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La Gendarmerie kitesurf spot
Réunion · Saint-Pierre
Overview
- Kitesurf
Relatively dangerous spot, so don't overestimate yourself and respect the navigation rules. Lagoon 150 m wide with strong wind during the austral winter: the Trade Winds (often exceeding 30 knots). Pass to go out to the open sea. The lagoon is small and therefore gets crowded quickly. 5 to 10
Narrow beach (the length of the lines). Do not launch at the end of the beach, it ends with a wall and several houses behind; the turbulence zone is about 40 meters before this wall. Pay attention to the wind, sometimes very gusty. Don't hesitate to ask for advice if you're navigating this spot for the first time (which is not suitable for beginners).
Spot forecast for La Gendarmerie
Sunrise 05:34 · Sunset 18:29
Forecasts provided by Open-Meteo
Tides
Heights above lowest astronomical tide, in the spot's local time. Computed 4.4 km from the spot.
- Monday 2 November Low tide · 0.2 m High tide · 0.5 m Low tide · 0.4 m High tide · 0.4 m
- Tuesday 3 November Low tide · 0.2 m High tide · 0.5 m Low tide · 0.3 m High tide · 0.5 m
- Wednesday 4 November Low tide · 0.2 m High tide · 0.5 m Low tide · 0.3 m High tide · 0.5 m
- Thursday 5 November Low tide · 0.2 m High tide · 0.6 m Low tide · 0.2 m High tide · 0.5 m
- Friday 6 November Low tide · 0.2 m High tide · 0.6 m Low tide · 0.2 m High tide · 0.6 m
La Gendarmerie: when to go?
Rideable days and hours computed for a minimum wind of 7 knots · log in to set your own (foil, twin-tip…)
264h
in May · 24.5 rideable days
The season runs from May to August, peaking in May: 20 rideable days a month and 264 hours of usable wind, at 25 °C. The low point is December, at 11.5 days.
Rideable days per month
Wind strength when it is rideable
When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 7 and 12 knots — 74% of rideable hours. Big-kite territory. The coldest month is June, at 24 °C. The wettest month is February, with 439 mm.
Monthly averages: La Gendarmerie
| Month | Rideable days | Usable wind | Temperature | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14.0 | 120 h | 29 °C | 434 mm |
| February | 14.0 | 125 h | 29 °C | 439 mm |
| March | 16.0 | 144 h | 28 °C | 238 mm |
| April | 12.0 | 135 h | 28 °C | 149 mm |
| May | 24.5 | 264 h | 26 °C | 97 mm |
| June | 19.0 | 190 h | 24 °C | 55 mm |
| July | 20.0 | 177 h | 24 °C | 39 mm |
| August | 18.0 | 180 h | 24 °C | 59 mm |
| September | 15.5 | 157 h | 25 °C | 22 mm |
| October | 19.0 | 200 h | 26 °C | 43 mm |
| November | 13.5 | 110 h | 28 °C | 35 mm |
| December | 11.5 | 77 h | 29 °C | 72 mm |
Photo gallery of La Gendarmerie
Ridden here? One photo or video, and the spot comes alive for everyone discovering it.
Technical details of La Gendarmerie spot
The spot works with winds from E, ESE, SE.
Depending on conditions: ENE, SSE.
Local association recommendations
IMPORTANT!!!! :
It is IMPOSSIBLE to give lessons to beginners in Reunion. Attitude kite is not a kite school, in no way do we give lessons or supervise navigation.
Why?
Due to our navigation conditions on rather extreme spots. (shallow water / no very wide beaches / areas overcrowded with practitioners and swimmers)
You will need to go to Mauritius/Madagascar or mainland France to learn the basics of kite navigation.
However, it is possible to start wing foiling in Reunion, either on your own or with the first instructors who are getting organized.
Spot functioning
Launching: the beach is narrow: one line length. The wind is side slightly on. There is a very large rock in the middle of the lagoon that you should be careful of if you launch upwind (on the left). The best place for launching is the first 6 meters to the right of this rock. Then there is a stone slab, parallel to the beach. It's slippery so don't stay on it to launch. If it's visible, it's low tide and you shouldn't stay in the lagoon. Be careful at the end of the beach there is a wall and therefore before it a wind shadow zone of about 40 meters. Priority must really be given to people launching and leaving the beach (turn around at a reasonable distance from them or if you wanted to stop, do one more tack).
Spot opening date · Required level
- Spot opening date
- Open all year round
- Required level
- Advanced
Parking
Parking spaces all along the seafront.
Wind specificities
EAST SOUTH EAST Very significant venturi effect: strong acceleration, multiply Wind Guru stats by 2, or even more. Stronger during the austral winter (often more than 30 knots).
Hazards
Narrow and short launch zone with a wind shadow area at the end of the beach (see sign on site). Shallow lagoon and pencil sea urchins. Very strong current in the pass (more than 10 knots when there's a big swell). Swimming beach especially in summer, so respect swimmers: in the water, they are often near the shore (sand basin) so turn around as far away from them as possible. On the beach, be careful when launching and landing especially near the wind shadow area where your kite can stall.
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PIERREFONDS-AEROPORT4.8 kmsource meteofrance
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Additional stations
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Reunion/Pierrefonds Arpt4.9 km
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source aviationweather.gov
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PONT-MATHURIN12.4 km
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source meteofrance
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Webcams near La Gendarmerie
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Schools, shops and places to stay nearby
Directory: Réunion
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