Wingfoil destination in Gruissan!

Located in the heart of the corridors where the tramontane accelerates, Gruissan is bathed by more than 300 days of winds a year. Its laid-back atmosphere and picturesque scenery make it an ideal playground for wingfoil enthusiasts. The many specialty stores on site offer visitors the opportunity to purchase the necessary equipment and benefit from repair services, ensuring a hassle-free experience.

The beach of the chalets

The first must-see on our list, the Plage des Chalets, allows easier access to our second spot which will be the Plage de la Vieille Nouvelle. Les Chalets is the beach that hosts the legendary Défi Wind, which is now divided into Défi Kite and Défi Wing. At Les Chalets, the wind is often quite unstable due to the urbanisation to the wind of the beach, but as soon as you pass on the other side of the seawall… The magic begins. Be careful, in summer, launching is forbidden due to the swimming area. You will have to get into the water in the channels and sail at 300 meters.

The Old News

The spot of La Vieille has been the Mecca of windsurfing for more than 20 years now, well known for the Defi wind. It will allow you to tack more than 10 km in a tramontane wind that can take more than 10 knots between Gruissan and Port-la-Nouvelle. The background with the view of the Canigou… The wild beach… In short, a joy. Be careful, for some time now, access to the beach by car is no longer possible, or very risky (we are talking about a fine of 1500 euros). It now has to be accessed differently, either by the canal or by the Plage des Chalets.

Mateille, it’s small, it’s a pond, there are lots of beginners and a school, but it feels good! The spot is terribly windy and unstable in the tramontana, but as soon as the “grec”, the wind that comes from the south, comes in, the spot becomes legendary. The sessions are a kind of gathering of buddies with the same passion.

At the Nautique, the wind comes in any direction. The spot is reassuring because it is a pond. A little chop (which can become quite big) will allow you to practice any type of sailing program. Be careful though, at the bottom, the pond has long been the “garbage dump” of Narbonne, the atmosphere is with stone blocks and broken tiles on the water’s edge (it depends on where you get in the water).

Mediterranean winds can be strong and erratic, challenging even experienced practitioners. Depending on your level of expertise, there are two approaches to choosing your wing foil equipment:

For experienced practitioners:

Opt for a variety of equipment, favouring small boards and foils adapted to big conditions. As an example, the SROKA team recommends a 4’6″ or 4’8″ Superfly, 3.4 and 5m² V3 wings, a 14mm foil Elite with carbon fuselage, 180cm² stabilizer and three fins to adapt to all conditions, preferably small ones.

For practitioners in progress:

Choose equipment that you are familiar with, remaining aware of potentially strong and unstable conditions. Safety is paramount, especially at sea with offshore winds.