Map › France › Medoc Atlantique › Lachanau
Nouvelle-Aquitaine · Medoc Atlantique, Gironde · Gironde · Hourtin
Lachanau
also known as Hourtin Lachanau, Lac d'Hourtin Lachanau
Nearby Hourtin Port 2 km · Lacanau Ocean 21 km · Lac de Lacanau - Lacanau-Ville 21 km · Le Porge Ocean 32 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
Thermal setup: east in the morning, turning northwest around midday and strengthening in the afternoon when conditions align.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Thermal setup: east in the morning, turning northwest around midday and strengthening in the afternoon when conditions align.
Typical strength
Summer thermal wind commonly 8-15 knots, though reported ranges vary up to 10-20 knots for summer thermals, with up to 35-40 knots in September-October depression systems.
Thermal or synoptic
thermal and frontal
The quiver, in words
Twin-tip sizing for the Lacanau and Hourtin lakes: a light-wind kite around 11-14 m2 for the summer thermals, 6-9 m2 for the winter depressions, adjusted for your weight.
Direction to shore
The launch is on the eastern shore, roughly halfway up the lake, and faces about due west. Open water runs five kilometres and more from south-west through west to north-west, so SW, W, NW and S arrive onshore or cross-onshore and those are the working directions. E and SE blow offshore over houses and pines.N is side-shore at best and runs along the bank toward the southern buoy line, which is exactly why a rider who cannot hold upwind in a north or north-west wind ends up outside the zone within minutes. The orientation is read off the lake outline, not from a published local bulletin.
Dominant direction
N, SW, NW; summer thermals often turn W to NW in the afternoon, with westerly to southwesterly depression winds in autumn.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan34
- Feb33
- Mar42
- Apr43
- May52
- Jun, riders' month28
- Jul, riders' month34
- Aug, riders' month31
- Sep, riders' month25
- Oct, riders' month42
- Nov40
- Dec34
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.
- 34%Jan13°
- 33%Feb12°
- 42%Mar12°
- 43%Apr14°
- 52%May16°
- 28%Jun19°
- 34%Jul20°
- 31%Aug22°
- 25%Sep21°
- 42%Oct20°
- 40%Nov16°
- 34%Dec13°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34% | 53% | 48% | 14.3 kt | WNW | 14:00 | 7.6°C | 12.5°C | 62 |
| Feb | 33% | 47% | 46% | 13 kt | SW | 15:00 | 8.9°C | 11.6°C | 57 |
| Mar | 42% | 56% | 52% | 14.7 kt | W | 14:00 | 11.1°C | 12.1°C | 62 |
| Apr | 43% | 65% | 55% | 14.3 kt | NW | 16:00 | 12.7°C | 13.9°C | 60 |
| May | 52% | 81% | 73% | 13.8 kt | NW | 15:00 | 16.4°C | 16°C | 62 |
| Jun | 28% | 80% | 65% | 12.9 kt | NW | 16:00 | 19.8°C | 19.3°C | 60 |
| Jul | 34% | 69% | 56% | 12.6 kt | NW | 17:00 | 21.1°C | 20.4°C | 62 |
| Aug | 31% | 73% | 58% | 13.1 kt | NW | 17:00 | 21.8°C | 22°C | 62 |
| Sep | 25% | 53% | 32% | 12.2 kt | W | 16:00 | 19°C | 21.1°C | 60 |
| Oct | 42% | 55% | 53% | 14.1 kt | W | 15:00 | 17.2°C | 19.7°C | 62 |
| Nov | 40% | 57% | 50% | 15 kt | WSW | 14:00 | 12.6°C | 16.1°C | 60 |
| Dec | 34% | 50% | 39% | 13.6 kt | WNW | 14:00 | 9°C | 13.3°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
lake
Standing depth
There are shallow patches where you can stand, reportedly, but nobody publishes where the standing depth ends at Lachanau.
Tides
No tide effect on this freshwater lake spot.
Temperature
Summer 20-25°C
Winter around 11
Wetsuit
Shorty or light full suit in summer depending on wind chill; full winter suit out of season.
Currents
No tide current; no spot-specific current issue on record for Lachanau.
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
9 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Small and often overcrowded, with schools present; gear must not be left blocking the takeoff area.
Somewhere else
Hourtin Port, 2 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Small, wild lake access at Lachanau with a marshy, often inundated launch and muddy bottom. Do not rig on the small sandy beach.
Space
Small and often overcrowded, with schools present; gear must not be left blocking the takeoff area.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Go to Hourtin Port if you are learning or have family in tow; the Lachanau zone is too small to learn in.
- Keep at least 50 m from the hunting blinds (tonnes de chasse) around the shore.
- Park along the approach road without blocking emergency access, and do not sleep in the van there; the neighbours are the reason the zone still exists.
- Rig on the marshy side and never on the small sandy beach left of the takeoff; expect mud on your feet and keep your gear out of the launch lane.
- Bring the big kite for summer, 11-14 m2; 8-15 knots is a normal thermal day.
- Start heading in as soon as the thermal softens in the evening; it fades fast and the buoys are close.
Getting there
Airport
Bordeaux-Merignac (BOD)
Route
From Bordeaux, drive northwest on the D6 toward Carcans and Hourtin, then follow Lachanau and the lake access.
Staying
Hourtin, Hourtin Port, Carcans and Lacanau have lake/coast holiday accommodation; no spot-specific lodging at the Lachanau launch is listed.
No-wind days
Lac d'Hourtin-Carcans family beaches · Surfing on the Atlantic coast at Hourtin Ocean or Lacanau Ocean · Cycling on La Velodyssee · Wakeboard, wingfoil, SUP or sailing schools around Hourtin/Lacanau
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time?
Thermals typically build from June to October, while depression winds are common from November to April.
Is it suitable for beginners?
Local clubs recommend beginners and families use nearby Hourtin Port instead, since Lachanau is smaller, buoy-constrained and harder in north or northwest wind.
What is the wind like?
Summer thermal wind runs about 8-15 knots and often turns west to northwest by afternoon, while autumn depressions can bring 35-40 knot gusts.
Are there rules?
As of 2026, kitesurfing on Lac de Carcans-Hourtin is only allowed in the Hourtin Port and Lachanau zones, inside the yellow buoys and at least 50 m from hunting blinds.
Are there kite schools nearby?
Yes, including Kite Zone School/KZS at Hourtin Lachanau, Hourtin Kiteschool and UCPA Hourtin.
Last updated: August 2026