Nearby La Ravine Blanche 2 km · Étang-Salé-les-Bains 17 km · Pointe au Sel 26 km · Saint-Leu 28 km · La Saline-les-Bains (Trou d'Eau) 36 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
No onset time is published for this spot.
The wind
locals call it Alizés
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
trade
Typical strength
A Saint-Pierre winter-trade day has gone from a 20-25 kt forecast to 30-35 kt on the water through local acceleration. Winter sessions over 30 kt are common.
The quiver, in words
Réunion quiver guidance is 7-10 m² for an average local rider, 5-14 m² across the range. One 30-35 kt session at La Gendarmerie ran a 6 m² twin-tip kite.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
riding season from the spot record · no wind series here is trusted enough to name a season
- Jan10
- Feb26
- Mar23
- Apr13
- May, riders' month32
- Jun, riders' month30
- Jul, riders' month15
- Aug, riders' month27
- Sep, riders' month18
- Oct, riders' month19
- Nov, riders' month12
- Dec5
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov.
The model is wrong here
The model reads 32% of days at its best month, which does not sit with the season and the wind strength this record states. The figures are kept and drawn as hatching so no wind colour can be read off them, and the ringed months are the ones riders name.
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10% | 24% | 16% | 9.5 kt | SE | 14:00 | 26.2°C | 28.3°C | 62 |
| Feb | 26% | 51% | 40% | 10.9 kt | SE | 14:00 | 26.4°C | 28.3°C | 57 |
| Mar | 23% | 35% | 34% | 9.9 kt | SE | 12:00 | 26.2°C | 28.3°C | 62 |
| Apr | 13% | 18% | 17% | 7.8 kt | SE | 11:00 | 25.3°C | 27.9°C | 60 |
| May | 32% | 47% | 40% | 10.7 kt | SE | 13:00 | 23.9°C | 27.1°C | 62 |
| Jun | 30% | 38% | 33% | 9.7 kt | SE | 13:00 | 21.9°C | 25.6°C | 60 |
| Jul | 15% | 26% | 21% | 9.8 kt | SE | 12:00 | 21.4°C | 24.8°C | 62 |
| Aug | 27% | 42% | 32% | 10.6 kt | SE | 13:00 | 21.4°C | 24.5°C | 62 |
| Sep | 18% | 32% | 25% | 9.7 kt | SE | 12:00 | 22.4°C | 24.9°C | 60 |
| Oct | 19% | 26% | 24% | 9.1 kt | SE | 12:00 | 23.3°C | 25.6°C | 62 |
| Nov | 12% | 27% | 15% | 9.2 kt | SE | 12:00 | 24.3°C | 26.7°C | 60 |
| Dec | 5% | 11% | 5% | 7.9 kt | SE | 12:00 | 25.6°C | 27.7°C | 62 |
riders' months
Riders and schools name these months. The model reads lower here, and both are shown rather than averaged.
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
mixed
Standing depth
A shallow lagoon roughly 150-200 m wide, with depth changing from one part of it to another and the deeper water on the left-hand side. No measured standing-depth range was found.
Tides
Respect the tide times. When the reef in front of the beach starts to show above the surface the tide is low and the lagoon is no place to be riding. Strong current runs in the pass on heavy-swell days, and the reef waves are reached through a small channel at low tide.
Temperature
26-29°C summer · 22-24°C winter
Wetsuit
Boardshorts/rash vest are generally enough; a 2 mm top or shorty can be useful at dawn, dusk, or in windy conditions.
Currents
Strong current runs in the pass on heavy-swell days, reported at 10 knots and more when the swell is up, and the right-hand pass is flagged for it too.
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
No school names this spot
Nobody has been recorded teaching or running a boat here.
On your own
Room to launch: tight
Somewhere else
La Ravine Blanche, 2 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Access is on the Saint-Pierre seafront between the gendarmerie and the cemetery. The beach is about one line-length deep, with rock and a stone shelf in places, and roughly 40 m at the downwind end sits dead in the shadow of the wall. Launch and landing are delicate in that width.
Space
tight
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Ask the local riders before your first session. This is their spot.
- Do not ride alone.
- Check tide, swell and the current in the pass before you try for the waves; the channel out is a low-tide route.
- Do not launch overpowered when heavy swell is running in the pass.
- Leave a margin on kite size. Local acceleration can multiply the forecast by 1.5-2.
- Put something on your feet in case you have to stand, and keep off the coral.
Getting there
Airport
Roland Garros Airport (RUN) for most arrivals; Saint-Pierre Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE) is the local south-island airport.
Route
Boulevard Hubert Delisle, 97410 Saint-Pierre, the seafront road. The spot is the stretch between the gendarmerie and the cemetery.
Transfer
62 min
Staying
Stay in Saint-Pierre and you walk to the spot. It is a beach and port town with a lagoon and a busy seafront full of restaurants.
No-wind days
Saint-Pierre seafront and lagoon · Saint-Pierre restaurants and markets · Route du Volcan · Cilaos · Grande Anse · South coast sightseeing
FAQ
When is the best time to kite La Gendarmerie?
The trade-wind season runs May to November, dominated by ESE to SE alizés, with winds often exceeding 30 knots even when forecasts show 20-25 knots.
Is La Gendarmerie suitable for beginners?
No, it is reserved for confirmed riders; the lagoon is narrow and shallow, the launch is tight, and newcomers are advised to consult local riders before entering the water.
What are the main hazards?
Reef, coral and sea urchins in the lagoon, shark-risk vigilance in open water, and strong current in the pass during heavy swell.
Is there a kite school or rescue service?
No staffed kite rescue is confirmed, though a rescue buoy and rope reel are kept on the roof of a nearby snack bar; no dedicated kite school was verified at the spot.
Are there rules to check before launching?
Saint-Pierre regulates bathing and watersports within its 300 m coastal band under a municipal order, and riders are told to verify tide times and priority rules with local authorities beforehand.
Last updated: August 2026