Prohibited beaches, canceled surf lessons… Before the arrival of the cyclonic swell, Lacanau holds his breath

EIt was invited as a dreaded subject in a family meal. We talk about it on the terrace, on the sand, at the foot of the emergency stations. This Monday, August 25, in Lacanau, the alert for the cyclonic swell phenomenon is everywhere. With each board, each combination that we put on, a small remark and a large opinion. The ocean approaches an appointment that excites and worried at the same time, because the swell is announced this Tuesday, August 26 at the start of the afternoon: a fairly rare phenomenon which promises to be massive, in a resort which has not forgotten the damage of storms from January to March 2014, which made Lacanau an emblem of the erosion of the coast.

Waves of 4 to 6 meters depending on the hour, inflated off the Atlantic by Hurricane Erin. On the beach, two young people compare forecasts on their phone. Specialized sites open and close at full speed. Here, everyone has their reference. But all read the same thing: the size, a lot, but above all an “exceptional period” and “very long”: twenty seconds between two waves. The figure comes back in a loop. An eternity for the one waiting offshore, but a power marker for the formation of waves. Because the more the period stretches, the more the wave swells, gains in energy and releases its strength all at once. On the Girondin sand benches, this surplus of intensity may strike without nuance.

Delicate equation

Behind the scenes, the authorities also prepare their device. This Monday morning, a special meeting was held in Lacanau town hall – like all over Girondin seaside resorts. Mayor Laurent Peyrondet signed a municipal decree prohibiting access to not monitored beaches – three of the seven beaches in the town. The Gironde prefecture calls on its side to vigilance in the face of this risk “baïnes” and “submersion waves”, but no prefectural decree for the moment.

“It’s exciting, but you have to remain vigilant”

On the monitored beaches, the decision therefore returns to the rescuers. The latter will hoist the red flag according to the conditions and the crowds, on the orders of the beach chief and the posts of post. The responsibility on the sand is however placed under the authority of the mayor, who can also restrict the access of the sites this time monitored, and therefore the swimming. But the equation is delicate: to ban swimming is also to take the risk that some will go to the water elsewhere, in areas neither monitored nor adapted.

“Not good news”

“Waves like that?” No, it’s insurfable. It’s crap. In the premises of the Lacanau Surf School, perched above the dune since 1968, a regular does not mince words. Behind the counter, Jeanne confirms. “We canceled most of the lessons for this Tuesday. If the rescuers pass the red flag, they warn us. Then, it is up to us to decide and assess the conditions, ”explains this club employee. Lacanau Surf Info, Windguru, Surfline… The young woman speaks without letting go of the specialized sites. The cards parade, the colors darken: “I look every hour. »»

Same speech a few meters away, at the level of the Point Surf school. Hugo Bordas, the young manager also canceled. “We have five lessons for eight people to move. It represents 320 euros per group, so necessarily for us, this is not good news […]. But it is believed that there is nothing to do. It is dangerous and, in any case, these are waves impossible to surf. »»

A few hours before the first big waves, all eyes are now turned to opening or closing decisions. If the red flag is hoisted, schools can still give lessons, but only outside the prohibited areas. On the other hand, if the beach is closed, then no one puts a foot in the water, with or without a board.

However, not all plan to stay on the sand to observe the spectacle. Nathan, the little thirties, puts on her combination with a mixture of excitement and prudence. “I know it’s big, that it can be dangerous. But I cannot fail to try, ”says this premises. The call of the ocean and the big waves: “We will see directly when arriving. If it goes, I try it. But I think we will quickly be fixed. His gaze oscillates between the ocean and the forecasts on his phone. Even experienced, he knows that the episode will be a test of patience and respect for the ocean. “It’s exciting, but you have to stay vigilant. »»