Île de Noirmoutier - Barbâtre, France
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About Île de Noirmoutier - Barbâtre
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces SW (229°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (49°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 33.3 km out (1 in 3333). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 10°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 19°C in July, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7; in July and August, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Barbâtre, 0.8 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 17°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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Book the trip
From Chicago: about 17 h 15 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE), changing at Dublin Airport (DUB). About 8 flights a week that month.
See flights ORD → NTE · Skyscanner from about £400 returnAdGetting there. 1 h 10 from the airport to Île de Noirmoutier - Barbâtre.
Accommodation.
Stay in BarbâtreAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Barbâtre (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Barbâtre 1 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 3 places to stay · where Île de Noirmoutier - Barbâtre stays
Places to stay in Barbâtre · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Barbâtre · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Barbâtre · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Île de Noirmoutier - Barbâtre on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for intermediates | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 34, too small | 2 ft9 ssoft | 86kJ | offshorewind from the north-north-east, 11 knots, offshore | 15°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 28, too small | 2 ft14 ssoft | 140kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 11 knots, offshore | 14°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 48, good | 4 ft11 ssoft | 297kJ | wind from the north-west, 8 knots | 14°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 6, poor | 4 ft8 smushy | 244kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 26 knots | 15°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 0, too big | 9 ft8 smushy | 851kJ | wind from the south-west, 16 knots | 16°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 6, poor | 5 ft14 smushy | 786kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 31 knots | 14°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 0, too big | 7 ft8 smushy | 715kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 17 knots | 15°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 0, too big | 7 ft10 smushy | 893kJ | wind from the west, 20 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 0, too big | 8 ft8 smushy | 718kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 15 knots | 16°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 0, too big | 8 ft9 smushy | 938kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 17 knots | 16°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly ORD to NTE, changing at DUB, then 1h 10 by road. About 17h 15 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Île de Noirmoutier - Barbâtre
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 11 s, wind 8 kn (15 km/h).
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 16 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 18 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly ORD to NTE, changing at DUB, then 1h 10 by road. About 17h 15 door to door
Rough cost
About £1,120–£2,090 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to NTE, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £400–£835 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £105–£175 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £255–£425 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £240–£445 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £85–£145 |
| Total | £1,120–£2,090 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Barbâtre
- La Mano NoirmoutierPancake house · 0.7 km from the centre
- Citron mer0.6 km from the centre
Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
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