General Info
Getting there
The Tuscan coastline stretches roughly from La Spezia to Grosetto, which is 100 kilometres north of Rome. The easiest way to get there is by car. There are some great places like Lake Garda or Lake Comer to stop for a day or two while driving south. Italian roads are decent and most highways have an affordable toll. Coming through Switzerland, Austria and Italy you can plan for approximately 70€ per way. Once you are there it’s worth it to have your own car and all the freedom and mobility that comes with it. The Italian’s driving can be a bit hectic but as you are on holiday – relax! Of course you can also fly to the region with affordable charter airlines available.
Weather
The Tuscan spots have sailable conditions all year around. High-season is in July and August and not recommended for two reasons – first, almost all of Italy is on holiday which leads to crowded beaches and higher prices. Second, the steady Azores high-pressure, which is common in these months, blocks storms and allows normally only a light thermal breeze. If you bring bigger freeride sails than these thermal winds can be fun, although they hardly ever reach 20 knots. In summer water temperatures rise to 24 degrees and a shorty will do. The best combination of consistent wind, warm temperatures and empty beaches can be found from September to December and from March to June. During these periods the Tuscan coast is frequented by low-pressure systems and there is enough wind to plane more than 40 percent of the days. Good waves are more likely this time of year too. Water and air temperatures in October are around 20 degrees. The water temperature does not drop below 12 degrees the whole winter so it’s sailable with a good suit, booties and hood. ‘Scirocco’ wind from the southeast is quite common during this time of the year. ‘Scirocco’ wind will blow when low-pressure systems move in from the west. The wind normally comes with warm air and good waves. If the system moves a little bit further north, Italians call the resulting southwest to west wind ‘Libbecchio’, and is also associated with good waves. ‘Mistral’ winds from the west to northwest come from the south of France and can get stormy, especially during winter. As the wind often turns quite westerly, waves can be blocked by Corsica.