Hossegor, it ain't heavy

Having lived in Capbreton for the last 8 years, I can tell you that the stretch of famous beach breaks has many different faces. The clips that make it onto the web and into surf magazines worldwide are either of the Quiksilver Pro France or of pumping barrel sessions, but there is more to it than just that.

Yes, we are all looking to get slotted all day long but sometimes if you are getting slotted all day, every day, you kind of look forward to something else, some different kind of feelings to have on a wave. You might find yourself longing for a slow right hand point break or a little noseriding session with your mates, its funny how 'the grass is always greener' applies to surfing too. Well, point breaks aside you can get it all here.

Check out some drone footage of a typical fun day with no one out and a medium sized fun swell, just some mates having fun and basically what surfing is all about.

The combination of swell coming straight out of deep water and incredibly groomed sandbars all year round means that regardless of wave size, it is on. The Achilles heel of Hossegor is the wind. If it is on shore, there is no where to hide. A strong westerly wind means a lay day or a trip into Spain where you will find the rest of France also trying to find a sheltered spot.

Hossegor is one of the most difficult places to predict for wave height, quality and just getting it at the right time of day. There is the tide, with up to a massive 7.5 metres between high and low, you could find yourself getting to a high tide bank on low and seeing nothing. The key is to know where and when and that is changing all the time. There is the wave period which can make a perfect forecast on paper turn into an unsurfable mess with huge rips running through the line up. There is swell direction, if it's too west there will be close-outs up and down the beach. Then of course you have the wind and the time of day. Being in France and with their attitude to the working day, long lunches are common and that can make a midday surf a bit crowded.

Having said that, when it is on, there is no where else I would rather be on the planet and as I have already said, the place has many many different faces. The same swell can give you overhead, draining barrels on one tide and cruisey, fat fun on another tide.

Hossegor is also the centre of the surfing world in Europe and has the biggest collection of surf discount and brand shops I have ever seen. Add to that some of the best food and wine on the planet and the possibility of laying on the miles and miles of deep golden beaches and you have yourself a pretty decent surf trip right there.

If you are looking for places to stay, there are quite a few that stand out. If you are looking for a place with less crowds on the peaks but a little bit out of town try Shifting Sands, the governor's name is Paul, a beautiful house with a big garden, you can cook there and they are heavy on the surfing. If you want to be in the centre of the old town and walking distance to all the breaks and shops, check out h2oholidays for a relaxing and all round good time. If you are on more of a budget I would say get in contact with Rob from Hossegor Surf Hostel, they are close to town and the price is unbeatable.

As far as different breaks go, they change all the time such is the nature of sandbars. There are the famous breaks in Capbreton, Hossegor and Seignosse but if you wander a bit off the beaten track (cant tell you where) you can find an A frame peak with no one on it any time of year. Get talking to some locals, they are pretty friendly and if you don't mind a hike it could be the most worth while conversation you have ever had.

If you are looking to buy boards, second hand or new, just watch this space, we will be covering that one soon.