% | 13% | 9.8 kt | W | 15:00 | 19.6 °C | 60 |
| Jul | 3% | 48% | 23% | 11 kt | W | 16:00 | 23.6 °C | 62 |
| Aug | 2% | 42% | 21% | 10.8 kt | W | 16:00 | 23.4 °C | 62 |
| Sep | 3% | 8% | 5% | 8 kt | W | 16:00 | 17.4 °C | 60 |
| Oct | 0% | 5% | 5% | 6.5 kt | W | 15:00 | 14.8 °C | 62 |
| Nov | 3% | 22% | 17% | 6.3 kt | SW | 14:00 | 7.8 °C | 60 |
| Dec | 3% | 5% | 3% | 4.8 kt | SE | 10:00 | 4.7 °C | 62 |
How this is modelledmodelled · 2023-2024
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
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
flat
Standing depth
Deep freshwater reservoir. Lessons run in open water in the middle of the lake with boat and radio support; this is not a stand-up shallow spot.
Tides
No tide; reservoir level varies seasonally and low lake levels can expose stones below the grassy launch.
Temperature
23 °C summer
Wetsuit
Summer water runs around 22–23 °C in season; spring and shoulder-season sessions need neoprene.
Conditions
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
2 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Large grassy area of about 300 m of grass/technical zone; low lake level can make water access stony.
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
VHF channel 14
Launch
Main kite area at Plage des Eaux Douces in Crots, between Savines-le-Lac and Crots; grassy beach with galets/stones and parking nearby.
Rules & access
1 min read
Navigation and water zones
Equipment and spacing
Restrictions and bathing
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
- Plan an afternoon session; the thermal starts around midday and the morning is paddle water.
- Check the reservoir level before you come: low water means a stony walk from the grass to the lake.
- Beginners: book the school with its boat and radio rather than treating the lake as a shallow training spot. It is deep from the beach out.
- Read the municipal notice at Eaux Douces before you go in; a bathing ban dated 21/08/2026 is posted until further notice.
- Bring a wetsuit for spring and shoulder-season sessions; the 22-23 C water is a summer number.
- Carry what the lake rules require: a buoyancy or protection device worn the whole time and an individual light. Checks do happen on the water.
- Emergency on the lake is 112 or VHF channel 14. There is no kite patrol outside lesson hours.
Getting there
Airport
Marseille Provence Airport
Route
Drive north from Marseille toward the Hautes-Alpes/Embrun-Savines-le-Lac area; Plage des Eaux Douces is reached from the RN94, with parking and a camper area.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Lakeside campsites, hotels or apartments in Embrun, chalet rentals around the lake.
No-wind days
Paddle, kayak, windsurf, catamaran, wakeboard, towed buoy, swimming where permitted, cycling to Eaux Douces, hiking and mountain activities around Serre-Poncon.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Serre-Ponçon?
The thermal breeze is strongest from May to July at 15-25 knots, easing to 8-12 knots from late July into early September as the lake warms.
Is it suitable for beginners?
Yes, the local school runs beginner and progression courses with boat and radio support, though the lake itself is deep open water, not a shallow standing area.
What is the wind like?
A west-to-southwest thermal typically builds from midday and lasts into late afternoon, and Mistral can reinforce it to 20-30 knots.
Are there kite schools?
Yes, Altitude Kite and Kite Legende both operate from Plage des Eaux Douces.
Are there current rules or restrictions?
As of August 2026 a municipal notice bans bathing at Eaux Douces until further notice, though no source confirms it also bans kitesurfing.
Last updated: August 2026