The Base de Plein Air – Destination Salagou is the water sports and outdoor centre of the Clermontais group of municipalities. It sits on the Clermont-l'Hérault shore of Lake Salagou, a lake of about 750 hectares surrounded by red-earth hills in a protected landscape. Affiliated to the French Sailing Federation (FFVoile), the centre has held the École Française de Voile label since 2008, along with the Sports School and Leisure Sports Club labels, and belongs to the Nautigliss and Occigène networks. It is open all year, with a permanent team joined in summer by qualified seasonal staff.
Wing is taught on a standard board ("wing surf") or on a foil, in private lessons given all year round by qualified instructors; depending on wind and level, the instructor can also introduce towed foiling. Independent wing hire is limited to riders aged 16 and over holding level 3 or passing an on-site assessment. Windsurfing is taught in private lessons, in three-day summer courses (teenagers and adults, with an FFVoile level awarded at the end) or all year on Wednesday afternoons in the sailing sports school, run by instructors holding the Brevet d'État or BPJEPS sailing qualification. Windsurf boards, funboards and windfoils can also be hired by the hour.
The rest of the programme covers dinghy sailing (Optimist, dinghies, Funboat, catamaran, local youth regattas), stand-up paddle, canoe-kayak, pedal boats, an electric floating lounge and fishing boats, plus off-water electric all-terrain scooters and archery. The centre hosts school groups, holiday clubs and companies, rents out rooms and a lakeside terrace, and offers mooring places.
Prices shown on the website in September 2026:
Wetsuit: €5 to hire, free with a private lesson. 15% off one hour of hire taken straight after a lesson. €500 deposit to hire a wing or a windfoil.
Payment by cash, cheque, bank card or ANCV holiday vouchers; administrative bank transfers accepted for groups.
Open all year; the Clermontais tourist office lists opening dates from 8 January to 10 December 2026.
Opening hours shown in September 2026: Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, Sunday 1pm to 6.30pm, closed on Saturdays. According to the centre's brochure, it opens every day in July and August. It may close in bad weather.
Private lessons in wing, windsurfing and the other disciplines by appointment, all year round. In July and August, three-day windsurf course, Monday to Wednesday, 1.30pm to 3.30pm.
Year-round sailing sports school on Wednesdays, from September to late November and from March to late June outside school holidays: windsurfing from 1.45pm to 4.15pm, from age 10 and for adults. Sessions resumed on 16 September 2026, with a free trial session.
The centre recommends calling +33 4 67 96 05 71 before coming to check the weather and wind.
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