Surf Forecast Les Cavaliers
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Les Cavaliers surfspot characteristics
More about Les Cavaliers surfspot
Peak summer/autumn season often sees over 100 surfers in the water, looking for tubes rivalling those of Hossegor or simply something to surf when everywhere else is flat. Handles stronger swells that focus nicely through the rivermouth and unfurl over the outer banks at low tide, before edging inside and ending up as proper shore-dump for a couple of hours at high.
General: Cavaliers is one of the Cote Basque's premier beachbreaks. Primed to convert any westerly swell, the banks here regularly produce a grinding A-frame with hollow, fast lefts and rights. The quality is probably due to its proximity to the rivermouth and the fact that this stretch of sand, continuing for five kilometers south to VVF Anglet, has been compartmentalized into bite sized beaches, conveniently segmented by sandbar-marshalling breakwaters. Cavaliers sits next to the site of the now defunct wave of La Barre, just to the south of the mouth of the river Adour. One of the first French waves to come to international fame, it was destroyed by the construction of a concrete block jetty. Tides: low to medium high Size: shoulder high to double overhead Wind: E, SE Swell: NW, W Bottom: Sand Paddling: Average most days but can be a lot of work when it is pumping. Spot Rating: Rippable beachbreak peaks.
Intermediate to advanced
Simple.
October-February but rideable year-round.
Crowd Factor: Skilled local crew. Local Vibe: Cavaliers is a really compressed peak, with enough good surfers who know each other to remind you you're a visitor.
The paddling channel beside the jetty provides easy access, allowing intermediates to find themselves out of their depth when it gets big. When it is small, there's lots of surf school action and aggressive crowds bickering over the pretty A-frames. Still gets rippy, despite the jetty shelter and that lovely Adour river water is always present. Walking south towards ‘Les Dunes’ may yield good results. Regularly hosts large international contests. Height restricted parking lot fills up quickly in summer.
Moderate
Rip Currents.