Nearby Palm Beach Cannes 18 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
Thermal days fill in around midday to afternoon; the exact local onset hour is unconfirmed.
The wind
locals call it Mistral in W/SW episodes
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Thermal days fill in around midday to afternoon; the exact local onset hour is unconfirmed.
Typical strength
Rideable days sit roughly between 15 and 25 knots, and about 21 knots is reported as the spot average when it is on. Treat that as a working-day figure rather than a station mean: the long-run record at the airport next door averages 8 knots with 14-knot gusts across all conditions, and no weather station on this stretch publishes kite-usable statistics.
Thermal or synoptic
thermal and frontal
The quiver, in words
For a 75-85 kg rider: 12 m on the light 12-15 knot days, 9-10 m through the common 18-22 knot band, 7 m once it pushes past 25. Indicative, derived from the reported wind range rather than a count of what locals actually rig.
Direction to shore
E/SE gives the safer sheltered freeride setup; W/SW is rideable for experienced riders but leaves airport and breakwater hazards downwind.
Dominant direction
E, ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW; W/SW Mistral can work but is hazardous.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan9
- Feb19
- Mar45
- Apr, riders' month28
- May, riders' month9
- Jun, riders' month12
- Jul, riders' month6
- Aug, riders' month5
- Sep, riders' month26
- Oct, riders' month12
- Nov18
- Dec9
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.
- 7Jan15°
- 8Feb14°
- 10Mar14°
- 10Apr16°
- 8May19°
- 8Jun23°
- 7Jul26°
- 7Aug27°
- 9Sep24°
- 8Oct21°
- 8Nov19°
- 8Dec16°
avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Force 4+ | Knots | From | Air | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9% | 7.3 kt | NNW | 8.7°C | 14.9°C |
| Feb | 19% | 7.9 kt | N | 9.8°C | 14.3°C |
| Mar | 45% | 10.3 kt | ENE | 12°C | 14.4°C |
| Apr | 28% | 9.8 kt | ENE | 14.3°C | 15.8°C |
| May | 9% | 7.6 kt | ESE | 18.3°C | 18.9°C |
| Jun | 12% | 7.9 kt | E | 22.6°C | 22.8°C |
| Jul | 6% | 7.2 kt | E | 25.9°C | 26.4°C |
| Aug | 5% | 7.2 kt | E | 26°C | 27.4°C |
| Sep | 26% | 8.8 kt | NE | 21.6°C | 24.4°C |
| Oct | 12% | 7.6 kt | NNE | 18.6°C | 21.3°C |
| Nov | 18% | 8.2 kt | NNW | 13°C | 18.5°C |
| Dec | 9% | 7.7 kt | NNW | 9.6°C | 16.3°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
sea
Standing depth
Reportedly standable at both high and low water in front of the nautical-centre beach, with the 20-40 cm Mediterranean tide making little difference either way. Rocks and shallow patches sit close in, so walk the first metres rather than jumping in. No measured depth exists.
Tides
Small Mediterranean tide range, generally not a primary session-planning factor; most Mediterranean tidal ranges run about 20-40 cm.
Temperature
24°C summer · 15°C winter
Wetsuit
Summer: shorts or shorty; spring/autumn: shorty or full 3/2; winter: thicker full suit. Summer water runs 22-25 C and winter water 15-17 C, though thicker winter neoprene is advised and the Var-estuary water runs colder.
Currents
The Var river outlet influences the water in front of the launch; no measured current figure is available.
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
5 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: narrow
Somewhere else
Palm Beach Cannes, 18 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
Access is by the Cap 3000 shopping-centre/nautical-centre beach near Avenue Eugene Donadei/Plage Cousteau. Launch only from the nautical centre beach; park at Cap 3000.
Space
narrow
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Park at Cap 3000 and launch only from the nautical-centre beach; nothing else on this stretch is tolerated.
- Ride E or SE for the flat, sheltered water; leave NW and NE alone, they come in gusty.
- In W/SW Mistral, go out only if you can stay upwind of the breakwaters and the airport infrastructure without help; no rescue boat is on record here.
- Never kite in front of or over Nice airport; the overhead is a strict no-fly zone.
- Between 15 April and 15 October, ask at the nautical centre where you may launch that week; the 300 m Plage Cousteau exclusion and the windsurfing-school basin both apply in summer.
- Wear booties: the launch is pebbles, and there are rocks and shallows in front that also rule out careless foiling.
- Save 196 in your phone before you rig. That is the coastguard number for the whole French coast, and it is the only cover here outside a lesson.
Getting there
Airport
Nice Cote d'Azur Airport
Route
Park at the Cap 3000 shopping centre and walk to the nautical-centre beach. The spot is just west of Nice airport and a short hop from the port of Cagnes-sur-Mer.
Transfer
About 7 minutes from Nice Cote d'Azur Airport.
Cost level
high
Staying
Pierre et Vacances Heliotel Marine is about 5 minutes on foot from the beach and the Novotel Nice Aeroport Cap 3000 is within walking distance; otherwise rentals and B&Bs in Saint-Laurent-du-Var and Cagnes-sur-Mer, or Camping Magali about 6 km inland.
No-wind days
Cap 3000 shopping, Saint-Laurent-du-Var marina/restaurants, Nice, Cagnes-sur-Mer, beaches, SUP/paddle and other nautical-centre activities.
Photos
FAQ
Is it suitable for beginners?
The spot suits intermediate and advanced riders rather than beginners, since the narrow pebble beach, nearby road, airport adjacency and breakwaters leave little room for error.
What is the wind like?
East to southeast wind gives the safest, flattest setup as the airport shelters the estuary mouth; northwest and northeast winds are gusty, and west to southwest Mistral is rideable only for experienced riders.
Are there rules, permits or restricted zones?
Kiting is restricted to the nautical-centre beach near Cap 3000, navigation is banned in the windsurfing-school basins, the airport overhead is a no-fly zone, and kitesurfing is reported prohibited within 300 m of the beach from 15 April to 15 October.
What hazards should I know about?
Hazards include Nice airport immediately adjacent with a no-fly zone, breakwaters and airport infrastructure downwind in west or southwest wind, and a narrow pebble beach with palm trees, road and cars close to the launch.
Last updated: August 2026