Rou Chater often gets asked where the best place to kitesurf in the world is, Mauritius is usually his answer, find out what makes this the best place on the planet for kiteboarding, no matter what level you are!

I get asked a lot of questions when I meet people and talk to them about what I do. Without a doubt, the most popular question, is always, where is the best place for kitesurfing in the world? It’s a fair question; I’ve been lucky enough to visit some of the best spots on the planet. Of course, asking that is a little like asking how long is a piece of string…

You see kitesurfers these days, more than ever, make up a wide demographic of people. We have so many disciplines within our sport that it’s even harder these days to pinpoint one particular spot that has it all. This is what makes answering that question so hard; one man's meat is another man's poison as the saying goes!

After playing safe with the “it depends on what you want" answer, I am often pushed to get off the fence and make a statement. Ever since my first visit some thirteen years ago my stock answer is this.

Mauritius.

Why? It’s quite simply the ultimate kitesurfing playground, a volcanic masterpiece in the Indian Ocean that really does have it all. Butter flat water, small waves for learning, bigger easier waves for challenging yourself, and arguably the best kitesurfing wave on the planet. One Eye.

The wave that has scored more covers than anywhere else, the wave that has claimed the scalps of even the best pro riders, and the wave that can deliver some of the most intense experiences that you will ever get in your lifetime. It’s not all about One Eye though, while Mitu Monteiro is getting shacked out of his brains on the reef, newcomers are learning to kitesurf in the safety of the lagoon. Kiters are boosting jumps off kickers, riding freestyle in the flats, learning to wave ride at Little Reef, doing a downwinder to remember, or scoring the biggest wave of their lives in the relative safety of Manawa.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is why I usually lean towards Mauritius as the perfect kite spot. All of this is within a 3km radius, and of course, it helps that the whole time you are on the water, you get to enjoy one of the most magical backdrops in the world. Plus the water is warm, and the sunshine is hard to beat too. However, like any dream spot, it does have its disadvantages…

Sadly the word got out on Mauritius and One Eye a long time ago, so if you think you are going to show up to an empty, pristine beach with left handers rolling through un-ridden, you are in for a shock. It’s a total zoo out there these days, with two huge all-inclusive hotels right on the spot, and plenty of people using the public beach it’s certainly crowded. If you pick the right moment for your session you can get lucky, I think my fondest memory from this trip was riding decent sized One Eye with just Raphael Salles to share it with. It helped he had his pro team shooting strapless freestyle in the lagoon, and it was also very late in the day, a risk as the wind can drop to nothing, but we took the chance and scored an all time session enjoying the pick of the waves.

It’s a good idea to kite at lunchtimes, and later in the day, or if you are lucky you can time an early session just as the wind fills in before the crowds get out there. The lagoon is huge, so there is plenty of room there, just ride upwind or downwind to find your spot and have fun, but the waves are hectic.

The other downside is that when the swell is small, everyone wants to get a piece of the action, it’s certainly understandable and it’s great to see so many people out there. It’s just a shame that so many people don’t bother to learn the rules or the rights of way before they go. Learn the kitesurfing rights of way, and especially the rights of way in the surf before you even think about venturing out.

That way at least you will know when to politely call someone off “your” wave and when to give way to others. It makes the whole session go a lot smoother not just for you, but also for those around you. If you don’t know the rights of way in the surf, then check them out HERE on our website. It’s crucial reading for anyone.

The other downside of the place is that it can be fickle, the wind can sometimes take a sabbatical for a week or so, and that can be frustrating. Of course, there are a ton of no wind activities, the surf is usually pumping somewhere, so SUP and surf action is always on. You can explore the island, climb the infamous Le Morne mountain, visit waterfalls and take in the stunning scenery.

I’d always recommend a two-week trip just to guarantee you get some wind, a 9m and 7m is usually a perfect combo, but take a big kite just in case, especially if you only have a week there. Along with being fickle, the stars perfectly align only once in a while, you might get a beast of a swell but no wind or the swell can get so big they red flag the beach and stop you from going out for your safety.

It can be a dangerous place to kite if you leave the safety of the lagoon and head out to the reefs of Manawa or One Eye. When you analyse the spots, you can be kiting up to 3km off the coast when you are out the two off shore breaks. In between these two reefs is a channel where all the water from the entire lagoon floods out. Let’s just say to swim against the current on a small day is tricky, when the swell goes XXL, there is so much water moving around in the lagoon it becomes impossible.

It’s not a place where you want to break equipment, or worse still get injured; you always want to kite with a buddy if you venture outside the lagoon who can alert one of the rescue boats if you need it. I’ve come across lone kiters just swimming around with broken kit in the middle of the ocean before, helped them as best I could and alerted the rescue guys. After 5 pm there is no rescue, and it isn’t like the UK where the lifeboat will come looking for you.

