MapMadagascarEmerald Sea, Diego SuarezEmerald Sea (Mer d'Emeraude, Babaomby)Emerald Sea, Diego Suarez

Emerald Sea (Mer d'Emeraude, Babaomby)

Diana Region · Diego Suarez - Emerald Sea · Antsiranana II · Ramena; larger services in Antsiranana (Diego Suarez)

also known as Babaomby, Mer d'Emeraude, Mer d'Émeraude, Ilot Suarez, La Piscine

Part of Emerald Sea, Diego Suarez →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

beginner-friendlyonshorelow crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

Apr–Nov

Months riders and schools name

How windy

20-35 knots

Character: trade · onshore

Room to launch

access rules on record, below

Water

mixed

28 °C in summer

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

low crowds · busy Jul Aug Sep

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

120 min

Diego Suarez (DIE)

On the clock

09:00

About 09:00 until sunset in season.

The mark is the clock time the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The fade after it is not an end time, and not a promise of wind.

Nearbystraight-line distance

Sakalava Bay29 km

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Ramenano page yet
Baie de Sakalavano page yet
Baie des Pigeonsno page yet
Baie des Dunesno page yet
Yacht Club Antsiranana / Port d'Antsirananano page yet
Nosy Suarezno page yet

The spot

Emerald Sea is the reef-protected lagoon off the Babaomby Peninsula at the northern tip of Madagascar, and there is no road to it: you arrive by boat from Ramena, Sakalava Bay or Diego Suarez, or you stay at the lodge on the peninsula.

Riding and terrain

The riding is a very large lagoon with standable supervised water in front of Babaomby Island Lodge, the shallow flat of La Piscine as the downwind target, and reef waves of 1-3 m at Nosy Toreky and Nosy Suarez.

Wind season

The Varatraza is the headline: it sets in around April and blows to the end of November; it is hardest and most reliable from May or June through October, which makes this small-kite terrain for most of the season.

Tide rules everything

The tide writes the timetable, not the wind. Low water can stop the boats crossing at all, so your arrival, your session and your ride home are set by the tide table.

Who should go and when

Beginners belong in the lodge zone with an instructor, and everyone else wants a local briefing before riding down to La Piscine or out to the waves.

Outside 17 March to 1 December there is no lodge operation on the spot, which means no jet ski, no boat, no instructor.

The wind

locals call it Varatraza

Direction

onshore

Dominant direction

Southeast trade wind / alize; local guides call it the Varatraza.

Kite sizes

4567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

Small-kite terrain for most of the season. At 75-85 kg that means around 9 m through the lighter May, June and October days, 7 m as the standard size from July to September, and 5-6 m for the days that reach towards 40 kt.April and November, at 15-25 kt, are the only months where 10-12 m regularly earns its place.No local quiver chart is published, so read these as sizes for the documented 20-35 kt band rather than as a school's list.

Character

trade

When it fills in: see above ↑

Average strength

20-35

Typical strength

Quoted ranges run 20-35 knots from April to late November, and 20-40 knots in the main season. By month that reads 25-40 knots in July-September, about 20-35 in May, June, October, and 15-25 in late March, April, November.

Strong regular trade wind in season. The reliability is high by any measure, though the exact percentage depends on which figure you read.

The alize sets in during April and blows without a break to the end of November, with 98% of days above force 4 from early May to late October. Ilot Suarez ranks inside the 10 windiest spots in the forecast rankings that cover it.

Monthly figures put the highest reliability from May to October, with April and November still usable. The Varatraza is also given as running from mid-March to November.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

9 ktJan28°
9 ktFeb28°
9 ktMar28°
12 ktApr28°
14 ktMay28°
16 ktJun26°
17 ktJul26°
18 ktAug25°
17 ktSep25°
16 ktOct26°
13 ktNov27°
10 ktDec28°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Monthly averages. Highlighted: the months riders and schools name (Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov).

Measured at Antsiranana (Diego Suarez), Madagascar, ~27 km from the spot (multi-decade reanalysis-based climate normals (not a single discrete observing station/year range)).

Every figure, month by monthKnots · Wind from · Air · Water

Month	Knots	Wind from	Air	Water
Jan	9 kt	W	27.2 °C	28.3 °C
Feb	8.9 kt	W	26.7 °C	28.3 °C
Mar	9.4 kt	E	27.2 °C	28.3 °C
Apr	11.7 kt	E	27.2 °C	28.3 °C
May	14 kt	E	26.1 °C	27.8 °C
Jun	15.7 kt	E	25 °C	26.1 °C
Jul	17 kt	E	24.4 °C	25.6 °C
Aug	17.5 kt	E	24.4 °C	25 °C
Sep	17.2 kt	E	25 °C	25 °C
Oct	15.8 kt	E	26.1 °C	25.6 °C
Nov	13.2 kt	E	27.2 °C	26.7 °C
Dec	9.8 kt	E	27.8 °C	27.8 °C

How this was measuredmeasured · multi-decade reanalysis-based climate normals (not a single discrete observing station/year range)

A ground station recorded this, at the distance the page names.

