Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez – Sion

Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez · Vendée · France

Today’s forecast: the current surf forecast for Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez – Sion (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/sion-demoiselles.

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Off the Corniche at Sion-sur-l'Océan, a left breaks over flat rock slabs and, on its few good days, can peel for 150 to 300 metres or more. It needs a solid swell to start and rarely breaks, perhaps only a handful of days a year, mostly in winter. When it does, the long, ordinary-to-hollow walls suit longboarders and experienced surfers who are comfortable over rock. It is rarely crowded.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Reef break, rock
Waves
Lefts
Crowd
Some company
Season
autumn, winter, spring
Boards
A longboard for the long walls, or a shortboard when it is more hollow.

When it works

✓ A clean west swell of one and a half metres or more with a south-east to east wind, from mid to high tide.

When it doesn't

✕ Small swells do not wake it up and low tide leaves the slabs too shallow.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • reef
  • rips

Best months

January, February, March, October, November, December

Local tips

This is a winter, big-swell spot: watch for a solid westerly groundswell combined with a south-east wind, which is offshore on this stretch. Surf it from mid tide upwards and leave before the slabs start to show. The Corniche coves nearby are also rocky, so plan your exit before paddling out.

Getting there

The spot is in Sion itself, along the Corniche coast road between Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez and Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, with almost no walk from the road.

Travel notes

How often it works
It rarely breaks; wannasurf estimates about five days a year. It needs a solid winter west swell and a south-east wind.
Crowd and vibe
It is rarely crowded, but the few good days draw local longboarders. Wait your turn.
Camping and vans
Camping La Padrelle is about 2 km away. Camping Les Chouans and Camping Le Château in Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez are about 2.5 km. Nearest campsite about 2 km away.
Facilities
Sion has cafés and shops along the Corniche. The nearby Riez and Les Pineaux beaches have summer lifeguards, and Les Pineaux has toilets.
Water quality
The nearest monitoring point, Riez, was rated good every season from 2022 to 2025, and all ten 2026 samples were good.

Ideal conditions

Swell
W–WNW best, SW–NW works
Size
1.3–2.5 m offshore swell; starts at 1 m, holds to 3 m
Period
10 s minimum, best from 13 s
Wind
Offshore NE–SE; handles onshore up to 12 km/h
Tide
mid, high best, avoid low
Faces
W (266°)

Live cam

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

Nearby spots

All spots in Vendée · All spots

Sources