Map › France › Bassin d'Arcachon › Port de l'Estey
Nouvelle-Aquitaine · Grands Lacs / Sanguinet, Landes · Landes · Sanguinet
Port de l'Estey
also known as Sanguinet, Lac de Cazaux-Sanguinet, Plage du port de l'Estey, Lac de Sanguinet
Nearby Mayotte 7 km · Navarrosse 7 km · La Salie (La Teste-de-Buch) 13 km · Biscarrosse Plage Sud 13 km · La Hume (Gujan-Mestras) 18 km · Les Arbousiers (Arcachon) 21 km · Le Betey 28 km · Claouey 30 km · Mimizan-Plage 34 km · Le Porge Ocean 47 km · Lac de Lacanau - Lacanau-Ville 55 km · Lacanau Ocean 59 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
No onset time is published for this spot.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
Typical strength
No range has ever been measured at the launch. The Cazaux air-base station at the north end of the same lake averages 7 knots across all hours of the year, west dominant, with mean gusts around 22, so the kiteable days are the windy tail of that distribution rather than the ordinary afternoon. Regional figure, not a spot measurement.
The quiver, in words
No local size data; indicative, read off the wind range rather than measured here. For a 75-85 kg rider: 12-14 m twintip on an ordinary lake afternoon, 9-10 m when a depression pushes it past 20 knots. Most days sit under twintip threshold, which is why the foilers on 9-12 m are the ones getting water time.
Direction to shore
The launch is on the eastern shore of the lake, so the working SW to NW sector arrives across open water: onshore to side-onshore, closer to sideshore on a due-south day. Read off the shoreline orientation, not measured on site.
Dominant direction
SW, W, WNW, NW
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan10
- Feb12
- Mar16
- Apr, riders' month15
- May, riders' month8
- Jun, riders' month0
- Jul, riders' month2
- Aug, riders' month8
- Sep, riders' month7
- Oct10
- Nov22
- Dec15
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
- 10%Jan12°
- 12%Feb12°
- 16%Mar13°
- 15%Apr14°
- 8%May17°
- 0%Jun20°
- 2%Jul21°
- 8%Aug23°
- 7%Sep22°
- 10%Oct20°
- 22%Nov16°
- 15%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 | 10% | 23% | 18% | 8.4 kt | WNW | 14:00 | 7.4°C | 12.4°C | 62 |
| Feb | 12% | 21% | 19% | 8.3 kt | NW | 14:00 | 8.7°C | 12.4°C | 57 |
| Mar | 16% | 34% | 29% | 10.2 kt | WNW | 15:00 | 11.1°C | 12.9°C | 62 |
| Apr | 15% | 28% | 25% | 9.7 kt | WNW | 16:00 | 12.8°C | 14.4°C | 60 |
| May | 8% | 32% | 18% | 9.4 kt | WNW | 15:00 | 16.4°C | 16.6°C | 62 |
| Jun | 0% | 15% | 5% | 8.7 kt | WNW | 16:00 | 19.9°C | 19.8°C | 60 |
| Jul | 2% | 13% | 5% | 8.7 kt | WNW | 16:00 | 21.4°C | 21.2°C | 62 |
| Aug | 8% | 18% | 16% | 9.1 kt | WNW | 16:00 | 22°C | 22.5°C | 62 |
| Sep | 7% | 18% | 12% | 8.4 kt | NW | 15:00 | 19°C | 21.8°C | 60 |
| Oct | 10% | 24% | 18% | 8.6 kt | WSW | 15:00 | 17.3°C | 19.9°C | 62 |
| Nov | 22% | 28% | 27% | 9.5 kt | W | 14:00 | 12.4°C | 16°C | 60 |
| Dec | 15% | 26% | 24% | 8.1 kt | WNW | 13:00 | 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
At Port de l'Estey a small sandbank gives way fast and you soon cannot stand. The teaching sandbank in the middle of the lake is waist-deep, reached by boat.
Tides
No ocean tide influence on the lake; described as no tidal influence but possible lake-level variation.
Temperature
28°C summer
Wetsuit
Warm freshwater in summer. Winter lake temperature is unconfirmed; use normal cold-water judgment.
Currents
No wave or tidal current on the lake. The port channel is downwind, and drifting into it is the hazard.
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
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Very small launch area.
Somewhere else
Mayotte, 7 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Park at Port de l'Estey after crossing Sanguinet and launch south of the port. The beach is tiny; launch the kite in the water.
Space
Very small launch area.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Find the yellow-buoy line of the Conche de Sanguinet before you launch; north of it is closed to kites.
- Start with upwind margin; the port channel is downwind on your right and drifting into it is the local hazard.
- Launch the kite in the water when the beach is packed; that is the practice on this tiny strip.
- Do not confuse the school's waist-deep sandbank, reached by boat, with the beach launch at the port; the beach drops off fast.
- Read the sign at the port on arrival; it carries the current rules.
- If the buoy line is not obvious on the day, ring the commune navigation service on 05 58 78 60 15 before you rig.
- Bring the foil. The lake end at Cazaux averages 7 knots over the year, and most days are light rather than windy.
Getting there
Airport
Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (BOD)
Route
From Bordeaux take the A63/A660 toward Biscarrosse, cross Sanguinet, turn toward Port de l'Estey after the Intermarché and park at the port.
Transfer
75 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Sanguinet, Biscarrosse and the Bisca Grands Lacs campsites and lake rentals; nothing kite-specific confirmed.
No-wind days
Lake swimming, paddle, canoeing, sailing, cycling, fishing and nearby ocean surfing/bodyboarding.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Port de l'Estey?
April through September is the main season, with the lake's proximity to the ocean giving generally regular thermal wind.
Is Port de l'Estey suitable for beginners?
It is rated intermediate to expert for independent launching because of the tiny beach and quick depth drop; a local school instead teaches from a boat-accessed, waist-deep sandbank.
What is the wind like at Port de l'Estey?
Southwest, west, west-northwest and northwest are the usable directions on this sheltered lake.
Are there rules or restricted zones at Port de l'Estey?
Kitesurfing is forbidden in the Conche de Sanguinet marked by yellow buoys, the 300 m shoreline band has a 5 km/h speed limit, and part of the lake's northern area is closed to navigation.
What hazards should riders know at Port de l'Estey?
A very small launch, a sandbank where standing depth is quickly lost, and the downwind port channel are the main reported hazards.
Last updated: August 2026