The Gironde Mascaret, Aquitaine, France

GIRONDE MASCARET, AQUITAINE, FRANCE

The Gironde estuary is the culmination of a vast drainage system covering southern France. High in the Auvergne, one source flows from the 1885 metre high Mount Dore, forming the Dordogne river. The other source is high in the snow-capped Pyrenees on the Spanish border, becoming the Garonne river. The two rivers head west towards the Atlantic, and converge 20km north of Bordeaux in the heart of the vineyard region, to produce the broad estuary.

The encroaching spring tide is only observable in the estuary by the dramatic change in flow. But as the tide diverges into the two rivers, the Mascaret becomes evident, with the varying topography of the rivers greatly effecting its size and form.

Between Cambes and Cadillac, the Garonne mascaret breaks fast and hard over shallow mudbanks, reforming regularly. In contrast, the Dordogne mascaret surges upriver with a well formed wave train, best observed at St Pardon, and still observable another 30km upstream at Branne.

STATISTICS

LOCATION: 45º25'N, 001º04'W

MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 1.5 m

AVERAGE SPEED: 12 km h^-1

BEST TIME OF YEAR: June to November

TERRAINE: Estuarine and fluvial

FEAR FACTOR: **

MAPS

NOTABLE INTERNET SITES

The Gironde Estuary

Comprehensive website from surfer Fabrice Colas. With emphasis on the Dordogne mascaret, the site includes a large collection of photos and information.

Le Mascaret (in French)

Designed by fellow surfer, Bruno Boue, this recently developed site includes tide times, detailed maps and also a large collection of photos. Bruno regularly updates it with the latest news.