Le Pic du Scudo (Scudo)

The Pic du Scudo sits at the northern side of the entrance to the Gulf of Ajaccio, about 1 km off Pointe du Scudo, with the gulf axis running roughly NE-SW. To the north, northwest and northeast it is shielded by the Scudo headland, the north-shore hills and the inner gulf, so N-through-NE swell and the offshore Mistral/Tramuntana simply cannot build waves here. The exposed window is the open gulf mouth facing the sea to the S-SSW-SW: the dominant Libeccio (SW) has clean fetch straight down the gulf and is the site's main heavy-weather threat, with S and SSW equally open. To the west the Sanguinaires/Parata peninsula progressively shadows the WSW-W-WNW sectors. As a deep offshore pinnacle it takes surface chop and swell from any southerly-to-southwesterly blow, which also reinforces its notorious current and forces dives to be called off.