Biarritz - surf spot statistics

Best Surf Season (October - March)

The heart of winter brings the largest and most consistent swell to Biarritz. With average wave heights between 1.3m and 1.8m and periods averaging 11-13 seconds, the North Atlantic delivers powerful, long period groundswells from the NW and WNW quadrants. A higher frequency of southerly to southwesterly winds, driven by passing low pressure systems, provides clean offshore conditions over 40% of the time in most months. This is when Biarritz truly fires, with classic A-frame peaks and long walls stacking up perfectly on the sandbanks.

Fair Surf Season (April & September)

These shoulder months offer a mix of smaller but still rideable swell, averaging 1.1-1.2m with periods around 10-11 seconds. The transition between seasons means more variable wind patterns. While the chance of perfect offshore conditions is lower (around 29%), windows of Southerly winds often coincide with fun sized waves from the NW. It is an excellent time for intermediate surfers to score uncrowded peaks with a good chance of clean shape under sunny skies.

Low Surf Season (May - August)

Summer sees a dramatic drop in both swell energy and wind quality. Average wave heights hover around 0.9m with shorter periods of 9-10 seconds, dominated by local windswell and small NW background swell. The predominant winds shift onshore from the NW and NNW, ruining wave face quality. Ideal offshore winds from the south occur less than 20% of the time. While occasional small, fun-sized waves can be found for a longboard or fish, consistent quality surf is rare. It is a time for beach relaxation rather than chasing barrels.

October: The Roar Returns

October sees a sharp jump in average surf height to 1.3m with a period of 11.3s, putting it squarely in the powerful category. The swell is well distributed between WNW (41.2%) and NW (42.1%), and for the first time since spring there are notable waves over 2m (9.3% from WNW in 1.5-2m, plus some 2-2.5m). Ideal wind conditions jump to 42%, driven by increasing southerly and southwesterly winds (S, SSW, SW total over 22%). The North Atlantic storm track activates, sending long period swell pulses every few days. When a strong low sits west of Ireland and a high builds over Spain, Biarritz receives perfect offshore winds and clean, powerful waves. October is arguably the start of the premium surf season, often with warmer water and less crowd than midwinter.