Nearby Biscarrosse Plage Sud 26 km · Navarrosse 27 km · Mayotte 27 km · Port de l'Estey 34 km · La Salie (La Teste-de-Buch) 35 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
Thermal wind is reported from late morning or early afternoon into the afternoon; early morning can be glassier before the sea breeze.
The wind
locals call it Atlantic thermal and frontal flow
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Thermal wind is reported from late morning or early afternoon into the afternoon; early morning can be glassier before the sea breeze.
Typical strength
12-25 kts is the useful range; summer thermals run 10-20 kts and autumn depressions reach 35-40 kts.
The quiver, in words
Indicative, no local size table is published for this beach: across the 12-25 kt working range a 75-85 kg rider covers most days with a 9 m and a 12 m, drops to 7 m or less when an autumn depression pushes past 30 kt, and takes a 6-8 m with a surfboard on the wave days.
Direction to shore
W is onshore on the west-facing beach; NW and SW are cross-on to side-on.
Dominant direction
NW, W, SW; W and NW dominate.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan32
- Feb25
- Mar32
- Apr, riders' month33
- May, riders' month29
- Jun, riders' month23
- Jul18
- Aug32
- Sep, riders' month20
- Oct, riders' month29
- Nov38
- Dec32
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct.
- 32%Jan12°
- 25%Feb12°
- 32%Mar13°
- 33%Apr15°
- 29%May17°
- 23%Jun21°
- 18%Jul22°
- 32%Aug24°
- 20%Sep22°
- 29%Oct20°
- 38%Nov16°
- 32%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 | 32% | 42% | 42% | 12.9 kt | SSW | 12:00 | 7.7°C | 12.1°C | 62 |
| Feb | 25% | 35% | 30% | 12 kt | N | 14:00 | 9°C | 12.1°C | 57 |
| Mar | 32% | 60% | 52% | 13.8 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 11.5°C | 13°C | 62 |
| Apr | 33% | 58% | 48% | 12.9 kt | NNW | 16:00 | 12.9°C | 14.7°C | 60 |
| May | 29% | 55% | 47% | 12 kt | NNW | 16:00 | 16.4°C | 17.2°C | 62 |
| Jun | 23% | 58% | 45% | 11.3 kt | N | 17:00 | 20°C | 21°C | 60 |
| Jul | 18% | 53% | 39% | 11.6 kt | NNW | 17:00 | 21.7°C | 22.3°C | 62 |
| Aug | 32% | 61% | 52% | 12.7 kt | NNW | 17:00 | 22.1°C | 23.6°C | 62 |
| Sep | 20% | 40% | 33% | 11.4 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 19.4°C | 22.1°C | 60 |
| Oct | 29% | 45% | 42% | 12.8 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 17.8°C | 19.8°C | 62 |
| Nov | 38% | 47% | 43% | 14.3 kt | E | 12:00 | 12.8°C | 15.8°C | 60 |
| Dec | 32% | 39% | 37% | 12.8 kt | WNW | 12:00 | 9.5°C | 13.1°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
sea
Standing depth
Partial, changing sandbank and baine depth only; not a reliable standing-depth learning spot.
Tides
Atlantic tidal beach, two tides a day, and the coefficient decides how the beach behaves: 30-60 is the calmer range, above 70 the waves build and the currents pull harder. High tide gives more open water and more chop; at low tide the waves break closer in over the bars and the riding turns technical.
Temperature
20-22°C summer · 11-13°C winter
Wetsuit
Summer: shorty, 2 mm long-sleeve shorty or 3/2 depending on wind. Winter: 5/4 or 5/3 with boots and gloves on cold days.
Currents
Strong baïne rip currents, and a stronger current again near the Courant de Mimizan mouth.
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
4 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Wide sandy ocean beach, but summer bathing zones and lifeguard areas reduce practical launch space.
Somewhere else
Biscarrosse Plage Sud, 26 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Use Plage Sud or Plage Nord/Remember depending on wind, crowding and local zoning; Plage Sud is the quieter official kite zone, and Remember is rideable if kept away from lifeguard areas.
Space
Wide sandy ocean beach, but summer bathing zones and lifeguard areas reduce practical launch space.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Read tide, swell height, wave period and wind direction together before you rig; when they line up badly this beach is dangerous.
- Stay far from the Courant de Mimizan mouth and from any visible rip channel between the bars.
- Do not learn here. Take a school lesson on a lake, Mayotte or Navarrosse, for first water starts.
- In July and August, check the posted kite and bathing zones at the lifeguard station before launching; Plage Sud is the official kite zone.
- Rig at Plage Sud when in doubt; it is the quieter zone and the one with lifeguards into mid-September.
Getting there
Airport
Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (BOD)
Route
Bordeaux is 120 km by A63, exit 16 Labouheyre, then D626. Labouheyre station is 27 km away and is linked to Mimizan by bus line 513; seasonal long-distance buses also run via Bordeaux/Paris.
Transfer
80-95 min by car from Bordeaux; public transport from Bordeaux airport requires connections and can take several hours.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Mimizan-Plage and Mimizan offer hotels, campsites, holiday rentals and beach apartments; book early for July-August.
No-wind days
Surfing, bodyboarding, beach walks, cycling in the Landes forest, Courant de Mimizan walks, lake activities around Aureilhan and visits to nearby Landes villages.
Photos
FAQ
Is Mimizan-Plage suitable for beginners?
No; one source marks it Confirmed and not for beginners, since waves, baïnes and current make independent beginner riding inappropriate.
What is the wind like?
The useful kite wind is mainly NW, W and SW, with summer sea-breeze sessions and stronger autumn frontal winds up to 35-40 knots.
When is the best time to visit?
April through June and September through October are listed as the best months.
What are the main hazards?
Numerous baïnes and rip currents, a return current from the Courant de Mimizan, and heavy Atlantic waves and shorebreak.
Are there rules or restricted zones?
2026 guidance says to respect the kite zone at Plage Sud and stay out of supervised bathing zones, though no current municipal kite order was verified.
Last updated: August 2026