Stormrider Guide to surfing Haiti

Haiti, CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

Ginsu, John Callahan/Tropicalpix

Summary

+ North & south coast season	- Small, shallow and inconsistent
+ Morning offshores	- Wrecked infrastructure
+ Empty spots	- Chaotic Port-au-Prince
+ Tropical paradise	- Transport hassles

Haiti is generally off most surfer’s lists, but nevertheless, it gets some fun and even challenging waves on it’s coral fringed north coast. While cruise ships stop at the deep-water anchorage off the sugar sands of Labadee Beach, passengers who have been riding the Flow-Rider onboard could be getting the real thing just around the corner at Haiti’s best wave, Ginsu. There is still an element of the unknown about the north and south coasts, plus the cays and islands dotted around, but with no crowd pressure, there’s little incentive to stray from the half dozen known spots in the country. Haiti hasn’t had a shark fatality for as long as Jamaica.

When to Go

Winter (Nov-March) is when NE trade winds and Atlantic lows produce almost constant swells. True NW-N groundswells are shadowed by the Bahamas and the Turks & Caicos islands. Typically, the surf will be 2-5ft with possible 6-8ft days. The south coast really scores some decent E-SE windswell between July and September. Expect 2-4ft surf, unless a hurricane swell hits from Sept-Oct jacking up 10-12ft waves. Irregular semi-diurnal tides hit 1.1m (north) and 0.8m (south).

Surf Spots

Caracol has lefts and rights over coral on both sides of the reef pass, but access is via a taxi boat and it is inconsistent. The main north coast attraction for cruise ship tourists is Labadee Beach and for surfers itÕs nearby Ginsu. Really consistent and open to all NE energy, the take-off can throw out some nice short and intense tubes, then it curves and bowls through to Òchopping board rockÓ on the inside. Difficult road access and the reef is so shallow and urchin-covered that itÕs best to paddle out from the next cove west from the break at lower tides. Limbe hosts a shallow fast left, with steep performance sections and an end bowl. Chouchou sleeps in a steep bay until a big NE swell breaks clear into the channel for a short critical barrel section, then a wrapping face. Le Borgne is a right reefbreak/rivermouth, close to Pointe Boeuf, that can peel down the line for a long way and give some E wind protection. There are tapering rights and also short playful lefts in oily, diesel blue water. Cap Rouge overlooks a spectacular wedging right reef, with long curving walls followed by a lively and shallow end section over a flat coral reef. Works in both NE wind and groundswells. Although fickle and needing a solid NE swell, St Louis du NordÕs long sand bottom point can deliver perfect longboard rights on low tides. There are way more spots to discover both sides of Turtle IslandÕs massive NE swell shadow. Way out west on the Tiburon peninsula are numerous potential SE swell rights and left slabs on the Tiburon Reefs just south of the town via the decent coastal road. Empty Les AnglaisÕ outstanding, sprawling, left point/rivermouth, breaks way up the top on small swells, before 7 seconds plus period conjures the longest wave in Haiti, peeling stylishly through three sections past the town. Consistent tight-to-shore wedging lefts and rights meet in an eye-stinging silty shoredump at Chevalier. Inconsistent Torbek becomes an excellent, long rivermouth right peeling easily over boulders and sand in longer period SSE swells. Baie Du Mesle is a high quality, super-shallow, long left reef with hollow sections and walling faces. Aquin has sandy Rainbow Beach for beginners and the offshore islands hold two excellent left reefs plus a speedy short righthander with a critical takeoff and a bowling section on Grande Caye. LÕHemitage Beach receives all available SE swell and handles afternoon onshores to deliver long, powerful, performance lefts, with a pounding shorebreak. Offshore bathymetry makes Brasiliene a swell magnet with reeling rivermouth lefthanders snapping over large cobblestones. The main Jacmel wave Pistons shapes good lefts over the sand topped reef in the morning offshores. Cayes Jacmel tames chaotic windswell into good peaky take-offs, fast walls and open faces for cutbacks. ThereÕs an emerging local surf scene at the friendly Kabik beachies, or try Ti MouillageÕs shallow, slabby lefts. Photgenic Cotterelle Point entices walkers to playful, performance walls over shallow boils of urchin reef estate. Consistent Cotterelle Beach is rideable in sub 5 second period junk, with wedgy peaks into shorebreak close-outs. Finally, Marigot can deliver fast, tight-to-shore lefts over boulders, with hollow sections.

Statistics

dominant swell

N -NE

N -SE

N -NE

swell size (ft)

0-1

2-3

1-2

consistency (%)

dominant wind

NE -E

average force

consistency (%)

water temp (C)

wetsuit

boardshorts

Travel Information

Weather
Temps range from 15-25¡C (59-77¼F) during winter and from 25-35¡C (77-95¼F) through summer. NE trade winds bring heavy rainfall to the northern plains and the hurricane exposed southern peninsula between April and Nov. Warm water year-round Ð take booties for shallow reefs.

Lodging and Food
Only the main tourist beaches have good places to stay like Cormier Plage near Cap Haitien, Kayanol Village in Labadee or Hotel Florita And Hotel Cyvadier in Jacmel. Expect to pay $60, but there are local rooms for $10. Local meals can be anything from dirt cheap ($1-2) to $25 for international standard cuisines. Great coffee and Rhum Barbancourt is a fine cognac.

Nature and Culture
Mountainous and wild. DonÕt miss the Bassin Blue waterfalls near Jacmel. Visit Citadelle LafŽrire from Cap Haitien. ArtisanÕs Market, located near the beach has rich art and crafts. Play soccer or dominos with locals.