Saint-Marc – La Courance

Saint-Nazaire (Saint-Marc-sur-Mer) · Loire-Atlantique · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Saint-Marc – La Courance (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/saint-nazaire-la-courance.

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A wide curve of sand framed by low cliffs at the eastern end of the Saint-Marc shore, in Saint-Nazaire, looking out over the mouth of the Loire. Most of the time it gives small, short lefts and rights close to the sand, with a few scattered rocks and a slightly tidier peak near the point. It only comes alive when a decent swell pushes into the estuary, and with real size at high tide it becomes a powerful, hollow shorebreak loved by skimboarders and bodyboarders and hard on boards. It is a fallback for local surfers rather than a destination.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Some company
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A shortboard or bodyboard at low to mid tide; skimboards and bodyboards own the high-tide shorebreak.

When it works

✓ A south-west swell of about 1–1.5 m or more with a north wind, on a rising low-to-mid tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Small swells leave it flat, south to south-west winds blow straight in, and a big high tide turns it into a heavy closeout shorebreak.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • shorebreak

Best months

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

Local tips

Low to mid tide on the push gives the most surfable peaks; the high-tide shorebreak is for bodyboards and skims. Watch for submerged rocks, especially toward the rocky left-hand end where the backwash bounces off the rocks, and look after your board in the shorebreak. When it closes out at high tide, check the softer Grand Traict rights a little further west.

Getting there

Route du Fort de l'Ève in Saint-Marc-sur-Mer, opposite the campsite, with free parking and a bus stop about 200 m away. It is a Blue Flag beach with lifeguards in July and August, plus toilets and showers.

Travel notes

How often it works
Surf-forecast calls it inconsistent, and winter is the best time. It needs a good groundswell, and wannasurf notes it can work on a north-west swell.
Crowd and vibe
It very rarely gets crowded. Skimboarders love the shorebreak at high tide.
Camping and vans
A campsite sits right across the road from the beach. Nearest campsite about 0.5 km away.
Facilities
In July and August there are lifeguards, toilets and showers, plus free parking and a bus stop nearby.
Water quality
La Courance holds the 2026 Pavillon Bleu. The nearest monitoring point in our data, Porcé, was rated good from 2023 to 2025, after a poor result in 2022.

Ideal conditions

Swell
SSW–WSW best, S–W works
Size
2–4 m offshore swell; starts at 1.5 m, holds to 5 m
Period
10 s minimum, best from 13 s
Wind
Offshore NNW–NE; handles onshore up to 15 km/h
Tide
low, mid best, on the rising tide
Faces
SSE (165°)

Live cam

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

Nearby spots

All spots in Loire-Atlantique · All spots

Sources