La Salie Sud – Wharf

La Teste-de-Buch · Gironde · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for La Salie Sud – Wharf (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/la-salie-sud.

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La Salie Sud is the stretch of La Salie around the wharf, a long elevated pipeline running out to sea that discharges the treated effluent of the Arcachon basin's treatment plants. The most reliable banks of La Salie tend to form beside the wharf, giving hollow, fast and powerful lefts and rights, with more banks further south towards the old blockhaus. It is more technical than La Salie Nord and the current along the beach can be strong. Water quality is the big drawback: surfers regularly report discoloured, foul-smelling water near the outfall.

Level
Advanced
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Busy
Season
spring, autumn, winter
Boards
A shortboard or bodyboard; bring a step-up for solid winter swells.

When it works

✓ A west to north-west swell of 1.5–2 m with an east to north-east wind on the rising tide, low to mid.

When it doesn't

✕ Onshore wind, high tide, or after periods when the outfall water is visibly brown or foamy.

Watch out for

  • currents
  • rips
  • pollution
  • crowds

Best months

March, April, May, September, October, November

Local tips

The banks right beside the wharf work most often, so expect company there when it is good, and walk south towards the blockhaus for a quieter peak. Swimming near the outfall is in theory banned, and surfers who report getting ill here advise short sessions and not swallowing water, especially on the rising tide when the plume can drift onto the beach. Do not jump off the wharf without checking the depth with local fishermen.

Getting there

Follow the D218 south from La Teste towards Biscarrosse past the La Salie Nord turn-off; the old road to the wharf is a small forest road on the right, followed by a walk of 15–30 minutes through the dunes. Since the forest fires, parking on the wharf forest road has been banned at times and surfers have had to walk about 40 minutes from the La Salie Nord car park, so check the current access before going.

Travel notes

How often it works
The banks by the wharf work most often, but the sand moves quickly, so quality varies a lot.
Crowd and vibe
It is usually empty. When it is good, expect company right by the wharf, and walk south for a quieter peak.
Camping and vans
Camping Panorama du Pyla is about 6.5 km away, and Camping du Lac in Cazaux is about 8 km. Nearest campsite about 6.5 km away.
Facilities
There are no facilities. Access is a long walk through the dunes, and parking on the wharf road has been banned at times since the forest fires.
Water quality
We found no official monitoring here, and swimming near the outfall is banned. Wannasurf warns that the wharf releases polluted water, and some surfers report getting ill, so keep sessions short.

Ideal conditions

Swell
W–NW best, SW–NNW works
Size
1.2–2.5 m offshore swell; starts at 0.8 m, holds to 3.2 m
Period
9 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore NE–ESE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid best, avoid high, on the rising tide
Faces
WSW (258°)

Live cam

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

Nearby spots

All spots in Gironde · All spots

Sources