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