Nearby Lake Bourget | Aix Beach 3 km · Bout du Lac - Doussard 29 km · Plage d'Albigny 34 km · straight-line distance
On the clock
17:00 · 18:00 · 21:00
The Bise is synoptic and keeps no schedule; light summer thermals fill in the evening. The Traverse, the west thermal that works the southern end of the lake, comes up in the late afternoon around 17:00-18:00 and runs to about 21:00, but the Cap is a north-wind launch and does not get the best of it.
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
mixed
fills in: The Bise is synoptic and keeps no schedule; light summer thermals fill in the evening. The Traverse, the west thermal that works the southern end of the lake, comes up in the late afternoon around 17:00-18:00 and runs to about 21:00, but the Cap is a north-wind launch and does not get the best of it.
Typical strength
>16 knots on rideable Bise days; summer can also produce light 8-10 knot evening or post-rain thermals.
Thermal or synoptic
mostly synoptic with occasional thermal
Also on record
12.3 kt historical average for Lac du Bourget / Cap des Séselets.
Direction to shore
Side-shore to side-on depending exact north-sector angle and launch position.
Dominant direction
N, NNE, NE, NNW; NW reportedly also works.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan11
- Feb7
- Mar8
- Apr12
- May, riders' month8
- Jun, riders' month7
- Jul, riders' month0
- Aug5
- Sep10
- Oct5
- Nov15
- Dec5
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: May, Jun, Jul.
- 11%Jan
- 7%Feb
- 8%Mar
- 12%Apr
- 8%May
- 7%Jun
- 0%Jul
- 5%Aug
- 10%Sep
- 5%Oct
- 15%Nov
- 5%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 | 11% | 31% | 23% | 8 kt | N | 14:00 | 4.1°C | 62 |
| Feb | 7% | 16% | 12% | 6.9 kt | N | 15:00 | 6.5°C | 57 |
| Mar | 8% | 16% | 15% | 8.1 kt | N | 14:00 | 9.4°C | 62 |
| Apr | 12% | 23% | 15% | 8.7 kt | N | 16:00 | 11.3°C | 60 |
| May | 8% | 26% | 23% | 9.1 kt | N | 16:00 | 16.6°C | 62 |
| Jun | 7% | 35% | 23% | 9.2 kt | N | 16:00 | 21.3°C | 60 |
| Jul | 0% | 16% | 15% | 7.8 kt | N | 16:00 | 23.7°C | 62 |
| Aug | 5% | 15% | 10% | 8.3 kt | N | 16:00 | 24.1°C | 62 |
| Sep | 10% | 20% | 17% | 7.8 kt | N | 16:00 | 18.5°C | 60 |
| Oct | 5% | 18% | 11% | 7.2 kt | N | 15:00 | 16.1°C | 62 |
| Nov | 15% | 32% | 25% | 8.3 kt | N | 15:00 | 9.2°C | 60 |
| Dec | 5% | 18% | 13% | 6.2 kt | N | 14:00 | 5.4°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
Progressive near the shore, then deep open lake water; not a reliable standing-depth learner spot.
Tides
No tide effect on this inland lake.
Temperature
22.5°C summer · 6.5°C winter
Wetsuit
Wetsuit recommended. Prepare for cold water and carry fins; a self-rescue swim is a real possibility here.
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: Small grassed point with a free parking area of about 30 places opposite the beach; parking is often full in summer.
Somewhere else
Lake Bourget | Aix Beach, 3 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Main north-wind departure from the grassed artificial point at Cap des Séselets on the southwest shore of Lac du Bourget.
Space
Small grassed point with a free parking area of about 30 places opposite the beach; parking is often full in summer.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Bring swim fins and dress for a long swim; the wind can die mid-lake and no rescue is confirmed.
- Keep the kite low on the airport side of the lake.
- When the wind drops, come down and walk back along the shore with the kite packed; never along the road with it flying.
- Check KCB and the Aix-les-Bains wind station before you commit; the average is 12.3 kt and the rideable days are the ones above 16 knots.
- Arrive early in summer: the free car park opposite the beach has about 30 places and fills.
- Clear your lines and pack down fast at the point; it is small and shared.
Getting there
Airport
Chambéry-Savoie / Aix-les-Bains (CMF) is the nearest airport; Geneva (GVA) and Lyon (LYS) are larger alternatives.
Route
Access is by car via the D1201 along the south side of Lac du Bourget; Aix-les-Bains and Chambéry also have rail links.
Transfer
About 15 minutes from Chambéry airport to Aix-les-Bains; roughly 60-90 minutes from Geneva or Lyon depending traffic.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Aix-les-Bains, Le Bourget-du-Lac, Viviers-du-Lac and Chambéry provide hotels, apartments and lake-area stays.
No-wind days
Lake swimming, paddling, sailing, cycling and hiking around Mont du Chat, La Chambotte, Mont Revard and the Bauges.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time?
May, June and July are the strongest statistical months, with about 616 rideable hours a year above 16 knots; July-August can have as few as four.
Is it suitable for beginners?
No, local club guidance rates it advanced because the Bise wind is irregular and can stop suddenly over deep water.
What is the wind like?
The Bise blows from the north sector above 16 knots on rideable days, with an average around 12.3 knots and occasional light summer evening thermals.
Are there rules?
As of 2026 the spot is open all year; local etiquette requires clearing lines quickly and riding faster than 5 knots or jumping only beyond the yellow 200 m buoy line.
Last updated: August 2026