Mauritius, Indian Ocean » surfing info

Mauritius is an Indian Ocean surf paradise. The main surf spots on Mauritius are concentrated in the south and south west side of the island, where our surf-school is situated at the "Hotel Indian Resort". It offers surfing conditions for all levels from total beginner to absolute expert:

A) Inside the Lagoon in front of the centre and the "Hotel Indian Resort":
In a big swell, this wave breaks nicely, especially during high tide, but is not dangerous, as inside the lagoon waves and currents are rather harmless.
This is the place where we teach our beginners. There are some coral and the spot works only in bigger swell.

B) The "small reef" in front of the "Hotel Indian Resort":
A wave that breaks on a sandy bottom with rocks (no coral), which is no hardcore spot in small swells. It is a right-wave that works best with north winds, offshore winds or best no wind during middle to high tide.
This break is about 400 meters from the beach which means either a strong paddle to go there or the more usual use of one of our boats.

C) "One-eye" … The world famous one…
Right in front of the "Hotel Berjaya", to the right of the surf-school, "One-eye" is a really fast and tuby left, reserved exclusively for experts. It breaks on a shallow coral reef with lots of sea-urchins and sometimes has serious currents. Works best at high tide and no wind or with light offshore south-east to north-east winds.
"One-eye" is a symbol on the island, a wave respected by all hot local surfers, so if you want to surf there, you'd better be both good and tough at the peak. Great for taking pictures while enjoying a drink on the beach at sunset. For experts only and there is no rental from Skyriders.

D) "Manawa":
This wave is located about 1 km out in front of the "Hotel Indian Resort" and the surf school, and is a spot for more advanced and expert surfers. "Manawa" works best at high tide and no wind or light offshore wind and small to medium wave size. If there are small swells elsewhere, this spot still picks up a lot more and offers even bigger waves.
A very nice left breaking wave on a shallow coral reef, but not as fast and tuby as "One-eye", "Manawa" has a serious reputation, too.
Due to the strong currents and the distance the use and presence of our boat is required during lessons/rental.

E) "Tamarin":
Located about 20 km north of our surf-school, "Tamarin" is a very popular left, that breaks on a reef and then on a sandy bottom.
This perfect wave became a symbol of escapism. The spot had been surfed since the early 60´s. It can become the longest ride you can conceive but it needs a pretty big swell to work properly. This swell is also very good for beginners as long as you stay close to the sandy beach (no current to pull you behind the wave).
The transfer to "Tamarin" is organized from our surf-school by car. Costs are shared between all participants.

SWELL:

April - October: During the southern hemisphere winter there are frequent S-SW swells varying in size from 4-8 feet.

November-March: During the southern hemisphere summer there are frequent N-E swells varying in sizes from 2-6 feet.

November to March: NE trades are offshore at most of southern spots.

April to September: SE trades are offshore on the west coast.

Equipment offered: BIC Surfboards: (Fish= 5´10, Evolution= 6´10, Mini Malibu= 7´3, 7´9 Long board= 9'0 Bic-soft boards= 6´10, 7´6 G-Boards= 7´0, 8´0 and 8´6 + a couple of the new custom made Mistral 2005 surfboards such as 6"8 fish and 7"6 Mini Malibu on test)

Board storage - None

Open - year-round, daily from 09:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m.

Best winds and waves - March through December

Wind direction - sideshore from the left

Climate - tropical climate