16TRAVELMAURITIUS
Chameaux
The one hit wonder , is basically the other side of the channel to Manawa ( right as you look from the beach ), just past little reef . As the wave hits the pointy end of the reef here it peels down both sides , into the channel towards little reef and also along the outer reef ( One Eye ). So Chameaux is essentially the same set up as Manawa but with the opposite wind direction . In terms of down the line riding you ’ ll get one maybe two bottoms turns and a big hit on the right section , but unless it ’ s a big day and you manage to link your big hit into One Eye ( extremely hard to do ) that will be wave over . Not many people seem to sail here much , I only really sailed Chameaux on my way past to One Eye .
Monster One Eye
The wave here is so fast it is like being shot out of a gun ! Heavy , fast and unforgiving , One Eye is not for the faint hearted . The wave at One Eye peels along the reef almost perfectly , and the speed of the peel is crazy ! You are basically running away from the section continually . Your first aerial here won ’ t be because you timed it right , it will be because you didn ’ t realise how fast it peeled and ended up with no choice ! The power you discover a moment later as the monster throws you out in front of the wave is unreal . It threw me well clear of the white water into the flats on many occasions , I even started to fear I was going to hurt my ankles from all the slap landings . Simply put : one of the best and most exciting waves I have ever ridden , but not something I would recommend to beginners . Note - You will not be able to sail One Eye unless you bring your own equipment as ION don ’ t allow you to take their kit to One Eye , and based on the number of totalled sails and masts coming in from just Manawa I don ’ t blame them .
Precautionary note
Whilst the reef and channel at Le Morne are what created this glorious windsurfing playground , they also can make it a dangerous spot if you are not aware of the risks , so here is a bit of info to help keep you safe .
The waves crash on the reefs pushing water into the bay , which then makes its way back out to sea again through the channel . This creates strong currents in and around the channel . Generally speaking if you stay inside the reefs and clear of the channel you will experience very little current and it shouldn ’ t affect you much , if at all . That being said I would still recommend talking to the ION centre staff before you hit the water , a bit of local knowledge never hurts .
They will also provide you with a bright orange ION vest and waterproof mobile phone , which really could end up being your life line if things go wrong .
One Eye is yet another level , ION don ’ t officially cover One Eye for safety as you aren ’ t supposed to take their rental kit there at all . They will rescue people from One Eye but they don ’ t watch it like they do Manawa . Essentially if you want to sail One Eye you are on your own , and to add to this One Eye is the last stop on your way downwind and out to sea . Ideally , or if your name is Jason Polakow , you ’ d rent a boat with jet ski ’ s , a safety crew and photographer , and do it properly . For those of us with a more modest budgets my recommendation is : 1 . Sail in a group using a similar ‘ buddy ’ system to divers . 2 . Buy a local mobile phone ( waterproof ideally ) and a waterproof case ( a rinsing at One Eye will put any waterproof housing to the test so make sure it ’ s a good one ), put the local rescue boat numbers in your new phone and put the phone in your wetsuit . I have never been so glad to have a bulky , uncomfortable brick down my wetsuit before !
3 . Make sure someone on the beach knows you are going out there and when you plan to be back . If all of the above fails someone noticing that you ’ re not back on the beach at the time you agreed could be your last chance to raise the alarm .
One last word of caution that applies to all sailing areas really . Check your depth before launching into any big nose first landing jumps . Most of the time you ’ ll be fine but sometimes it can be no more than knee or waste deep if the tide is really low , so it ’ s worth checking quickly just in case .
The island
Away from the beach at Le Morne the island is like nothing I have ever experienced . The towns and cities are very much in development stage and are a world away from the beach side paradise of Le Morne ’ s ‘ hotel street ’. Chaotic and crowded some of the larger cities feel like a slice of Delhi has been separated and put on a paradise island thousands of miles away from India . I ’ m glad I experienced the towns and cities , in particular the markets , but would not go out of my way to do this again , if I ’ m honest .
If you want to make your way out into the waves , especially Manawa and One Eye , then you need to know the situation and have a back-up plan should things go wrong . Both are outside of the reefs and the current and wind are pushing you out to sea away from the island , so there is very real risk here . As mentioned earlier renting from the ION centre is a good idea if you want to sail Manawa , the centre is as close as you can get to Manawa on land , and has a beach tower they will watch from if any ION customers go out to Manawa .
uk
WIND SURFING