Map › New Caledonia › Ilot Tenia
Province Sud · Boulouparis - West Coast · South Province · Boulouparis / Bouraké
Ilot Tenia
also known as Îlot Ténia, Ilôt Ténia
Nearby Ouano Beach 25 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
The trade can run through the night, but the thermal reinforcement makes late morning to mid-afternoon the steadiest hours. In practice the boat-taxi schedule and the tide decide when you ride, not the hour the wind arrives.
The wind
locals call it alizés / trade winds
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: The trade can run through the night, but the thermal reinforcement makes late morning to mid-afternoon the steadiest hours. In practice the boat-taxi schedule and the tide decide when you ride, not the hour the wind arrives.
Typical strength
15-22 kt through the November-March trade season, lighter and less regular the rest of the year. Nothing is measured on the islet, so treat the band as regional; the nearest long-record station sits about 45 km away at the airport.
Also on record
15-22
The quiver, in words
Indicative for a 75-85 kg rider on that 15-22 kt band, no local size table found: 12 m at the bottom end, 9-10 m around 18 kt, 8 m at 22 kt. Bring the range rather than one kite. Nothing is rented or repaired on the islet, and the boat back is not a quick errand.
Direction to shore
Onshore to side-onshore.
Dominant direction
trade-wind flow; exact spot-facing dominant direction unconfirmed
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month5
- Feb, riders' month14
- Mar, riders' month16
- Apr3
- May8
- Jun5
- Jul16
- Aug18
- Sep17
- Oct15
- Nov, riders' month42
- Dec, riders' month13
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec.
- 5%Jan30°
- 14%Feb29°
- 16%Mar28°
- 3%Apr28°
- 8%May25°
- 5%Jun23°
- 16%Jul22°
- 18%Aug22°
- 17%Sep23°
- 15%Oct25°
- 42%Nov26°
- 13%Dec29°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5% | 13% | 10% | 8 kt | S | 14:00 | 25.7°C | 29.9°C | 62 |
| Feb | 14% | 33% | 25% | 9.3 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 25.9°C | 29.1°C | 57 |
| Mar | 16% | 32% | 26% | 9.6 kt | SSE | 13:00 | 25.4°C | 28.1°C | 62 |
| Apr | 3% | 12% | 8% | 7.7 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 24.1°C | 27.5°C | 60 |
| May | 8% | 19% | 11% | 8.6 kt | SSE | 13:00 | 22.1°C | 24.5°C | 62 |
| Jun | 5% | 25% | 15% | 8.7 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 20.8°C | 23.2°C | 60 |
| Jul | 16% | 31% | 21% | 9.1 kt | SE | 14:00 | 20.4°C | 22.3°C | 62 |
| Aug | 18% | 37% | 26% | 10 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 19.8°C | 22°C | 62 |
| Sep | 17% | 33% | 25% | 9.9 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 21.3°C | 23.4°C | 60 |
| Oct | 15% | 35% | 26% | 9.9 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 22.1°C | 24.6°C | 62 |
| Nov | 42% | 65% | 52% | 12.3 kt | SSE | 13:00 | 23.7°C | 25.9°C | 60 |
| Dec | 13% | 34% | 19% | 10.3 kt | S | 13:00 | 25.6°C | 28.6°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. 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.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
flat turquoise lagoon with reef-barrier waves
Standing depth
Mixed. Shallow flat zones run along the beaches, shallow enough for children to stand, while the main lagoon is big and deep. At low tide there is little or no water around the islet at all, which is a bigger constraint than depth anywhere else.
Tides
best at high tide; at low tide there is little or no water around the islet
Temperature
27°C summer · 22°C winter
Wetsuit
boardshorts/lycra in summer; shorty or light wetsuit may be useful in the coolest months
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: small island beaches; exact rigging-space limits unconfirmed
Somewhere else
Ouano Beach, 25 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Sandy islet beaches reached by boat taxi from Bouraké or Port Ouenghi/Jackaroo Surf Camp; a beach sloping gently into the lagoon.
Space
small island beaches; exact rigging-space limits unconfirmed
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Plan the session around high tide; at low water there is barely any water around the islet.
- Confirm the boat-taxi schedule from Bouraké or Port Ouenghi before you commit to a session or an overnight.
- Carry water, food, sun cover, reef footwear and a mask, because nothing is sold on the islet.
- Treat the reef waves and channels as advanced ground unless someone local is guiding you.
- Camping is allowed, so a windy forecast is worth two days here rather than one.
- Allow 1h15 to 1h30 on the road from Nouméa to the Bouraké area before you even get on the boat.
- Coming straight off a flight, the wharf is only about 30 minutes west of Tontouta, so the islet is a same-day arrival.
- Take an FFVL licence or equivalent accident cover before you travel; it is the usual insurance for kiting here.
- Watch for turtles. Boards and foils hit them in this lagoon, and a strike at speed hurts both of you.
Getting there
Airport
Nouméa-La Tontouta International Airport (NOU)
Route
From La Tontouta airport it is about 30 minutes by road west to the Bouraké wharf, then 25 to 40 minutes by boat to the islet depending on the operator and the departure point. Coming from Nouméa itself, allow about 1h30 on the road before you get on the boat. Port Ouenghi is the other departure point.
Transfer
55 min
Cost level
high
Staying
Wild camping on the islet is reportedly possible; otherwise stay around Boulouparis, Port Ouenghi or Bouraké, or base yourself in Nouméa.
No-wind days
snorkeling, swimming, beach picnic/barbecue, reef or lagoon excursions, and land-based West Coast visits
FAQ
Is Ilot Tenia suitable for beginners?
Sources disagree: some describe it as accessible to all levels, while another guide calls the big, deep lagoon not particularly beginner friendly, so supervised beginners should treat it as remote and tide-dependent.
What is the wind like at Ilot Tenia?
Trade winds of roughly 15-22 knots are typical, strongest and most reliable from November to March.
What is the tide like at Ilot Tenia?
The spot is strongly tide affected, with little or no water around the islet at low tide, so high tide is the recommended window.
How do I get to Ilot Tenia?
Access is by road from Noumea to Bouraké or Port Ouenghi, roughly 1h15-1h30, then a boat taxi of about 20-40 minutes to the islet.
Are there rules at Ilot Tenia?
It is a classified nature reserve where collecting shells, plants or sand is forbidden, though no kite-specific restriction was found.
Last updated: August 2026