La Gravière (Hossegor) Surf Season
Landes, France · part of the La Gravière (Hossegor) spot guide
The prime window is autumn, September and October, when three things line up: the summer-built sandbanks are at their most organized before winter tears them apart, the North Atlantic storm engine wakes up and fires west-northwest groundswell into Biscay, and autumn high pressure brings light east offshores and warm-ish water. It is exactly why the Quiksilver Pro France was permanently moved to La Gravière and run in late September and early October.
Winter brings the biggest swell but stormier wind, colder water and constantly reshuffling banks, so quality is hit or miss; summer is small and crowded.
Where the swell comes from
The engine is the North Atlantic storm track — deep lows tracking across Biscay toward northwest Europe, and occasionally ex-tropical systems going extratropical near the Azores, sending long-period west-northwest groundswell that the canyon delivers to the banks almost unfiltered.
Historic swells at La Gravière (Hossegor)
Storm Hercules
A roughly 933 mb super-low covering nearly the whole Atlantic drove record Biscay swell, maxing out and closing the open Landes beaches while lighting the sheltered spots.
The final Quik Pro France
Energy from ex-Hurricane Lorenzo going extratropical near the Azores delivered a long-period west-to-northwest pulse; Jeremy Flores won — the first French winner and the last-ever Quik Pro France.
Barrels for the Pro
The Quiksilver Pro France ran heats in pumping hollow La Gravière surf, Mick Fanning taking his fourth title.