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| SUMMARY |
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Spot quality and quantity |
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Easy access |
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No crowds |
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Budget trip |
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African lifestyle |
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Urchins |
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Onshore wind |
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local hustlers |
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Quite inconsistent |
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Surf Spots |
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Yoff Beach
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Yoff Island
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Le Virage
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N'gor Lefts
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N'gor Rights
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Baie des Carpes
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Club Med
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No Return
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Secret Spot
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Vivier
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Ouakam
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Corniche Ouest
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The Surf
Most surfers who visit Senegal head straight to the prime surf area on the Almadies Peninsula, just outside Dakar. This westernmost tip of Africa juts out into the ocean and the peninsula has one of the largest swell windows in the world. Swells can appear from the SE and all the way around to the N, which is about 260°! Another great thing about this zone is that most of the spots lie within easy walking distance of each other.
When to Go
Although N’gor’s latitude is low (14°), which usually means inconsistent surf, it still receives frequent swell, mostly from the N/NW in the 2-10ft (0.5-3m) range. The best low pressures are those that develop between Nova Scotia and Iceland. The waves can be powerful, reaching 8-10ft, so a semi-gun will help. From Aug to Oct, Senegal also receives 3-6ft (1-2m) S/SW swells, courtesy of the hurricanes that are born off the coast of W Africa. There is also a narrow window for long distance S hemisphere swells to sneak in some 1-4ft (0.3-1m) waves. The harmattan (N-NE) trade winds blow from Nov to April becoming more NW from March to June. Sometimes the wind starts blowing before dawn and then calms down around noon. The short wet season typically has W-SW winds. Tidal range is never over 6ft (2m) but it can effect shallow spots.
| SURF STATISTICS |
J
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F
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M
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A
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M
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J
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J
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A
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S
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O
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N
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D
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| dominant swell |
NW -N |
NW -N |
SW -NW |
SW -NW |
NW -N |
NW -N |
| swell size (ft) |
4-5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
3-4 |
4-5 |
| consistency (%) |
70 |
50 |
40 |
40 |
60 |
71 |
| dominant wind |
N -NE |
NW -N |
NW -N |
SW -W |
SW -N |
N -NE |
| average force |
F3 |
F3 |
F3 |
F3 |
F3 |
F3 |
| consistency (%) |
73 |
77 |
62 |
49 |
60 |
71 |
| water temp (C) |
17 |
17 |
21 |
26 |
27 |
22 |
| wetsuit |
3/2 |
3/2 |
springsuit |
boardshorts |
boardshorts |
springsuit |
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Population
Dakar - 1M
Coastline
700km (440mi)
Timezone
GMT -1hr
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Travel Information |
Weather
Senegal marks the border between the Sahara Desert and tropical West Africa, which begins in Casamance to the S of Dakar. It’s dry most of the time, except from July to September. The water temp drops below 18°c (65°F) in the heart of the winter, thanks to the cold Canaries Current passing along the edge of this coastline. Combined with the wind chill, an occasional 2mm fullsuit may be needed in the winter and a springsuit throughout the rest of the year. The Harmattan wind brings a choking dust from the Sahara
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Nature
Dakar is a big city with markets, shops and nightlife. Take the boat ride to the former slave island of Goré, nowadays a beautiful spot with only an old fort to remind you of its dark past. The surfers hangout is "The Spot", below the Diarama hotel.
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Hazards
With only about 150 local waveriders it’s rare to find more than 15 people at any spot. Sharks are rumoured to patrol the coastline, but fish are plentiful so you are unlikely to re-enter the food chain! Your main enemies are the sea urchins. Malaria and Yellow Fever are not major threats in the N’gor area, but precautions should be taken anyway. Your biggest hassle will be street hustlers, eager to sell you things.
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Hints
Senegal is a very French destination. It’s easy to phone and fax from Telecentres. The Tribal surf shop at “Le Virage” has a good range of SAF boards and various bodyboards. They also have a good board repair service. Locals use the S end of N’gor beach as a toilet.
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