A station this far away — often inland or at an airport — can understate accelerated local wind. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

Antsiranana (Diego Suarez), Madagascar · Weather Spark · multi-decade reanalysis-based climate normals (not a single discrete observing station/year range)

The water

Type

mixed

Standing depth

You can stand in the supervised beginner area in front of Babaomby Island Lodge; there is footing everywhere in that learning zone. La Piscine, the downwind destination, is about 40 cm deep over 500 m. Do not assume the wider lagoon or the approaches to the reef waves are standable.

Tides

Everything here runs on the tide. Lessons in front of the lodge are scheduled around it, the flat water at La Piscine works at low water and on big coefficients, and low tide can stop the boats crossing at all. Your arrival and departure times are set by the tide table, not by when the wind fills in.

Temperature

28 °C summer · 26 °C winter

Modelled monthly average: 25–28 °C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts or lycra in season for most riders; Babaomby supplies shorties for chilly students and recommends lycra and strong sun protection. Board shorts or short neo are also listed; water is 26–28 °C and air about 30 °C in kite season.

Currents

Wind and current are always incoming inside the lagoon. No independent measurement of that current exists, and no current map for the rescue zone. Unconfirmed.

Conditions

Emerald Sea is a reef-protected lagoon roughly 12 km long and 3 km wide, with crystal-clear shallow sand areas, choppy/open lagoon sections, and reef waves at Nosy Toreky and Nosy Suarez.

Nosy Toreky is an easier 1-2 m low-tide wave with side-on starboard wind, and Nosy Suarez is a longer right of 1-3 m with side-shore starboard wind.

Coral reef, isolated islets and boat access define the riding environment.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Beginners learn in the standable water in front of the lodge, with IKO instructors and jet-ski or boat cover.

Intermediates have the 12 x 3 km lagoon and the downwinder to La Piscine.

Advanced riders have the reef waves at Nosy Toreky and Nosy Suarez. Access and launching are awkward enough that an unsupervised novice should not read the whole lagoon as beginner terrain.

The scene

What riders come here for

freeridewavesflat waterfreestyledownwinderswingfoilwindsurf

Who it suitslessons

Remote lodge-and-boat-trip scene rather than a public beach scene: communal eco-lodge life with 14 bungalows and on-water sessions shared by kitesurfers, windsurfers and wingfoilers. The wider north Madagascar scene is wild, isolated and lightly developed.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

6 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: ok

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

1 spot nearby

Sakalava Bay29 km

The one spot within 40 km is under Nearby

Rescue

The lodge runs its own cover: four IKO-certified instructors and three assistants, a jet ski and a boat, teaching to IKO standards since 2008, a maximum of two students per course, and kit down to helmet, buoyancy vest, shorty, booties. That is cover for lodge clients.

Day-trippers on the excursion boat from Ramena get whatever the boat crew provides. There is no public rescue service, no harbour patrol, no shore station and no published emergency number for the lagoon, so an independent rider should assume nobody is watching.

Launch

The practical launch for staying riders is directly in front of Babaomby Island Lodge on the Emerald Sea lagoon.The spot is boat-accessed from Ramena, Sakalava Bay or Diego Suarez; day-trip riders may be dropped at the Emerald Sea entrance, Ilot Suarez or La Piscine depending on tide and operator.It is a sandy starting area with supervised teaching directly in front of the lodge.

Hazards riders report 13 reported

Wind

Strong trade wind, commonly 20-35 knots and sometimes reported up to 40 knots.

Crowds and zones

boat-only access
Remote boat-access location with limited public infrastructure.
Fishermen, boats and rocks are mentioned as access/arrival obstacles.
Fishermen, their boats and rocks on the approach are the usual obstacles on arrival.
Outside 17 March to 1 December there is no lodge operation on the spot, and with it no jet ski, no boat and no instructor.

Bottom

coral reef

Waves and currents

Tide-dependent shallow zones; La Piscine and lessons are tide-aware.
Low tide can prevent boat passage.
Reef waves at Nosy Toreky and Nosy Suarez are for more experienced riders.

