Surfing in Vieux Boucau
A guide to surfing in Vieux Boucau
Vieux Boucau’s ever shifting sandbanks kick up consistent surf and good waves all year round.
Just 30 minutes from Biarritz airport, Vieux Boucau is a reliable surf spot with peaks popping off up and down the beach. When surfers talk about Vieux Boucau, they talk about north of the river and south of the river. They’re referring to the runoff from the Port d’Albret lagoon and there’s good waves both to the north and the south. The sand banks are constantly moving around though, so it’s up to you to find the best peak on the day. Fortunately, it’s easy to check the surf from up on the dune at the far end of Avenue des Dunes.
Vieux Boucaux is less crowded than the famous barrelling beach breaks further south, but all the same, it can get super busy here in the summer, especially as the campsites fill up in July and August. And, it can get pretty competitive at the lineup, with locals and tourists battling for waves. A smile and a ‘bonjour’ can go a long way to ease any tensions.
Watch this: Vieux Boucau, Atlantic surfer paradise
Vieux Boucau Surf Camps
Stay at a surf camp and take your surfing to the next level, discover Vieux Boucau’s beaches, have fun and hang out with like-minded people.
The Best Time of Year to go Surfing in Vieux Boucau
For most surfers, the best time to surf Vieux Boucau is during the months either side of July and August. The water’s warm, it’s not too crowded and the swell is pretty consistent. In September and October, the evenings are still long, you can surf in boardshorts and the kids are back in school, so you can get plenty of waves to yourself.
Having said that, the peak summer months are great for newbies wanting to take their first surf lessons. The water’s warm and the waves are friendly most of the time. You just need to watch out for the number of people in the water. If you’re a beginner, it’s a good idea to take a lesson with one of the many Vieux Boucau surf schools. Your instructor will fast track your progression and keep you safe in the crowded waves.
Experienced surfers will love the winter months. The swell builds in size and power through October, November and December, there’s fewer surfers in the water and it’s not unusual for Vieux Boucau to produce some quality overhead barrels. You just need to grab your 4/3 wetsuit and booties and enjoy an epic winter session.
Vieux Boucau Surf Forecast
Vieux Boucau, surf forecast – surf report and surfing conditions for the next 3 days with swell components including wave height, wave direction and wave period, wind direction and weather forecast.
Vieux Boucau surf forecast courtesy of surf-forecast.com.
Vieux Boucau Surf Spot Guide
1. Vieux Boucau
Spot type: Beach Offshore wind: Easterly. Bottom type: Sand. Best tide: Mid tide.
Wave size: 0.5 to 3 m. Swell direction: West, North Lat Long: 43.792894, -1.413504.
Perfect line up, Landes | © Flickr – Iker Merodio
Duck diving at Vieux Boucau | © Flickr – Gamebouille
Guillaume’s take:
Vieux Boucau consistently offers up quality waves. The spot’s a hard one to read as the river makes the sandbanks move around so much, but when the conditions’s are right you can have an amazing session here. You’ll find two peaks near the river mouth. To the north you can surf fast hollow waves that work best on a mid to high tide. To the south, it’s hard to predict, so you just have to walk down the beach until you find a peak you like the look of.
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Please leave a comment below if you need specific advice for your surf trip to Vieux Boucau, or if you have any recommendations to help us improve this guide. Happy holidays!
