Its that Mauritius time of year again...

19th Oct 2009 @ 01:50:55 PM

sSs Team Rider, Carl Tomlinson, loves to take his RRD and Ezzy kit on planes and with Autumn approaching he's been off on holiday again. Carl tells of his latest adventure:

Waking up to the thundering roar of the surf on the reefs every morning is something that stays with you for ever. So here I am again just back from Mauritius, one of my favourite all time sailing spots, it must be good as it’s my 4th trip in 5 years! I wrote a comprehensive write up about the island last time about 2 years ago, so this time we’ll skip the “all about the island and country” and cut to the chase.

Usually a trip to Mauritius will involve 80-90% of days sailing and on the water. And about 30-50% of those days will be in the waves, with proper swell not the usual wind blown slop we get at home. The swells come in from storms in the Southern Ocean and Southern Indian Ocean and when the period is 15-19 seconds and >3m in height you can expect a truly awesome wave on Manawa when the swell comes from the SE, or when the swell comes from S or SW, expect Chameaux and One Eye to be firing. If waves aren’t your thing then the lagoon which is protected by the three reefs above is perfect for intermediates and freestylers. This is why I like Mauritius so much; its great for freestyle and or waves.

Well I guess I’ve had 3 really good trips and this one I have to rate as not as good, but sailing only 60% of days when its awesome is still pretty good…check out the pictures to see what I mean. This trip I only sailed Manawa twice for two reasons (1) the number of people all desperate to get their slice of it (2) swell direction meant Chameaux and One Eye were better options. I really like Chameaux its, big, fast and challenges me more than enough for me to feel that “here we go, heart in the mouth, do or die” sensation that comes with cross off wave riding on reefs, especially when you get to the inside and the start of One Eye where the wave is breaking on the reef is probably 4 ft below your feet. Plenty of folk come in with broken masts!

This year I took my brand new Twintip 100 and Twinzer 82. Despite its volume the Twinzer handled the big waves really well, it’s fast and very smooth and surprisingly agile for a board this size, even in over mast high waves with a 4.5m sail I was completely comfortable. A 74 would have been perfect but you’d miss out on the lighter wind days. The new Twintip is in fact a new board, it is quite different to last years, the volume is placed further back and more under the feet. The board is earlier planning for sure and really spins through spocks super quick. I found that it makes going for flakas much easier and in fact landed my very first (of many I hope!) after about 3 years of trying. I have to give credit to Connor Bainbridge for a few but invaluable tips he gave me before the trip, thanks Connor!

The other thing about this location that I have come to realise is the rise in popularity of kite surfing. When I first sailed here in the waves only a few kiters ventured to Manawa, and it was easy to beat upwind of them to catch the wave for the peak. Now that has completely been turned round. The kites and boards have moved on so that they point further upwind and are planing when a windsurfer is chugging up wind. This means that kiters are getting more waves per hour and with a lot less effort…I’m nearly tempted! The downside for windsurfers is that getting a wave at Chameaux and One Eye can be a tiring and frustrating experience because the kiters can pick up the best waves every time so you have to get right out back and ensure your wave selection is solid and clear.

All in all I had a great time. Do take time out to see the island if you decide to visit, there’s not a great deal to see, but there are some real treasures when you take the time to explore; its all too easy to stay in the hotel or guest house and forget there’s more to life than windsurfing!

Thanks to Jo for the wave photos. If you thinking of having some pics taken Jose and his son Thierry are usually in the red & white speedboat with “extreme photography” written in big letters on the side of the boat, you can’t miss them! Jo shows his photos most nights in the Indian hotel, but its always best to have a chat with him so he knows to photograph you. It’s the only way to get good pictures as the waves are too far away to get good shots from the beach unless you have the right gear (eg John Carter et al style!) and the price is reasonable.

Carl is also team rider for Aloha Sailboards in Cheshire