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Nouvelle-Aquitaine · Ile de Re, Charente-Maritime · Rivedoux-Plage

Rivedoux Plage Nord

also known as Sablanceaux, plage de Rivedoux Nord, Plage Nord, Rivedoux-Plage

advanced onlyhigh crowds

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

On this page

Wind
- Month by month
Forecast
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
- Rescue
Hazards
Rules & access
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Nearby Aytre Plage 11 km · La Faute-sur-Mer - Pointe d'Arcay 14 km · Chatelaillon-Plage 16 km · Banc du Bucheron 19 km · Plage de Plaisance 19 km · Plage de la Gautrelle 19 km · Boyardville 21 km · La Tranche-sur-Mer 25 km · Le Veillon 44 km · Bretignolles-sur-Mer - Plage des Dunes 2 67 km · straight-line distance

SeasonApr to Octthe months riders and schools name How windy15-25 ktmixed LaunchSandy launch in a marked kite area; beach width changes with tide and the zone can be crowded in summer or good wind.access rules on record, below Watersea20°C in summer · 8 things riders flag LevelIntermediate to advancedwith a caveat, in the Level section Schools3named at this spot From the airport30 minRochelle - Île de Ré Airport (LRH)

When it fills in

Afternoon thermal NW can make the water choppier; exact onset time is unconfirmed.

Rivedoux Plage Nord is the first beach after the Île de Ré bridge, on the north side of Rivedoux-Plage, and a strip of it is reserved for kites all year in 2026, marked by municipal signs and dune posts. Park in the first car park on the right after the bridge; the sand is about 50 m away.

The bay is shallow and sheltered from swell: flat at low tide, short chop once the tide is up and the afternoon NW thermal fills in. The bridge entrance accelerates the wind, so it is often windier here than the rest of the island, and NW through NE is side-shore to side-on; south-sector days work better at Rivedoux Sud.

Three things to keep in your head: the oyster parks on posts to the left, the current near the bridge on the right, and the boat channel. Left and right get swapped depending on whether you face the water or the land, so look before you launch.

Schools teach here and the beach has no lifeguards; on a good day in July or August it is packed. Ride it as an intermediate spot, or as a beginner with a school. Water is about 20 C in August and about 9 C in February.

April to October is when most people come; the statistically windier months are November to March.

The wind

Direction

cross-onW

Kite sizes

567891011121314

metres · typical quiver highlighted

Character

mixed

fills in: Afternoon thermal NW can make the water choppier; exact onset time is unconfirmed.

Typical strength

Nothing is measured on this beach. The bridge gap funnels the flow, so it usually reads a few knots above the rest of the island, and 15-25 kt is the indicative band for a normal session. The nearest long-run mainland station shows an 8 kt annual mean across all weather, a different measure entirely and no use as a session forecast.

Wind often comes in stronger here because the bridge entrance accelerates it, and the spot is practical; but it is busy, with current and obstacles to manage.

April to October is the main season and the spot is open all year; November to March is the statistically windier stretch.

Thermal or synoptic

thermal and synoptic

Also on record

21.7

The quiver, in words

For a 75-85 kg rider a 9 m covers most April-October days, a 12 m handles the light mornings, and a 7 m is what you want when an autumn or winter front comes through. Indicative sizing worked back from the wind range; no local size table is published.

Direction to shore

On the north beach NW to NE is side-shore to side-on; south-sector wind is less regular here than at Rivedoux Sud.

Dominant direction

W, NW, N, NE, E

Forecast

Month by month

Jan61
Feb55
Mar70
Apr, riders' month66
May, riders' month69
Jun, riders' month57
Jul, riders' month66
Aug, riders' month51
Sep, riders' month56
Oct, riders' month60
Nov67
Dec69

per cent of the month at force 4 or more

Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.

14Jan10°
13Feb9°
14Mar11°
14Apr13°
12May17°
12Jun20°
12Jul21°
12Aug22°
12Sep21°
14Oct19°
16Nov14°
14Dec11°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Month	Force 4+	Knots	From	Air	Water
Jan	61%	13.7 kt	NE	7°C	9.6°C
Feb	55%	13.4 kt	W	8.5°C	9°C
Mar	70%	14.4 kt	WSW	10.5°C	10.5°C
Apr	66%	13.6 kt	WSW	12.2°C	13.4°C
May	69%	12.4 kt	NE	16.1°C	16.6°C
Jun	57%	11.5 kt	W	19.5°C	20.3°C
Jul	66%	12.2 kt	WNW	20.5°C	21.1°C
Aug	51%	11.7 kt	NW	21.2°C	22.1°C
Sep	56%	12.3 kt	WSW	18.6°C	20.9°C
Oct	60%	14 kt	WSW	16.6°C	18.6°C
Nov	67%	15.7 kt	W	12.1°C	14.3°C
Dec	69%	14.3 kt	ENE	8.4°C	10.6°C

modelled

A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.

