Where to dive in Mauritius

[Matte]

Hi everybody,

tired of the warm winter we are having here in Stockholm, me and my family decided for a "last minute" to Mauritius. Everything was already booked but we found a good place in the south west and we will have a small car hire included in the "pachage". I have never been there (I nearly didn't know where it was) but I heard there is good surfing (I was a longboarder before a 4m wave broke my board perfectly in the middle in 1993), but mostly a beginner freediver (ok ok, very beginner), and I wanted to ask if someone can suggest few nice spots on the island.

thank you in advance,

Matteo.

PS for who is wondering: winter here has to be cold: -5 C (or less) means clear sky, sun, white snow everywhere (increasing daylight), a lot of winter sports to do: long distance skating (on lakes or sea) among my favorite ones. +5 instead means grey, low clouds no white, no snow no winter sports.. Ok I swim in pool so it is ok anyway. :-)

[Matte]

Oh well,

it seems that few people know much about mauritius.. pity. I guess it is because the island is known to be kind of "luxury", but in reality it is not. I just learned that side by side to the actual luxury hotels, there is the possibility to hire apartments for a reasonable price, to a level that became cheaper for us to travel there than for example to Thailand..

Ok we can do like that, me, wife and kids, we go there and on my way back I'm going to tell my impression about it: like where to dive, to surf, to have fun, to take the family and such.. check for a new thread on mauritius after the middle of february. Meanwhile have a nice (diving) time.

Ciao, Matteo.

[trux]

If you are looking for buddies or more info about diving on Mauritius (Ille Maurice in French) or the neighbor Ille Réunion (which is part of the European Community, and French territory), you should definitely try asking on some French freediving forum - such as the Esprit Apnée. I remember seeing a guy from Mauritius joining the EA forum just this week (in this thread). You can try contacting him for some more info. He certainly speaks English too, since English is the official language there.

Although Mauritius is independent, and since 200 years not under French power, and although as I wrote, English is the official language, French language still apparently dominates the media, business, and common life. That's why Ille Maurice is quite popular among French - French are extremely lazy as for language learning goes, so they travel almost exclusively only to locations where they are sure they can use French - Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, and all their past or current colonies in Africa, Asia and Pacific (which are fortunately for them numerous). So, it means, it is quite likely you will find freedivers familiar with Mauritius on French forums.

[Matte]

Thank you Trux I will do that. Ciao, Matteo.

[magiatika]

howzit matte,


you can find good waves in mauritius at this time of the year, but you'll definitely have to do a bit of driving to get to them.
at this time of the year, you get cyclone swells (so far, we got 3 in the last month, so it's a good start for the season) and that means the north west coast is usually where you'll find surf.
tamarin usually doesn't break very often at this time, but the wild south might be ok, just really long paddle outs overthere, so best not to go alone...
as for diving, you can find all the info you need in the diving centers in all the hotels, or even better, ask the fishermen or the people you're renting the house from, they'll most likely know someone who will know where to take you.
watch out for the heat and the mosquitos, don't bring a speargun (it's illegal here) and you'll have a good time in mauritius...
enjoy!

[trux]

If you are still looking for some info on Mauritius (Ille Maurice), Flipper just posted some info on the French Esprit Apnée forum in this thread (automated translation here). It quotes two links:
oceanvillas
VoyageForum.com*> Thèmes*> Activités aquatiques en voyage*> Ile Maurice et apnée (automated translation)

The principal info is in this quote:

You do not have much choice, forget the Morne (too dangerous, strong currents) and go to Blue Bay (Point of Esny - Mahébourg). It is practically the only place of the island which is easily accessible and nice for snorkelling. I advise you to go there early, because starting from 10AM there are boats and ski jets

Blue Bay is a marine park (more or less protected) where the corals are splendid. If not it appears that there is an interesting site at Balaclava (close of Point to Peppers - Western North) but there I do not know it personally, so I cannot tell you more!

[Matte]

Trux and Magiatika,

THANK YOU GUYS! I really appreciated the avices and links. I can actually read french, and talk it a bit, but unfortunately I am too bad in writing, I was waiting my wife to help me a little to write on the french forum you suggested Trux, but the info you linked together wit the surfing info of Magiatica are enough for me.
We are travelling with our two kids (2.5 and 4.5 years old) so I was just planning to take fins, googles, mask, and my noseclip. I don't have nor a speargun (but soon or later I will get one) neither a surf anymore, so I will just see "the others" surfing instead.. Spending time with my kids takes nearly all of my energy, but it is the best "sport" I ever did. :-)
I will tell you my impressions and experience on the island as soon we will back; thanks for now,

Matteo.

[Samuel]

Hi,
I live in mauritius. I dive in flic-en-flac and Grand-baie that are very touristic places. Water is clearer in grand-baie, but I prefer flic-en-flac because it's much more frequent to see daulphins and rays, the scuba diving sites are more attractive (this is my point of view). If your are coming to mauritius you can contact me and I'll organize a journey.

