Surrounded by the Indian Ocean you’d imagine it would be a wave sailors playground, but while the reefs edge is battered by large ocean swells, its inside the reef where the true fun begins.
The protected waters provide a natural arena for speed, windsurfing or kitesurfing, you’d be hard pushed to find such a large area to train, and for those less ambitious, this is a gybing paradise, if you can’t gybe here, you’ll never gybe.
Kitesurfers have already discovered Rodrigues, it’s shallow waters and constant winds make it ideal spot to take your first flight, and with everything ready on the beach it couldn’t be easier.
Sportif took us out to test the waters for a potential speed event; it looked like the natural windsurfing course was right outside the hotel. We were there for high tides and high swells, which should be the worst conditions for speed, but as the water crosses the reef its smooths off to provide a great speed course that lasts for miles.
On the lea side of the island a sand bank creates a shallow lagoon that’s ideal for speed kiters and again has more than enough room for a nautical mile. The hole of the island felt special, but sitting on the sand bank in the middle of nowhere felt unreal, like being transported into one of those holiday posters that only Photoshop can produce.
Dave White
