Windsurfing in Emerald Sea
Northern Madagascar, Madagascar · Intermediate-Pro
By NP7 Crew · Updated
Remote trade-wind paradise on the Emerald Sea
Emerald Sea at a glance
- Best time
- April-November
- Typical wind
- 15-30 knots
- Level
- Adventurous intermediates & up
- Water
- Flat water, Choppy, Big waves (2 m+)
Emerald Sea month by month
| Month | Avg wind | Session days | Air |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 kn | 95% | 28°C |
| Feb | 8 kn | 82% | 29°C |
| Mar | 11 kn | 98% | 29°C |
| Apr | 13 kn | 99% | 29°C |
| May | 15 kn | 99% | 28°C |
| Jun | 16 kn | 100% | 27°C |
| Jul | 16 kn | 100% | 26°C |
| Aug | 18 kn | 100% | 26°C |
| Sep | 18 kn | 100% | 26°C |
| Oct | 15 kn | 100% | 28°C |
| Nov | 13 kn | 98% | 29°C |
| Dec | 10 kn | 99% | 29°C |
Model data from Open-Meteo, Jan 2023 to Jul 2026 (about 3.5 years), daytime 9:00 to 18:00. Session days: days with at least 2 hours in a row of 11+ knots (or 16+ knot gusts) between 11:00 and 19:00. Not a wind meter on the beach.
Madagascar's far north is one of windsurfing's last frontiers: the vast, protected Diego Suarez Bay and the shallow turquoise Emerald Sea, powered by relentless winter trade winds, with not another sail in sight.
Watch: Off-grid windsurfing mission in Madagascar
Photos from this destination's spots.
What to wear in Emerald SeaNobody has said yet · Tell usNobody has said yet · Tell us
Been here? Pick the season, then tap what you wore.
How windy Emerald Sea usually isApril-NovemberApril-November
Each bar: how often it blew between 9:00 and 18:00 in that month, counted over about 3.5 years of weather records for this area. Not a wind meter on the beach: where hills or a gap speed the wind up (Canaries, Tarifa), it often blows more than this shows.
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It's the forecast model. In any wind app (Windguru, Windy…) you can pick which one to show. Not sure? GFS is the safe global default; the high-res ones (ICON-D2, AROME…) are sharper at coastal & thermal spots.
Global models
High-resolution (thermal / coastal)
The spots (2)
Babaomby Lodge
Tested by NP7: we've been here · Intermediate · Flat water, Choppy
One of windsurfing's last frontiers.
Nosy Suarez
Tested by NP7: we've been here · Advanced · Big waves (2 m+), Medium waves (1-2 m)
The Emerald Sea's outer reef break, in front of Babaomby.
One of windsurfing's last frontiers. The Babaomby peninsula at Madagascar's northern tip is reached by boat, and in front of it lies the Emerald Sea, a vast, shallow, impossibly turquoise lagoon powered by the varatraza trade wind that blows relentlessly from April to November. Flat water inside, playful swell on the outer reefs, and most days the only sails on the water are the ones you came with.
No one has said yet what to watch out for here, or how easy it is to launch.
- Best
- Works
- No-go
Info from 2 riders
The Emerald Sea's outer reef break, in front of Babaomby.
The renowned wave spot behind the Nosy Suarez islet, on the reef edge that borders the Emerald Sea lagoon. Cross-shore varatraza trade wind meets open-ocean swell to make the area's longest, most consistent wave. One for confident riders; reached by boat from Babaomby Lodge.
Written from riders' notes, edited by NP7.
No one has said yet what to watch out for here, or how easy it is to launch.
Level: mostly Advanced (1)
Conditions: 100% medium waves (1-2 m) · 50% small waves (0.5-1 m) · 50% big waves (2 m+) · 50% shallow
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