Oléron – Les Boulassiers

La Brée-les-Bains · Charente-Maritime · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Oléron – Les Boulassiers (wave height, swell, wind, tide and a 0–10 rating for every hour of the next 16 days) are only shown on SurfCams. They change every hour, so this text doesn’t contain them. To check today’s surf, open https://surf-cams.com/spot/boulassiers.

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Les Boulassiers is a flat rock reef on Oléron's sheltered north-east shore, just south of La Brée-les-Bains towards the Douhet harbour. Large north-west swells wrap around the tip of the island and peel down the reef as long, slow lefts, with the occasional right further from the point. The wave has little power, so it suits longboards and relaxed surfers, and it is a refuge when big storm swells make the west coast unmanageable. It works only a handful of times a year, and the few surfers who know it all turn up when it does.

Level
Beginners
Break
Reef break, rock
Waves
Lefts
Crowd
Some company
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A longboard or a high-volume mid-length; there is too little push for a shortboard or a bodyboard.

When it works

✓ A large north-west to north swell, two metres or more offshore, with a south-west wind, on the rising tide towards high.

When it doesn't

✕ Small or south-west swells, which do not wrap in, and north to east winds, which are onshore on this coast.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • reef

Best months

January, February, March, October, November, December

Local tips

Check it when the west coast is big and messy, ideally on the push towards high tide when there is enough water over the flat rocks. The left runs a long way on good days, so take a board that keeps you moving through the soft sections. One surfer likened it to a gentle, easy version of the Impossibles reef in Bali.

Getting there

Drive to La Brée-les-Bains on the island's north-east coast and head for the Boulassiers beach, south of the point; there is free roadside parking close to the break and the walk is only a few minutes. There are no lifeguards.

Travel notes

How often it works
It is a very sheltered reef that only works on a big north-west swell or a small west storm, so it is rare. Summer is mostly flat.
Crowd and vibe
It very rarely gets crowded. On the few days it works, expect a handful of locals.
Camping and vans
Camping Les Payolles and Camping Club de France La Gautrelle in Saint-Georges-d'Oléron are about 4 km away. Nearest campsite about 4 km away.
Facilities
There is free roadside parking but no lifeguards. The main beach in La Brée-les-Bains has toilets, showers and a summer lifeguard post.
Water quality
The La Brée-les-Bains monitoring point was rated good every season from 2022 to 2025, and all ten 2026 samples were good.

Ideal conditions

Swell
NW–N best, WNW–NNE works
Size
1.2–2.2 m offshore swell; starts at 1 m, holds to 2.8 m
Period
10 s minimum, best from 13 s
Wind
Offshore S–W; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid best, on the rising tide
Faces
NE (44°)

Live cam

No cam at this spot yet: the forecast and the guide are on the map.

Nearby spots

All spots in Charente-Maritime · All spots

Sources