Map › France › Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie - Grande Plage & Saint-Jean-de-Monts - Plage de la Daviere › Saint-Jean-de-Monts - Plage de la Daviere
Pays de la Loire · Vendée - Saint-Jean-de-Monts · Saint-Jean-de-Monts
Saint-Jean-de-Monts - Plage de la Daviere
also known as La Daviere, Plage de la Daviere
Nearby Fromentine - Plage de la Grande Cote 10 km · Barbatre - Plage des Boucholeurs 12 km · Le Gois - La Digue 15 km · Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie - Grande Plage 18 km · Bretignolles-sur-Mer - Plage des Dunes 2 30 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
22 kt is quoted as a spot statistic, unconfirmed; no primary wind table for this exact beach.
Thermal or synoptic
both
The quiver, in words
Indicative for a 75-85 kg rider, worked from the 20-25 kt figure quoted for the spot rather than from local session logs: 9 m for an ordinary west-northwest day, 11-12 m when a summer sea breeze only reaches 14-18 kt, 7 m once an autumn or winter front pushes past 28 kt. No measured on-water sizing exists for this beach.
Direction to shore
W to NW is onshore to cross-onshore on the west-facing beach; SW to NW gives side-shore to side-on conditions; S to SE can be less regular because of forest/relief.
Dominant direction
SSE to NW possible; W/NW is best and also most frequent.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month62
- Feb, riders' month56
- Mar, riders' month72
- Apr58
- May63
- Jun58
- Jul59
- Aug47
- Sep56
- Oct66
- Nov, riders' month72
- Dec, riders' month74
per cent of the month at force 4 or more
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec.
- 14Jan10°
- 14Feb10°
- 15Mar11°
- 13Apr13°
- 12May16°
- 11Jun20°
- 12Jul20°
- 11Aug21°
- 13Sep20°
- 14Oct18°
- 16Nov14°
- 15Dec11°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62% | 14.1 kt | WSW | 7.2°C | 10.1°C |
| Feb | 56% | 13.7 kt | W | 8.7°C | 10°C |
| Mar | 72% | 14.9 kt | SW | 10.2°C | 10.6°C |
| Apr | 58% | 13.2 kt | NE | 11.7°C | 13°C |
| May | 63% | 12.1 kt | NE | 15.5°C | 16.1°C |
| Jun | 58% | 11.4 kt | W | 18.7°C | 19.6°C |
| Jul | 59% | 11.7 kt | WSW | 19.7°C | 20°C |
| Aug | 47% | 11.3 kt | NW | 20.4°C | 21.1°C |
| Sep | 56% | 12.6 kt | WSW | 18.1°C | 19.6°C |
| Oct | 66% | 13.9 kt | SW | 16.1°C | 18°C |
| Nov | 72% | 16.4 kt | W | 12.3°C | 14.2°C |
| Dec | 74% | 15 kt | WSW | 8.8°C | 11.3°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
ocean beach
Standing depth
Reportedly foot-deep at both high and low tide; no measured range.
Tides
Tide-affected Atlantic beach. Low water uncovers a very large area of hard sand and gives the roomiest launch; the strip narrows on the flood and on big coefficients there is little or nothing usable left at high water. Waves build on the rising tide and fade on the falling one.
Temperature
19.3°C summer · 10.1°C winter
Wetsuit
Cool Bay of Biscay water: Saint-Jean-de-Monts August average is about 19.3 C, winter average about 10.1 C. Water peaks around 18-23 C in early/mid August and is coldest around 10-11 C in early March; a 2 mm long-sleeve shorty or 3/2 is recommended in warm water if windy.
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
1 school names this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Wide at low water, with a large hard-sand area to rig, launch and land on. It shrinks through the flood, and on large coefficients the high-water beach is reduced to a sliver.
Somewhere else
Fromentine - Plage de la Grande Cote, 10 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
VHF channel 16
Launch
Sandy beach launch at La Daviere; the marked kitesurf practice zone runs 500 m along the beach starting 100 m east of the Chemin de la Daviere access, buoyed and open sunrise-19:00 daily through the last Saturday of August. Access is through forest/dune paths from a parking area set back from the beach.
Space
Wide at low water, with a large hard-sand area to rig, launch and land on. It shrinks through the flood, and on large coefficients the high-water beach is reduced to a sliver.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Skip high tide on big coefficients: the beach goes under and there is nowhere to launch or land.
- Facing the sea, the signed kite sector is on your left: 500 m of beach starting 100 m east of the Chemin de la Daviere access, buoyed and open from sunrise to 19:00 through the last Saturday of August.
- Pick W/NW days; in S to SE the forest and relief chop the wind up and it comes through irregular.
- It is a walk in from the parking through forest and dune paths, so bring one kite and a compact bag rather than the whole quiver.
- The southern end of the kite zone is sometimes taken by the town's char-a-voile lessons; give them the room.
- Waves build on the rising tide and flatten on the ebb, so time a wave session for the flood and a flat one for the drop.
- Low water is the launch you want: the sea pulls back to leave a wide sheet of hard sand, and that room disappears as the flood comes in.
- Nobody here is watching the kites. In trouble on the water, call the CROSS on 196, or VHF 16.
- Parking is 50-60 spaces with seasonal toilets and no showers or running water; the campsite next door is the nearest refreshment.
Getting there
Airport
Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE)
Route
By car from Nantes Airport it is about 63.5 km and about 56 min to Saint-Jean-de-Monts. Public transport is a bus from Nantes to Saint-Jean-de-Monts or a 2-leg train/bus combination. From town, head north to Plage de la Daviere and use the forest/dune access paths.
Transfer
56 min
Cost level
medium
Staying
Saint-Jean-de-Monts is a major beach resort with hotels, holiday rentals, campsites and holiday villages; the La Daviere area itself is more natural and set back from dense seafront development.
No-wind days
Surf, sailing, paddle, kayak, char a voile and other activities at the Base Nautique, forest/dune walks, cycling, beach time, Saint-Jean-de-Monts resort activities and Noirmoutier/Fromentine day trips.
FAQ
When is the best time to go?
November to March is listed as the best window, with west to northwest as the cleanest wind direction; south to southeast wind can turn irregular behind the forest and relief.
Is it suitable for beginners?
The spot is listed for beginners, freeride and foil and is authorised year-round, but tide, shorebreak and seasonal zoning mean independent beginners still need some autonomy.
Are there rules, permits or restricted zones?
La Daviere is authorised for kiting all year, with a signed kite zone to the left of the beach access when facing the sea, and it serves as a fallback when central Saint-Jean-de-Monts is closed by municipal order.
What hazards should I know about?
At high tide on large coefficients there may be no beach left for a safe launch or landing, and shorebreak and Atlantic swell can be present when they build.
Last updated: August 2026