[Matte]

Thank you Samuel,

unfortunately I was already there when you posted your message, and I read it just now when I am back in stockholm. It would have been fun to meet you in flic en flac, it will be for another time.

But let me now tell you all my impressions of Maritius or Ile Maurice as they call it there (as trux already said):
1) climate: wonderful! hot, rather windy 30 celsius in the air and 27 in the water. A little humid but good for the skin. IF you remember to protect yoursel from the sun: don't worry in many supermarket you can easily find solar creme with sun factor 60 (not 6.. 60!). We bought it and used it and we didn't get sunburned.. none of us, which is already something at 20 degree latitude south in January.
2) In the water:
snorkeling very good, probably the best place is flic en flac (the coral grow in the lagoon 50 m from the beach) and of course Blue Bay which is a marine park and since the depth is up to 15 m then you can even do some recreational freediving.. but remeber to always consider the tide and wind conditions that can make the water turbid .. usually early mornig is good, but ask before. Nearly everywhere you can find boats the can bring around in the most beatiful spots but agree on the price before. I got the chance to dive on on the oceanside of the coral reef (outside the lagoon then) with a supporting boat following me: very nice.
Diving (or scuba diving) as much you want: there is plenty of diving center and nearly everywhere in the island there are spots worth a trip. Nearly all of them are outside the lagoons so prepare yourself to jump on a boat.
Other activities: you can walk on the bottom, or you can ride a U-scooter, or you can even go to -30m inside a U-boat if you like to. Underwater promenades might not be the best for the corals so I would avoid it.
Inside the lagoons ther are all the small tropical fish you can imagine (and a little more) outside the reef you can meet sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, sea rays (as samuel said).. you won't be bored.
3) On the water:
Surf, windsurf, Kitesurf, hobiecat, I would suggest The Morne where the mistral club is located (indian resort). You can go in and hire everything even take some lessons.. 27 degree in the water will make any tiring lesson less tiring. Be careful with the wave surfing: the reef is some 600 800 1000 m from the beach.. I wouldn't go alone. If you have problems a boat can fetch you up for 10€ (inside) or 30€ (outside the lagoon) but remeber to tell them you are out.. On the other hand Tamarin have a beatiful beach brake ..
It is even possible to go for a ride with big catamarans which will bring you in beatiful spots and offer you a lunch on board.. they tend to anchor on the same place wich was a little ruined by the anchors itself before, I have no idea now.
4) On land:
if you have kids it is a must to go to vanille park where they can ride on giant land turtles (tortoises?) among other things. If you are looking for nightlife, I have no idea in the north, but in the south (we were in la gaulette , close to The Morne) there is no such thing. We actually loved to go to bed around 10 pm and wake up at 6, 7 in the morning (as locals do).. the landskape of a sub-tropical island at 7 am is unforgettable.. you will miss no nightlife. Very good food everywhere, even if not as cheap as tailand.
5) medical assistance:
Very good. Of course after all my diving and too much wind in my ears I got Otitis.. (ok ok I know..) I didn't bother and got worse to the point I had to go to the hospital to meet a doctor. Sunday morning at 11 they called a specialist for me which arrived after 30 minuter just to take a look at my left ear.. got antibiotics and got better .. no more diving of course.. A ear drop two days earlyer would have been enough (it had antibiotics as well and one can buy it from a farmacy with no prescription) but I didn't know. The ear drop costed 1.5€, the clinic charged me 50 € and the 10 days cure the doctor prescribed costed 10€.. amazing price quality rateo.
6)Where to stay:
The resorts are word famous for the things they offer, but are not exactly cheap.. well, there are pachages with the air companies that could build up a very nice vacation for a reasonable price.. check if you want. On the other hand if you don't like the resort life, then you can hire apartments and you can even have a car included in the pachage, which is very nice since if you hire yourself you may pay twice as much (cars are three times more expensive there than europe).
7) language:
official is english but since most people speak creole, they would prefer to speach french than english especially in the creole areas like the south west for example. In the hotels restaurants and "important" places everybody speaks english, so no worries.
8) driving:
like england.. good for you, not really good for me, which had problem there and then here to go back to the right side.. The road are rather recent, so in a good state, but often rather narrow.. watch out for bicycles and walking people ESPECIALLY at night.. you simply don't see them, the countryside is dark.

If you have more questions ask,

Ciao. Matteo.

[Samuel]

I'm glad you apreciated mauritius! you got back to stockolhm at the good moment!
There is actually a cyclone near the island. Winds of more than 120km/h, more than 50% of the population have no electricity!
Fortunately I have a generator

[magiatika]

yep, gamede is his name, check it out:
[img=http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/7671/gamedesz7.th.jpg]

[Matte]

What a cyclone men!

The last few days I was there I decided to take some kite lessons, but there was NO wind.. but 120km/h is a little too much.. Hold on guys it will pass even this one. I was wondering why I had no news from other friends I met when I was there.. ok, hear from you in few dasy, good luck, Matteo.