Surf Hossegor - The Surf School Option

France is well known for its fine wines, great food, some of the world's best beach breaks and a relaxed atmosphere amongst the pine forest covered sand dunes.

The deep Bay of Biscay funnels North Atlantic swells straight onto the sand banks of Hossegor, Biarritz and Anglet. Combine this with warm year round temperatures, France is a must for any surfer, of any level.

The beaches around Hossegor and Capbreton are kept immaculate and they play host to major surfing competitions throughout the year, including the Quiksilver Pro Event, held every September. The area around Hossegor is also the hub of the European surf industry. With plenty of factory outlets for companies like Billabong, Quicksilver and Rip Curl, a trip shopping is a must.

Itinerary / Highlights

Your guesthouse is a short drive from the famous waves of Hossegor and Capbreton. This region has produced some of Europe's best surfers and for a good reason, the waves here are fantastic. Beach breaks like Capbreton, VVF and La Nord offer surfers of all levels the chance to get some great waves.

Backed by long sand dunes, the beaches in this region are constantly regenerated with sand, which in turn creates good sand banks. These sand banks form waves which break in the same place and with more consistency than normal. Making France, in particular Hossegor and Capbreton, an ideal place to learn to surf and improve.

On any day it is possible to watch some world class surfing on any of the beach breaks. The likes of Mikey Picon and Jérémy Flores grew up with the strong surf club contest scene found in Hossegor and Capebreton.

All the surfing instructors are qualified FFS Fédération Française de Surf professionals. This French surfing federation accreditation ensures that you are taught by qualified surf instructors using proven teaching techniques and that all the courses follow the latest safety guidelines for accredited surf schools.

The FFS is governed by the French ministry of sports and is a European Surfing Federation and International Surfing Association member.

EFDS The surf school is also a member of the École Française de Surf the governing body for accredited surf schools in France. The French system is considered to be one of the best in the world and teaches to a higher standard than those qualified under the English system.

The instructors have years of experience as surfers & surfing instructors and are accustomed to coaching at different levels. They have all the necessary skills & experience to help beginners to progress to a level where they can become independent surfers and to help intermediate surfers improve their skills. The instructors are multi-lingual & speak French as well as a good level of Spanish and English.

Surfing in FranceThe surf lessons and surf courses have a low student to instructor ratio for safety and to ensure you get the attention you need on dry land and in the water. The training program is specifically developed to guarantee success in surfing and includes, muscle specific exercises surfing different wave types and surfing indifferent conditions. This will help you develop confidence and improve your surfing.

Course outline for beginner surfers:
• Maneuvering the board
• Positioning and paddling
• Sitting on your board and turning techniques
• Duck diving techniques
• Paddling out
• Catching broken waves or white water
• Catching 'green waves' to shore
• Standing up on the surfboard
• Surfing safety and priority rules

Besides the practical aspects mentioned above you will also learn the theory you need to understand wave types, swell and wind conditions, currents & rips, the difference between reef, point and shore breaks, etc.

Intermediate lessons are aimed at those who have surfed before or followed a beginner course at some time. The focus of this group is on your individual surfing. Once you have learnt how to take off on a wave, you start to develop your own style and this is when timely error correction will ensure that your surfing develops quickly and properly.
Learn and practice the bottom turn, start to aim for the top section of a wave, finding the pocket and the cut back.

Course outline for intermediate surfers:
• Brief surfer diagnoses
• Quick review of surfing basics
• Techniques for paddling and turning for waves (tricks and tips)
• Priority rules (review)
• How a surfboard works
• Types of waves and approach to apply to each of them
• The 'Bottom turn' and its importance for wave riding success
• The importance of the upper body for bottom turning
• 'Duck dive' techniques
• the 'off the lip'
• the 'cutback'
• General surf maneuvers

Other Details

Accommodation Details

Our accommodation is a recently renovated large house, a short drive from the hustle of the beach. All rooms have an en-suite shower and are either double or twin/triple share. There is a spacious living room, which looks out on to a beautiful garden, ideal for evening BBQ's. The large comfortable sofas are perfect for lounging on and listening to the vast selection of music, videos, DVD's and Cable channels.

We also have a small library for you to enjoy. The dining room, which comfortably seats ten, has a big central table, a magnificent fireplace and old wooden floors.

We also have a room full of cardiovascular exercise equipment and some free weights for those with some energy left after surfing!

For those wishing to re-charge, your live-in hosts are both fully qualified sports therapists and sports masseurs, with well over 18 years experience between them. On offer are relaxing massages, reflexology and shiatsu - an ideal way to unwind after a hard day at the beach.