Plomeur – La Torche

Plomeur · Finistère Sud · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Plomeur – La Torche (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-torche.

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La Torche is the best-known surf spot in Brittany: a huge, 2 km west-facing sand beach running north from the rocky Pointe de la Torche, getting waves almost every day, with lefts and rights along sandbanks that shift through the seasons. On a good day rides run well past 150 m, and it holds solid swell of 3 m and more. A channel by the point, the 'ascenseur' (lift), makes the paddle out easy but can carry you far out, and with strong rips and currents along the beach it suits confident surfers, though schools teach on the gentler inside on small days. It is very busy when it works.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Packed
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
Shortboard or a slightly fuller step-up for winter swells; mid-lengths and longboards only on the smaller, softer days.

When it works

✓ A 1–2.5 m WSW to WNW swell with a light E to SE wind, from mid to high tide on the rising tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Onshore westerlies, or a storm swell over about 4 m, when the sandbanks close out and the bay turns into a maze of currents; summer often brings long flat spells.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • currents
  • rocks
  • crowds
  • localism

Best months

January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December

Local tips

Use the current by the point to get out, but never fight it to get back in: paddle away from the rocks towards the beach and let the whitewater bring you in. Rights near the point usually finish in the current, so a few strokes put you back in the line-up, while a long left can carry you far down the beach, where it is easier to walk back to the point than to paddle. Sunny weekends and summer holidays bring a very busy line-up, so aim for weekdays or a dawn high tide. In July and August stay out of the swimming zone marked by blue flags.

Getting there

From Quimper head for Pont-l'Abbé and Plomeur, follow the D785 towards Penmarc'h and turn off to the Pointe de la Torche, where a large car park is a few minutes' walk from the sand. There are toilets, showers and a lifeguard post in summer, with surf schools, shops and places to eat nearby. The dunes are a protected Natura 2000 site, so stay on the marked paths.

History

La Torche made its name in windsurfing. It hosted funboard World Cup events from the 1980s to the mid-1990s, most famously in May 1986, when a stormy contest was shown live on FR3 and local rider Patrice Belbeoc'h beat Robby Naish in the slalom in front of a huge crowd. The PWA world tour came back in 2014 and 2016. Since the 2000s surfers have mostly taken over, and the beach now hosts national surf events such as the Open de France de shortboard.

Travel notes

How often it works
Brittany's swell magnet: it faces straight into the Atlantic and catches waves on around 150 days a year. It can handle swell of 4 m and more. Wind is the main problem: even in March, its best month, it is more often messy than clean, and summer has flat spells.
Crowd and vibe
Quiet on winter weekdays, but packed on sunny weekends and in the holidays. Then 100–200 surfers, bodyboarders and other riders can share the bay, plus several surf schools near the beach. Locals help keep things polite; take turns and stay out of the swimming zone.
Camping and vans
Camping de la Torche in Plomeur is about 1.5 km from the beach. It is open April to September and has motorhome pitches. Next to the point, free van parking has about 20 places and no services; users report a 24-hour limit and fines for vans in the coach bays. Nearest campsite about 2 km away.
Facilities
There are toilets, showers, drinking water, a summer lifeguard post, and a bar and crêperie by the car park. Surf schools include Twenty Nine École de Surf de Bretagne (since 1994, with a surf shop), Rise Up Surf Club and La Torche Surf School.
Water quality
The ARS rated La Torche's water excellent every year from 2022 to 2025.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WSW–WNW best, SSW–NNW works
Size
1–2.5 m offshore swell; starts at 0.5 m, holds to 4 m
Period
7 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore ENE–ESE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid, high best, on the rising tide
Faces
W (265°)

Live cam

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

In the guides

Nearby spots

All spots in Finistère Sud · All spots

Sources