Modelled from weather reanalysis on a 10–25 km grid (2022-2024), not a ground station: reliable for trade and synoptic winds, understates thermal sea breezes and valley winds. 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.

ERA5 reanalysis grid point (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical weather API — ECMWF ERA5/ERA5-Land reanalysis, not a ground station · 2022-2024

The water

Type

sea

Standing depth

Shallow bay; low water/standing-depth conditions are typical, with standing depth listed at both high and low tide.

Tides

Navigable at all tides. Beach width and comfort change with the tide: flatter shallow water at low tide, more chop at high tide.

Temperature

20°C summer · 9°C winter

Wetsuit

La Rochelle Atlantic averages: about 20 C in August and about 9 C in February. Light fullsuit or shorty in the warm months, thick fullsuit with hood, gloves and boots in winter.

Currents

Current is specifically reported near the Île de Ré bridge and in/near the navigation channel; avoid drifting toward the bridge.

9–22°C water

Protected sandy bay with flat water to short chop and no significant shore break in normal conditions.

Your level

not for beginners hereintermediateadvanced

Schools teach here, and as a supervised learning spot it works; on your own the oyster parks and the bridge current make it intermediate and up.

The scene

What riders come here for

freeridelearning with school supervisionflat waterwingfoilwindsurf

Established local/school kite zone at the bridge; relaxed community feel but very busy when conditions are good.

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

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: Sandy launch in a marked kite area; beach width changes with tide and the zone can be crowded in summer or good wind.

access rules on record

Somewhere else

Aytre Plage, 11 km

Aytre Plage La Faute-sur-Mer - Pointe d'Arcay Chatelaillon-Plage

Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.

Rescue

VHF channel 16

Plage Nord is unsupervised over its whole length, from the bridge to the esplanade de la mer. The staffed post is on Plage Sud in the village, which has the poste de secours plus toilets and showers with disabled access. At sea, 196 by phone or VHF channel 16 reaches the coordination centre and the volunteer lifeboat crews, free.

No kite-specific cover is arranged.

Launch

Municipal kite sector on the north beach immediately after the Île de Ré bridge; first parking on the right, and the beach is about 50 m from the car.

Space

Sandy launch in a marked kite area; beach width changes with tide and the zone can be crowded in summer or good wind.

Rules & access

2026: part of Plage Nord is reserved for kitesurf, open all year, marked by municipal signs and dune posts, and the beach runs from the bridge to the esplanade de la mer. Stay clear of the oyster parks and the bridge-current area. Dogs are banned from 1 June to 30 September between 10:00 and 20:00, and tolerated on a lead outside those dates and hours. The beach is unsupervised. A municipal nautical-activities bylaw exists but its wording is unconfirmed, so the signs and posts on the sand are the working rule.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Rider tips

Stay in front of the parking and the kite sector; the current picks up toward the bridge on your right.
Give the oyster-park posts and the boat channel a wide berth.
Use the low-tide shallows for flat-water freeride, but walk the exposed bottom first to see what is sticking out.
Without a car, bus line 150 runs from La Rochelle all year, with 151 and 152 added in summer.

Getting there

Airport

La Rochelle - Île de Ré Airport (LRH)

Route

Rivedoux-Plage is the first village after the Île de Ré bridge. Bus line 150 runs from La Rochelle all year, with lines 151 and 152 added in summer; lines 150-151-152 serve the airport, and a single ticket was 2.50 EUR (year unconfirmed).

Transfer

30 min

Cost level

high

Staying

Rivedoux-Plage has hotels, campsites, guesthouses and seasonal rentals; La Rochelle is a practical mainland base.

No-wind days

Cycling on Île de Ré, La Rochelle, oyster villages, salt marshes, beaches, sailing and island villages such as Saint-Martin-de-Ré.

Photos

Rivedoux Plage (196358237) — Pierre Selim Huard, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Rivedoux Plage Nord?

April through October is the listed best season, and the marked kite zone is open all year.

Is Rivedoux Plage Nord suitable for beginners?

It is rated intermediate and above because of oyster parks and current near the bridge, even though local schools operate on the beach.

What is the wind like at Rivedoux Plage Nord?

West, northwest, north, northeast and east wind are usable, with south-sector wind reported as less regular here than at Rivedoux Sud.

Are there rules or restricted zones at Rivedoux Plage Nord?

Part of Plage Nord is reserved for kitesurf year-round and marked by municipal signs and dune posts; riders should avoid the oyster parks and the bridge-current area.

What hazards should riders know at Rivedoux Plage Nord?

Oyster parks to the left of the riding area, current near the Île de Ré bridge, and a navigation channel with boat traffic are the main hazards.

Last updated: August 2026