Les Conches/Bud Bud surf guide
Surf: The breaks of Longeville offer hollow, powerful waves quite similar to those found in Landes and likewise depend on sandbanks formation. Most people surf Les Conches because it is closest to the parking lot, and can be an easier ride with more wall than tube. Walk south towards Bud-Bud for more power and increasingly hollow peaks that get meaner with size on the shallower sandbars. Handles overhead plus and the higher tide walls walls can taper off through channels giving good length of ride. Even further south is La Terrière, where the smart surfers go to avoid the regular crowds that blow out in summer.
Directions: N to S is :
Les Conches
Bud Bud
La Terrière
Walk on the beach or forest
Environment: Big campsite, surf school and high consistency waves conspire to make this spot a real scene with all abilities and types of surfcraft.
Surf: General: The golden stretch of beachbreaks between Longville and La Tranche is a little snap shot of what Les Landes to the south offers. Dune backed peaks varying from mellow and crusiey to hollow and punchy, depending on the banks, accessed via a series of those classic beach cuts throughs on the edge of the pines that let you know you're in France. Les Conches can get busy as there's a big car park nearby, but can be a good indicator for what's happening at the rest of the Longville beaches. Works through the tides, high can often be more walling. Heading south towards Bud Bud the banks pick up more swell, serving up greater consistency and punch per inch. Further south La Terriere has a good vibe and often good banks plus beach parking. In huge swells and higher tides La Pointe du Grouin (Le Phare) can offer up some fun long rights.
Tides: Works through the tides, often more walling at higher tides.
Size: Waist high to overhead
Wind: E, NE
Swell: NW to SW
Bottom: Sandbanks
Paddling: Can get rippy when big.
Spot Rating: A quality, consistent often powerful stretch of beachbreak, picking up more swell and power to the south.
Access: There's a big beachside carpark at Les Conches which contributes to crowds... walk along the beach or through the pines to explore south.
Crowds: Crowd Factor: Popular. There's a big campsite and carpark close to Les Conches which contributes to the crowds as does the consistency of the waves on offer.
Local Vibe: Competitive on main peaks, especially when good but fairly easy to seek out less crowded waves along this stretch.
Environment: Good, the water often looks green and cloudy.
Hazards: Rips when big.
Season: September - February is the most consistent time here.. early Autumn the water and air temps are still warm then, as winter kicks in the size and power of swell does too.