There are many tales of people going missing, and far fewer stories of people making it back when things go wrong. Of course, I’m just talking about heading to the outside breaks here; inside the lagoon you are as safe as houses. This place deserves respect though and making risky and bad decisions won’t go unpunished forever.

To me, despite the downsides, it is still the undisputed best kiteboarding playground in the world, and if you like waves, then it has to be on your to do list

Perhaps the most eye opening aspect of this recent trip was getting away from the all inclusive hotels that offer such a convenient way to spend your time here. They are situated right on the beach; you can pump your kite up and leave it in the garden outside your room for the duration of your stay. All you can eat food and drink sounds like a good deal. However, scratch beneath the surface and things start to unravel.

In recent years the standards at the two Riu hotels on the beach have dropped a little, the food gets pretty boring after a while, and the drinks seem to melt your teeth with the amount of sugar and the beers served in thimbles will leave you gasping for a pint after a while. Outside of the resorts though your time is your own, you can eat what you want, when you want and drink what you like when you like.

The best news is that there are a plethora of options to suit kitesurfers; from the luxurious to the basic you will find something to suit. We stayed for a couple of weeks in the excellent Pingo Studios owned by Ben from the Pryde Shop. A quiet, cosy place just on the outskirts of La Gaulette, the nearest town to Le Morne.

La Gaulette is where the action happens in the evening, Enso bar is the place to be, it’s also the only place to be as well, so that helps. The town is small, there is a shopping centre with a supermarket, pharmacy and a couple of cafes and shops, plus the aforementioned Enso bar and restaurant.

Food and drink when you eat out isn’t cheap, but prices in the supermarket are reasonable. Obviously some imported things can be expensive, you are on a small island in the Indian Ocean after all! It is easy to do Mauritius on a budget though, and probably a smaller one than you might think!

Depending on what you want you can base your trip on being closer to the centre of town if you want to go out and have a few drinks in the evening, or closer to the beach at Le Morne if kitesurfing until your arms fall off, is more your vibe. The local Mauritians are super friendly, with a relaxed take on life and a welcoming demeanour, from taxi drivers to surfers everyone met us with a smile and was only too happy to help out. If you give respect, then you very much get respect back here.

There is another good reason for not basing yourself in the all-inclusive resorts too. You’ll be forced to see more of the island! Car hire can usually be arranged with your host accommodation, and it isn’t expensive, expect to pay between 25 and 30 Euros a day for a small car fully capable of fitting your gear in. You’ll be driving to and from the beach, so a car is a must if you opt to stay in La Gaulette or Le Morne.

With a car you can then drive around the Island and check out what’s on offer, highlights for us were the Black River National Park, wave watching on the South Coast on a huge day. You can also watch and swim with the Dolphins in Tamarin Bay, I have mixed feelings about this, if you go early, before sunrise you’ll be treated to a solo display from them as they play around the boat and let you swim with them. Sadly by 9 am around 30 odd tourist boats will arrive from the hotels nearby, and fat people in float coats will begin hounding them until they decide to bugger off.

I would also highly recommend you take the time to go up the Le Morne mountain with Bryn James from Explorers Mauritius. Bryn has lived on the Island for years, and his knowledge, as well as climbing skill, will make the hike to the top something to remember. The views will stay with you for a lifetime that’s for sure!

All too often in the magazine, we are guilty of showcasing Mauritius for One Eye; we’ll turn the spotlight on that wave a little more next issue. However this article we wanted to sing the praises of one of the best kitesurfing spots on the planet. When you score the forecast here, you do score. It’s not just for the wave fanatics either, it’s a great place to learn, freeriding around the lagoon is a magical experience, and you can enjoy some amazing downwinder from Bel Ombre to Le Morne too.

It’s not just about Le Morne either; there are so many great spots to kitesurf, the trouble is Le Morne is just so good you always seem to gravitate back there.

It can be fickle, it can be cruel, but when the conditions are on I don’t think there is anywhere else in the world I would rather be! Keep an eye out for next issue and our “guide to riding One Eye” full of insights from the pros and the people in the know!

Videos

RRD - Year 23 Distributors meeting Mauritius
Island vibes Mauritius
Jalou 'S tories Mauritius 'the South'
By Rou Chater
Rou has been kiting since the sports inception and has been working as an editor and tester for magazines since 2004. He started IKSURFMAG with his brother in 2006 and has tested hundreds of different kites and travelled all over the world to kitesurf. He's a walking encyclopedia of all things kite and is just as passionate about the sport today as he was when he first started!

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