Voiles et Galets d'Étretat

Voiles et Galets d'Étretat is the village's sailing club, with more than 45 years on the beach. It gives sailing lessons to children from age four, holiday courses and instructor training, and in summer it is the one that hires kayaks and paddleboards to see the cliffs from the water. Its hut is on the seafront promenade, where the flags of the French sailing federation fly, next to the sailing boats.

Kayak and paddleboard hire

No need to book: you arrive, sign the contract, pay and set off. A single kayak costs €15 an hour and €25 for two hours; a double, €30 and €50; a paddleboard, €20 and €35. More than two hours works out cheaper per hour. The wetsuit is €5 for the whole activity. You are given a life jacket and a waterproof bag for your phone, and an employee looks after your things ashore. You must be able to swim; small children only go up accompanied, and minors need parental authorisation to go out alone and cannot leave the bay. You pay in cash or by cheque, not by card.

In 2026 it opens every day in summer, from 10:00 to 17:30, and in spring and autumn at weekends and on fine days, from 10:00 to 17:00. Everything depends on the sea: no hire with waves over half a metre, or with sustained wind over 5 knots for beginners or 10 knots for sport kayaks, or with an orange alert. A safety boat keeps watch while there is hire.

Trip with an instructor

To go further with someone who knows the coast, the club organises an accompanied trip of about two hours for €40 per person, and €50 from 15 June to 15 September. It is for over-14s and leaves on request, not at fixed times: it is confirmed when there are at least three people and if the weather allows. While online booking is not working again, ask through the contact page.

Rules on the water

Passing under the arches is forbidden. At high or mid tide you get closer to the wall; at low tide you see the bottom and the rocks. Dogs may go on the kayak under the owner's responsibility, without safety equipment for them.