Onda wrote: ↑Thu May 03, 2018 7:49 pm
Been there June 2017.
I can almost 100 % confirm Strekke´s view.
Manawa is about 1.5 km offshore. Wind is typically cross-offshore and not always stable. If anything out there goes wrong or the wind fades, you´ll quickly be dragged into oneye by the strong currents there. Where you´ll probably drown. In 2017 alone, over 30 surfers / kitesurfers / windsurfers / SUP-riders died at this spot!!!! Don´t forget this!!!!
Manawa is often claimed to be "safe". Maybe this is true for
very experienced wave riders. The sheer size of the wave can make you feel anxious, which provokes faults. Falling at Manawa can get very dangerous! If not life-dangerous.
My experience was: With 10 kiters plus 5 windsurfers, Manawa is crowded already and riding gets very stressfull. Main reasons are: Dudes with cams, filming their friends and not looking out for other riders in their way; very experienced riders who don´t deviate a mm from their line; various guys not knowing the "traffic rules" at Manawa and/or at/in waves in general, causing a total mess and collision danger.
You should be very experienced and very confident with large wave riding there, including all the rules about wave riding´s right of way etc.. Otherwise you´ll endanger yourself and others.
If you still want to try Manawa, study the wave thoroughly before you go there. Talk with others about how it works and what to consider. Think about what you´ll do if anything goes wrong out there. Then ride to Manawa but don´t drop into the wave. Pass by the impact zone from a good distance in the channel for several times and look at how the others ride the wave. Don´t get into other rider´s ways while you do this! When you think you have completely understood how the traffic works and how the wave works: Try it!
Mauritius is for sure the most challenging and most dangerous spot I´ve ever been at (apart from the lagoon at Le Morne, which is rather safe). The combination of extremely strong currents all over the place, fickle and partly offshore winds and very powerfull waves braking on razor-sharp reef/corals needs respective experience and confidence.
Don´t underestimate this spot! Be careful and in case of doubt: Don´t go out or stay in the lagoon.
Also don´t forget to
consider the tide table. The tidal range might look very small (0.5 m to hardly 1 m), but it makes a huge difference in every aspect (currents, current directions, water depth over the reefs etc).