Protected areas and rules

Coral reef around the lagoon and reef-wave breaks.
Day-trip boats leave on a fixed schedule; miss the return and you are on a lagoon with no road out.

Other

remote location, limited rescue infrastructure

Rules & access

1 min read

2026: no kitesurf permit, no marked zone, no hours restriction and no seasonal ban applies to the Emerald Sea lagoon, as far as anything published goes. Access is governed in practice by boats and lodges rather than by an ordinance.
The lagoon lies at the entrance to Diego-Suarez bay. The nearest marine protected area covers the water around Nosy Hara in the Baie du Courrier, on the west side of the northern tip; the Emerald Sea is reportedly outside it, but no boundary map is published.
Babaomby Island Lodge's 2026 season runs 17 March to 1 December. Outside those dates there is no school, jet ski or boat cover on the spot, and no other on-water safety operation was found.
Day access from Ramena is a paid boat excursion: about 90,000 Ar per person in 2026 for the return crossing with a meal and water, plus about 100,000 Ar for the vehicle to the Ramena dock, with pickup around 07:00 and a fixed return departure that ends your session whether or not the wind is still on.
Sessions and lessons are timed to the tide, and low water can stop boats crossing altogether, so the day's riding window is set by the tide table as much as by the forecast.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

Rider tips

Arrange the boat before you arrive: there is no road in, and low water can stop the crossing entirely.
Bring smaller kites than a normal tropical freeride trip needs; the season band is 20-35 kt and reportedly up to 40 kt at its peak.
Ride La Piscine on low water and a big coefficient, which is when the 40 cm flat is at its best.
Pack lycra and high-SPF sun protection, plus booties for coral and reef; the lodge school lends shorties and booties to students.
If you are day-tripping rather than staying, budget about 90,000 Ar a head for the boat in 2026 and about 100,000 Ar for the vehicle to the Ramena dock, book a day ahead and be ready for a pickup around 07:00.
Check the lodge season before you book flights: 17 March to 1 December in 2026, and outside it nobody is on the water.

Getting there

Airport

Arrachart Airport, Antsiranana/Diego Suarez (DIE); Babaomby also notes Nosy Be as a longer, all-day transfer alternative.

Route

The practical arrival airport is Diego Suarez / Antsiranana, and the lodge runs a transfer of about 30 minutes by car plus 1 h 30 min by boat; an airport pickup to Ramena followed by a 45-minute lodge boat is also used.Day tripsDay trips go the same way: a vehicle to the Ramena dock, then a sailing boat that either drops you downwind at the Emerald Sea entrance or runs straight to Ilot Suarez.Costs and bookingIn 2026 that is roughly 90,000 Ar per person for the boat with a meal and about 100,000 Ar for the vehicle, booked a day ahead with a pickup around 07:00. Arrange transfers in advance: there is no road, and low tide can stop boats passing.

Transfer

120 min

Cost level

high

Staying

Stay on the Babaomby Peninsula if you want direct riding: Babaomby Island Lodge lists 2026 opening from 17 March to 1 December, full-board bungalows, and airport-to-Babaomby return transfers.Les Paillottes de Babaomby is another Emerald Sea lodge with bungalows/suites and a kite-school listing. Sakalava Bay lodges can arrange day trips/downwinders into the Emerald Sea rather than lodging inside the lagoon.

No-wind days

Snorkeling, fishing, SUP, kayaking, canoeing in a mangrove river, hikes to baobab forest and tsingy formations around Babaomby, plus regional trips to Amber Mountain, Red Tsingy/Analamerana, Ankarana, the Three Bays, Ramena and Diego Suarez/Antsiranana.

Photos

FAQ

When is the best time to kite at Emerald Sea?

The Varatraza trade wind blows from April to late November, with the most reliable period from about May or June through October.

Is Emerald Sea suitable for beginners?

Yes, in the supervised standable zone in front of Babaomby Island Lodge with instructors; the wider lagoon and reef waves are for more experienced riders.

What is the wind like at Emerald Sea?

The Varatraza trade wind is strong and reliable, typically 20-35 knots and sometimes reported up to 40 knots, blowing onshore from about 09:00 until sunset.

How do you get to Emerald Sea?

Access is by boat, typically about 30 minutes by car plus 1.5 hours by boat from Diego Suarez/Antsiranana, or a shorter transfer via Ramena depending on tide.

Are there kite schools at Emerald Sea?

Yes; Babaomby Island Lodge runs an on-spot school with four certified instructors, assistants, a jet ski and a boat for lagoon safety.

The bigger pictureEverything about Diego Suarez - Emerald Sea

Last updated: August 2026