Cap Ferret & Le Verdon · France
Surfing Le Mascaret
A tidal bore in Cap Ferret & Le Verdon, France, for intermediate and advanced surfers.
Le Mascaret is a tidal bore, not a swell wave: on the biggest spring tides, the incoming tide pushes a wave up the Dordogne and Garonne rivers, upstream of the Gironde estuary, against the current. The best-known places to ride it are around Saint-Pardon on the Dordogne and Podensac and Cadillac on the Garonne.
You can ride it for a long time, sometimes several kilometres, but there's only one wave per tide, so timing is everything. Check the tide tables, a coefficient above about 90 is usually needed, and get in the water before it arrives. Most people use a longboard.
When to surf
Le Mascaret
Le Mascaret is at its best from year-round (tide-dependent). Conditions it likes: Tide-driven, not swell-driven.
October to March: Prime
Consistent, powerful groundswell, quiet off-season
April to June: Good
Reliable swell, milder crowds
July to August: Quiet
Smaller swell, busy beaches, Lacanau Pro in August
The year across Gironde
Waves near Le Mascaret
Getting there
Where to stay: Cap Ferret is upmarket, with oyster villages on the bay side and holiday houses among the pines; it's expensive in summer. Le Verdon, at the mouth of the Gironde, and Montalivet are quieter and cheaper, with campsites and simple holiday rentals.
Transport, costs, where to stay and the rest of the waves in the area are in the Cap Ferret & Le Verdon guide.
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