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france_north_n_northwest_shores
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Table of Contents
North and Northwest Shorelines (France)
(Bretagne, Haut-de-France, Loire-Atlantique, Normandie, Nouvelle-Aquitane)
.
Amour, mer et surf ski
Atlantic, English Channel, North Sea Shorelines
Bretagne (Brittany)
Downwinders (Sous le vent)/Paddles
- Brest (get local knowledge about the port and naval base traffic to watch for) Rade de Brest is the Bay that the Port of Brest faces
- Le Conquet - Brest approx. 25 km
- Le Fret - Landévennec 20 km Downwindfun
- Freight Port of Brest - Landévennec 18 km
- Best wind direction: West
- Season: All year round with at least 15 knots of wind
- Ile Longue - Tinduff approx 10 km video (started upwind before turning onto this course for downwind)
- La Pointe de l'Armoriale (Armorique?) à l'ile Tibidy 17 km video
- Port de l'Auberlac'h
- Port de l'Auberlac'h - Lanvoy 18 km video, Downwindfun
- Port de Porzmeur (Plougastel Daoulas)
- Port de Porzmeur - Ile de Tibidy 16.5 km video, Downwindfun
- Port de Porzmeur - Le Passage 10 km Downwindfun
- Port de Porzmeur - la bouée du Renard - Moulin Blanc 15 km (paddle west to buoy then turn east to get more downwind) video
- Port de Tinduff - Brest approx.15 km
- Moulin Blanc
- Île Ronde - Moulin Blanc 8-9 km video
- Radiliko Run - Roscanvel - Moulin Blanc 11 km “The further you go into the middle of the channel, the more ‘engaged’ the paddling is! If you are in the mood for something calmer you can keep to the channel’s side, and you will still be able to connect to the bumps.” (crosses Brest Bay) Downwindable.com, Helen Trehoret Description
- Trez Hir - Moulin Blanc 23 km Downwindfun
- Concarneau - downwind video Valentin Henot (no sound after 4:05)
- Guisseny
- “Skooliko” Out and Back Laps 3 km excellent place to practice - NW swell coming from the Atlantic - with lots of beach to bail out on Downwindable.com, Helen Trehoret Description, video
- Port de Curnic video (surfing? or just out and back downwind laps?)
- Kerfanny Beach (Plage de Kerfanny) - Plage de Kerrou (Le Roux's Downwind) 12.4 km Downwindable.com
- La Rance River
- La Richardais - Mordreuc 12.5 km video, Downwindfun
- Odet River Estuary video (instagram)
- Ploudalmézeau - various windy beaches
- Plage des Trois Moutons - Kerouartz 16 km
- Plage Ganoac - Portsall ~10 km video
- ….
Saturday afternoon at the Seashore - Ploudalmézeau
- Plougurneau
- Aberliko Run - (tidal river) Port Perros - Pont de Diable (Only works on mid and high tide. Low tide and low spring tides there are oyster cages exposed.) Downwindable.com, Helen Trehoret Description
- Quiberon - site of 2019 Surfski World Championships
- Port-Louis - Plage Chateau Rouge ~23 km
- Or Boulevard de l'Ocean, Gavre - Plage Penthievre Downwindable.com
- Penthievre - Locmariaquer ~15 km
- Quiberon - Kerhilio ~21 km
- Treompan video
Coaches/Clubs/Lessons
- Barrachou Paddle 4 Rue de Lesneven, 29880 Guissény
- Finistere Surfski Festival for beginners to intermediate (check barrachou paddle website because link will may change from year to year)
- Surfski & Co. demos, lessons
- Surfski Center Etel Etel, Morbihan
- Trévou-Tréguignec Surf Lifesaving
Dealers/Equipment
- BeKayak Brest, Surfskis - Nordic Kayak, Nelo & accessories, Nalu OC
- Barrachou Paddle 4 Rue de Lesneven, 29880 Guissény
- Idoine Kayak - Epic, Vajda Surfskis, Rue du Blavet, 56650 Inzinzac Lochrist
Haut-de-France (Heights of France)
Downwinders
- Bray-Dunes, France - Nieuwpoort, Belgium 16+ km
- ….
Bray-Dunes - Nieuwpoort (This video shows a skilled sea kayaker paddling a sea kayak with a hull shape similar to surfskis - built better for downwind surfing. The conditions and shore break are not for beginner surfskiers, but a skilled surfskier with good preparation and safety support would love such a downwinder)
- Mers les Bains Run [Mers les Bains - Cayeux sur Mer] 16 km Downwindable.com
- Plage de Stella - Plage d'Hardelot 20 kmDownwindfun
Resources
- Kayak club Baie de Phoques (Seal Bay)
Loire-Atlantique
Normandie (Normandy)
Downwinders
- Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
- See also Jersey Channel Islands Surfski. While not part of France they are quite close to the Cotentin Peninsula and share many of the favorable characteristics for downwinders, surf, and tide races.
Tidal Races
- Raz Blanchard (Alderney Race)
Dealers/Equipment
- Canoe Shop Dives-sur-Mer
Resources
- Kayak Club Cotentin Cherbourg
Nouvelle-Aquitane (New Aquitaine)
Resources
- (Basque region) Biarritz
- Coastal Lifesaving (Sauvetage Cotier) - Ocean Racing
- Ile d'Oleron (Oleron Island) vacation, paddle, surfing video
Downwinders
- Anglet
- Adour River
- Safety
- Does shifting sandbar at river mouth affect paddling/safety?
- Port traffic
- River Mouth Waves (How much current is tidal vs. river flow?)
- Socoa - Anglet ~13 km video
- Bay of Txngudi (Chingoudy)
- Gironde
- the Atlantic coastline west of the very large Gironde estuary has numerous surf sites. You will have to research how appropriate/safe they are for surfski surfing.
- …
Gironde Surfing
Outrigger Downwinding in Basque Country
Surf
- Biscarosse SUP surfing, Wave Yaking
- Hossegor popular location for wind sports on water. Previously host to a popular SUP race - the Hossegor Paddle Games
- Why the surf/waves are good at Hossegor
- …
Dealers
- Ozone Europe Guéthary, France, OCs, Kai Wa'a Surfskis
- …
Conditions
Races
Clubs
- Google Search - Northern France Canoe Clubs
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