Does anyone know what the kiting is like in France and Italy around july and August?
I am considering taking my 9m North Rebel and board with me but it's a lot of stuff to carry around if the wind is no good.
Try the south of Corsica and north of Sardinia, probably most consistent wind in that period, all flat water or small waves only problem is getting there, ... Ferries from Livorno, and Genua are cheapest.
Top places just to hang out as well
Great conditions in the summer around the coast of Brittany, France. The coast north of Morlaix and the coast surrounding Lannion in particular are fantastic for wind sports. Crepes and cider will keep you going.:D
this is what most french beaches look like in summer: 
kiting is forbidden at most beaches in south france.
there is no wind, nearly never more than 15 knots, so you won't do much with a 9m. you would need a 14 to start doing something
most kiters go overseas for the summer.
I've been to Brittany and corsica a lot of times, it's good in spring and fall not in summer. in corsica I use to have 20 meter kite.
good wind in european summer are in greece and spain
If you want some really nice conditions in euro summer, go check Portugal or south of Spain. I think you can also have some good conditions in Leucate (south of France) but very strong and gusty or pretty light...
enjoy
Leave your stuff at home.
99% of the beaches on the tourist trail, you will find too busy and the wind is super light. 0-20 knots max. Sometimes its a vacuum...
There are some hard to find beaches with valleys that will draw a 15knot seabreeze if the weather systems are lined up correctly. You will need to keep a close eye on the weather. It can radically change every 6 hours.
Its normally sirocco wind during July August so stick to the east coast of where ever you head for.
take your kite !cause if you don't it'll blow its arse off the whole time you're there
Here's a few spots:
France:
I can't comment on kiting the west coast of France, but as Enicao said kiting along the South of France is limited due to the crowds on the beaches in summer. The winds are mostly offshore July/August, but there are some spots, like:
Beauduc (South East of Santies Maries De La Mer)
Les Leques (East of La Ciotat)
Italy:
Sardinia – The bay just west of Porto Pollo (Absolutely beautiful spot! Lots of kites, but the beach is big enough that you can find space)
Pellaro (Right on the tip of the boot of Italy – The wind really funnels through the channel between Italy and Sicily)
Just North of Livorno
There are more spots around the place, but I would recommend you do your research as most of the beaches are packed with tourists. Don't believe everything you see on the websites that show the 'kite beaches' around the Med, they show lots of spots which aren't kited.
Italy is generally no good for kitesurfing - the beaches are full of deck chairs, it's really quite frustrating, and the topography can work against you as well. I have been to Italy a few times and the best spots are definitely off the beaten track - think Sardinia and Sicily.
I have been to Beauduc in France (as shown above) - twice - it's awesome and has perfect 9m conditions. Only disadvantage is you need a car to get there. It's well off the beaten track (the road is unsealed and heaviliy rutted and potholed) and you need to be completely self sufficient while you are there. When it blows, it blows from sunrise to sunset. It takes 90 minutes to get back to the nearest shop. Last time I was there I drove my Kombi and camped 5m from the water (there are no tides). You drive out through masses of salt pans (it used to be a big salt producing area) and see lots of Flamingos. It basically embodies what I love about Kitesurfing - going on a trek to a new interesting location
As mentioned before the NW corner of France is good too, you get the Atlantic waves and a good sea breeze. However if you go down as far as Bordeaux you get into no wind but good surf.
I have the Wind and Kitesurf guide to Europe so I can scan a few pages from good spots if you like.
If you want to go just for Kitesurfing then Spain and Portugal are good bets, along with the Greek Islands, Paros and Naxos.
Brittany isnt so crowded and much cheaper than the rest of france especially if you camp at the municipal sites and live on crepes and cider. Although some areas of the beaches are closed for kites during the summer so check the sighns. I usually kite around kerhillio, la torche or in a northerly up at one of the beaches on the channel coast. I find the best places are the industral/farming areas as they dont have to many kiters or tourists although people have less english skills. Very high percentage of locals kite here and a lot of germans kite in Brittany in the summer. I would take something bigger than a 9m it can be pretty light during the summer as it isnt hot enough for a decent seabreeze and there arnt many storms coming out of the atlantic. I tend to mostly use a monster foil during the summer and even do some landboarding as the beaches are huge here. U need to go somewhere hotter to get decent wind like N africa.
If your coming over to see the sites in the south i would just leave the gear at home, most places on the tourist trail are crazy busy during the summer, even just being a tourist you will get sick of the people.
Send me a private message if your going to get up Brittany way and i might be able to camp with you somewhere and let you use a board and one of my older kites, im australian, here on extended holidays, but im not planning on leaving Brittany during the summer.
Does anyone know of any good kiting in Germany, while we are on the Euro topic?
Or is it just way too cold in their Summer anyway to be bothered?
Hi There,
I come from the western tip of brittanny (North of Brest) and we have plenty of very nice spots for kiting there, and it's not crowded in Summer like it could be in the osuth of France.
My preferred flat water being, the "Dunes Sainte Marguerite" in Landeda (30km North of Brest, see picture attached). This spot works with winds from south to North (S-SW-W-NW-N), by Easterlies, you can either go to Treompan (a short 20 min drive from there, it's in Lampaul Ploudalmezeau), or you can also go to Keremma (close to Plouescat).
The seabreeze is usually from the North East, but if you got a low pressure system coming trhough (with wind) the wind will go SW-W-then NW.
Brittanny also has great waves, and you'll find some sick spots on the Crozon peninsula (one of them being La Palue) and also further south on the Quiberon peninsula (a bit more crowded in summer though), you also go around La Torch and spots around this region as indicated by guvner.
drop me a line if you want more infos!
Agree, Brittany would be good, just watch the crazy tides there... The water comes in faster than walking pace. Watched people get stranded out on an island from the safety of the St Malo city walls.
La Tranche sur Mer is great too, not very far north of Bordeaux. It's probably the furthest south you would want to go.
I lived on a boat for a year in the mediterannean and it was the most frustrating kiting year of my life. Closed beaches, gusty winds, unpredictable weather and you wouldnt believe it, FAR-KUN EUROS EVERYWHERE!
Granted i wasnt chasing the wind on said boat and did score a coupla times(sicily and off the coast of Rome of all places) but i got skunked more often than not.
If you want my advice, and you probably dont, go to france for cheap wine, stinky cheese, awesome scenery, riding mopeds, french culture and amazingly hot women that wear next to nothing whilst tanning their lovely frames.
And if you do manage to talk one of these french lovelys into your budoir, you better bring your A game cos anything less than a six hourathon tends to make em cranky. Damn Fosters...
Have fun....
I spent a week kiting in Sardinia off Porto Pollo and Isola dei Gabbiani. There was a pretty consistent sea breeze most days and even a couple of 40knot days. It was pretty good, bit choppy though, didn't find any super flat water. That being said, the quality Italian food made up for it.
I spend 6 weeks kiting one July-August last year near Leucate in France and there is a kite specific beach in St Pierre La Mer also, with a french school. PKRA was recently in La Franqui by leucate just a drive away. They get wind for sure, but next place down the coast is SkyRiders into Spain - Golf De Roses, which gets great wind too.http://www.kiteworldmag.com/southern-europe/ theres some basic stats on golf de roses.
I kited Lake Como in Italy last summer. Stayed at the northern end - Cuneo and kited there in the afternoons and at the southern end of the lake in the early mornings - 6am!!
Great kiting. Generally on 13m, and only occasionally used a 10m.
I kited in september at a place called Gaetta about halfway between Rome and Naples there were even waist high waves big wide beaches
