Kite-surf Saint Aygulf

Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert Type: Ocean Water type: Shallow, Chop, Small wave Water hazards: Wave breaker Water quality: Clean Infos: Mediterranean Sea, no tide, no current. Always a bit choppy, short waves with East wind, and shore break. Bigger waves with onshore wind, not easy. Shallow parts. Beach type & size: Sand - Medium Infos: Soft sandy beach, no shells, no pebbles, no rocks. Some parts wide enough to launch and land a kite. Actually this is the first beach wide enough to launch safely a kite going west from the Italian border. The beach is protected by 2 rock pier, making an artificial small bay and a protected start area in shallow water. Very good for beginners. Beachgoer: June, July, August Weather specificities: Water temperatures: 23C in summer, 20C until October, going progressively to 16C in December, the coldest is February with 13C, and then going up starting to be 20C in May. In summary shorty from May to October, long wetsuit in winter. The season is all the year, but cold in February. Wind type: Thermal Wind specificities: 4 major types of winds: 1) thermal wind, called "Ponant", South 10-20 knots, sideonshore, ideal for kitesurfing. Starts at 1-2pm until the evining. 2) East wind, with swell, waves shore break, clouds and maybe rain. Can be strong 25-40 knots. Straight onshore, for experts. Start difficulty in the shore break. 3) West wind, called "Mistral", blue sky, very strong 25-45 knots. Offshore, not for this spot, better go windsurfing in Saint Raphael, 4km away. 4) No wind, in French slang "Petole". Unfortunately too frequent. Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September Access description: by Car, Bus, Train - From Nice airport, take the motorway direction "Aix en Provence", exit "Frejus", follow the sign "Saint Aygulf". When the road reaches the sea, before entering the village of "Saint Aygulf", it is there. Train station: Saint Raphael. From the train station, probably a bus. All people come by car, parking is along the beach, but not too much space if it is warm enough for swimming. Specific rules: Zones Extra: Stay within the special kitesurf zone to the north. Parking lot is free from October to May. Accommodations: Camping, Shop, Shower, Parking