Sciotot

Les Pieux · Normandie · France

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The Anse de Sciotot is a wide sandy bay between the Flamanville and Rozel capes, where Normandy's first surfers paddled out in 1964. It is a regular, fun beach break with lefts and rights on westerly swell, short rides on normal days and longer ones when the sandbanks line up. It is a good place to start in small swell but can hold quite big waves, and local guides rate it better than Siouville on many days and a notch below Le Rozel. It is the pick when the wind is from the north, while Siouville is the call in southerly wind.

Level
Beginners
Break
Beach break, sand
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Some company
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
Foamies and longboards in small summer surf, shortboards and mid-lengths from autumn to spring.

When it works

✓ A W to NW swell of 1–2.5 m with E to NE wind, around mid tide on the rising tide.

When it doesn't

✕ South to south-west wind, which blows onshore here (go to Siouville), a summer flat spell, or a winter swell big enough to break all at once.

Watch out for

  • rips
  • currents

Best months

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

Local tips

It works on all tides, but the rising tide is usually preferred. North and north-east winds suit it best, so it is the counterpart to Siouville, which works in southerly wind. The southern part of the bay towards Le Rozel, called Le Grand Large, is a quieter mid-to-high-tide peak near the campsite. Weekdays are often empty, but sunny summer weekends draw beginners.

Getting there

From Les Pieux follow the signs to Sciotot; there are several car parks behind the beach, a few minutes' walk away. A surf school started in 2021 by local surfer Gabriel Brot works from a small hut in the main car park.

History

Normandy's first surfers paddled out at Sciotot in 1964, and surfing spread along the coast from the 1970s.

Travel notes

How often it works
A regular, fairly consistent beach break from autumn to spring. It is open to west and north-west swell and best in north to north-east wind, so it works when Siouville does not. Like the rest of the coast it is mostly flat in summer; surf-forecast names April as the most reliable month.
Crowd and vibe
Empty on most weekdays, but busy on sunny weekends and in summer, mostly with beginners, says wannasurf. Surf-forecast says it rarely gets too busy, even with good waves. Local surfers are said to welcome newcomers.
Camping and vans
The 5-star Camping Le Grand Large has direct access to Sciotot beach, a heated indoor pool and a bar. It is open from about mid-April to late September and accepts motorhomes. Le Ranch at Le Rozel is at the south end of the same bay. Nearest campsite about 1 km away.
Facilities
Several car parks back the beach, and a surf school works from a hut in the main one. Les Pieux runs a summer lifeguard post, and the beach is also used for land-sailing.
Water quality
Les Pieux – Sciotot was rated excellent by ARS Normandie for the 2025 season.

Ideal conditions

Swell
WSW–WNW best, SW–NW works
Size
1–2.5 m offshore swell; starts at 0.6 m, holds to 3.5 m
Period
7 s minimum, best from 11 s
Wind
Offshore NE–ESE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid best, on the rising tide
Faces
WSW (252°)

Live cam

Cams © their operators, shown from the operator's own feed.

Nearby spots

All spots in Normandie · All spots

Sources