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)
  • Port de l'Auberlac'h
    • Port de l'Auberlac'h - Ile de Tibidy 17 km video, video
    • 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
    • Rade de Brest Run (Brest Bay Maison Blanche - Moulin Blanc) 10 km, Downwindfunvideo, video2
    • 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
• Ploudalmézeau - various windy beaches
  • Plage des Trois Moutons - Kerouartz 16 km
  • Portsall video
  • ….

• 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

Coaches/Clubs/Lessons

• Barrachou Paddle 4 Rue de Lesneven, 29880 Guissény
• Canoe Kayak Club Brestois
• Finistere Surfski Festival for beginners to intermediate
• 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

Downwinders

• Bray-Dunes, France - Nieuwpoort, Belgium 16+ km
• ….

• Mers les Bains Run [Mers les Bains - Cayeux sur Mer] 16 km Downwindable.com
• Plage de Stella - Plage d'Hardelot 20 kmDownwindfun

Resources

• Glisse Sensations Mers (Facebook)
• Kayak club Baie de Phoques (Seal Bay)

Clubs/Groups

• Le Canoë Kayak Presqu'île Côte d'Amour

Dealers/Equipment

• Direct Sailing Nordic Kayak Surfskis
• …

Downwinders

• Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
  • Le Perrey - Le Becquet approx. 7-8 km
    • (equivalent) Plage de Collignon - Port de Fermanville video
  • Querqueville - l'Anse du Brick approx. 14.5 km video
  • Plage d'Urville - Plage de Collignon ~12-13 km (ship traffic from harbor?) video
• 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

Dealers/Equipment

• Canoe Shop Dives-sur-Mer

Resources

• Kayak Club Cotentin Cherbourg
• Kayak le Havre Ocean
• Surfski in Normandie Video

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?)
      • OC downwinding in river mouth video
      • Surfski video
    • Navigation
  • Socoa - Anglet ~13 km video
• Bay of Txngudi (Chingoudy)
  • Hondarribia (Spain) or Hendaye- Fort de Socoa 10 km video
  • Hondarribia (Spain) or Hendaye - Géthary 16 km video
• …

Surf

• Bay of Txngudi (Chingoudy) video, video2 border of France/Spain at the mouth of Bidasoa river
• Biscarosse SUP surfing, Wave Yaking
• …

Dealers

• Ozone Europe Guéthary, France, OCs, Kai Wa'a Surfskis
• Woo Outriggers
• …

Races in France