Between heavy swells, squalls, and the occasional rainbow, Francesca Maini reflects on what makes Manawa in Le Morne one of the most rewarding (if slightly unpredictable) foil waves on the planet…
Words: Francesca Maini | Photos: Louis Arnaud Lavasier
Mauritius is a special place for me. I’ve been visiting since I was very young – it’s where I learnt to kitesurf and where I caught my first waves wingfoiling. It’s where it all started, and it never gets old. The ultimate playground for riding waves and truly one of my favorite places in the world.
I was in Le Morne, with my family for two weeks at the end of August. My brother, dad, and I were chasing waves whilst my mum was happier kiting in the lagoon. It was great to come back here with my family and with more winging experience so I could really take advantage of the spot. Straight off the plane we had a session in some big swell, and it felt so good to ride Manawa again. When everything lines up, Manawa can be one of the most perfect waves for foiling – you can get minute-long rides with a mix of fat and steep sections. When the wind is light the wave turns glassy and smooth – it’s the most satisfying feeling. There is also an easy escape route in the channel so normally you can avoid getting too many sets on the head!
The forecast was looking epic for the week, so we wanted to get some shots of the trip. We tried to choose the biggest days, but it can be hard if the waves are too big, as the channel can close out therefore the boat can’t take photos. For the first session’s shoot we scored it big. Not quite as big as the previous days but the sets must have been some of the largest I’ve ever ridden wingfoiling. I was using the 500 MA V2 from North, with a 142 Stabilizer and even with such a small foil I had so much speed on the waves.
💎 Premium Content Ahead! 💎 *You will receive our weekly Friday Pump newsletter, plus the latest features, gear tests and giveaway announcements. I remember the water felt particularly turbulent with quite a lot of seaweed, making it even harder to keep everything together on the big sets. Hitting a piece of seaweed whilst riding was game over. We started the shoot in the sun but soon a squall moved through – bringing rain, gusty wind, and dark clouds. Big waves and light wind can be a scary combination, the squall then passed allowing the wind to fill in again and we were blessed by a rainbow. Riding these waves in stormy conditions makes the atmosphere feel exciting and even more extreme. I’m happy to report that the shoot went great: no big wipe-outs or broken gear! After riding big swells that first week, riding the smaller days was fun but it just became too easy, and I craved that adrenaline rush. I was ready for bigger waves again. Another good swell was lining up toward the end of our trip, so we called up the photographer, Louis, and we were ready for another shoot. It was our last day of the trip and we managed to score another amazing day shooting. There were some sets breaking in the channel, so we were worried it was going to be too big for the boat, and the waves weren’t lining up perfectly, but we still caught some epic waves with some sets around three meters high. Sometimes there were some waves breaking in the channel and they can be fun to ride, they get super steep, and you can ride them from far out. We had a great day shooting again… Riding Manawa is one of the best feelings, it's indescribable and addictive you just want to keep doing it. And despite the occasional beating, it’s really one of the best places to learn wingfoiling in waves. Trust me!
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During the trip we had a few technical issues, with my dad breaking a few booms or wings during wipe-outs but luckily my brother and I have created a tow foil setup with the kite. We attached a handle to the kite harness and could tow each other out of situations if one of us had an issue. So that came in very useful on this trip! I also had some wipe-outs, one led to me losing my wing. I hit some seaweed and got washed over by the waves, causing the wing leash to snap. I was expecting a terribly long paddle back to shore, but my brother had managed to collect my wing and foil it back over to me, which was an absolute lifesaver. Between my brother, dad, and I, we have all had at least one big paddle back to shore from Manawa and it’s long. Trust me, I don’t recommend it.
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