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This trip began with a call from Franck from the company Ultramarina. He was planning a trip to Dakhla because windsurfing was developing well again on the coast of Western Sahara. Dakhla, I know Dakhla well because I've been there twice, including once in 2006 with a group of pros that would make a PWA event green with envy: Kauli Seadi, Victor Fernandez, Boujmaa Guilloul, Marcilio Browne, Ricardo Campello, Fabrice Beau, Baptiste Gossein. All our expectations were exceeded at the time.
On the other hand, I wasn't really impressed by my last visit in 2014. I even came back a little disappointed because the kitesurfers had taken over. But Franck found the right arguments to convince me. He told me to set off with two riders at the end of January to show you what the real Dakhla looks like, the one of windsurfing - back to the roots.
Paris-Dakhla direct
That's how I found myself at Paris-Orly airport at seven o'clock on a Tuesday morning at the end of January. The direct flight with Transavia Paris-Dakhla allows you to leave Paris at 7.30am, arrive in Dakhla at 12.30pm, check in at the club or hotel at 2pm and, if you were motivated, start your surf session at 4pm at the latest. As Morocco remains in the summer time zone all year round, you can still be on the water until after 7pm in winter.
Many flights arrive in Dakhla at night. This time we are approaching at midday and when I look out of the window I can't believe my eyes. What the hell is this? Concrete, concrete, just concrete with a few coloured spikes here and there... What has happened to Dakhla, which I knew in 2005? What has happened in the last 15 years? The number of houses seems to have exploded. What I see is a town and no longer a village. I knew that the Moroccan royal family is very motivated to develop tourism in this part of the desert, but I am still a little surprised. Houses and hotels seem to be springing up like mushrooms.
In 2015, my stay was short and my trip limited to airport-club-airport. I had come to take photos and as I didn't have a car to move around in, I couldn't see too much of the change. Now I have hallucinations. I still remember the Dakhla of Rachid Roussafi, who discovered the place at the end of the 1990s. He quickly set up a tent camp there to welcome the first freaks. The first time I came, we spent the night at his place. We slept in small tents that were set up under large tents. There was a tent for sleeping, a tent for relaxing and one for eating. Hot water and electricity were just a dream back then.
Today, the same tents only serve as a place to cool off and protect from the sun. Many have been replaced by dozens of bungalows. Accommodation can be found all along the lagoon. We set up our base camp at Dakhla Attitude, certainly one of the best places to spend the night, but also and above all for windsurfing in the lagoon. Here you can get on the water quickly and access to the speed spot is the easiest - but more about that later.
Two Austrians want to bring the windsurfers back to Dakhla
Since all the kite magazines in the world have been raving about Dakhla, you have to face the truth: The spot has become one of the hot spots for kiters. But there are still people who remember the roots of Dakhla. Hannes Unterweger is one of them. Hannes, who has owned the Freak Windsurfing Centre in Palekastro on Crete for 15 years, discovered Dakhla in 2017 thanks to the two French freestylers Julien Mas and Sam Esteve. The two friends, both regular guests in Dakhla and Palekastro, were able to motivate the Austrian to come to Dakhla to bring the hidden treasures for windsurfers back out of obscurity.
And it was love at first sight. He saw the spot, immediately sensed the potential and decided to open a windsurfing centre. To get the place up and running smoothly, he brought another tough Austrian on board, his former Palekastro centre manager Lukas. Together they got the place going again and windsurfing is back in fashion in the middle of the Moroccan sand dunes.
Freeride, freestyle and wave spots in the smallest of spaces
Quite rightly so, because Dakhla not only offers excellent freeride conditions with flat water in the lagoon, but it's also great for freestyling and, of course, wave surfing. I came here 15 years ago with this bunch of wave riders from the top ten of the PWA World Cup because of the waves. After our visit, they even dreamed that the PWA would organise a contest there - but that's another story. Nevertheless, windsurfing didn't really gain a foothold in Dakhla, while kitesurfing took off at the same time. It's a shame, because it's a destination that's close to Europe and offers so many opportunities.
At the beginning of January, I therefore asked Boujmaa Guilloul and Cédric Bordes, two respected professionals - one in wave and the other in slalom and foil racing - to accompany me on this new Moroccan adventure. Both accepted the invitation immediately. They already knew the place, especially the Moroccan Boujmaa, who regularly comes there in winter to train. Together with Hannes and his partner Lukas, we scoured the entire region for a week, surfing spot after spot. None of us were disappointed, everyone got their money's worth, whether it was wave surfing, on the speed strip or foiling in the lagoon.
Although Dakhla is also a military town, where some pretty ugly buildings have been erected in the last fifteen years, you shouldn't leave without visiting the old market, drinking a cosy cup of mint tea on one of the numerous terraces and smelling the exotic spices.
Boujmaa and Cédric were on the water every day on our trip to the edge of the Sahara - windsurfing in flat water and in the waves, with the foil or on the SUP board - and return home full of enthusiasm. For my part, I took full memory cards and a head full of photos and memories back to France. And they weren't just limited to windsurfing, because if you have a bit of an adventurous spirit, you can easily discover virgin sand dunes in the desert for a few dirhams, experience mesmerising sunrises or enjoy the silence and seclusion from the hectic world in the middle of nowhere.
Spot info Dakhla
Location
The territory of Western Sahara is largely claimed and administered by Morocco. The city of Dakhla is located on a headland around 40 kilometres long and four kilometres wide. This forms a sheltered bay cut deep into the land. The windsurfing spots are located in the very north of the bay and on the mainland side opposite the town. If you take a look at Google Earth, you will search in vain for the colour slider. The area is almost devoid of vegetation - the Sahara practically merges directly into the sea here. The absolute prevailing wind is the north-east trade wind, which blows at more than four Beaufort on around 300 days a year. The months with the strongest winds are from May to October. Due to local reinforcements, it can blow with up to seven Beaufort, especially in summer
Journey
While our French colleague Julian Schlosser can enjoy a direct connection to Dakhla from Paris, you have to plan a stopover in Casablanca from Germany. The transfer time from Dakhla airport to the hotels and stations in Dakhla North is between half an hour and three quarters of an hour. The Heliophora Lodge on the other side of the lagoon is about an hour's drive away.
Living
There is now a relatively large amount of accommodation around the bay, many combined with kite centres. For windsurfers, hotels or bungalow complexes with windsurfing centres are recommended. The choice is not so plentiful. PK25 is located on the west side of the lagoon directly on the water. There is an offshoot of the Freak Surfstation at the comfortable bungalow complex. The Ocean Vagabond bungalow complex is located in the north-east of the lagoon. Here you can use the equipment of the ION Club. The Dakhla Attitude camp is located at the tip of the headland jutting out into the lagoon. It is divided into the simpler Windhunter Camp and the Dragon Camp. The new Freak Surf Station is located right here.
The very comfortable Dakhla Club is located around 500 metres from the station. The Heliophora Ecolodge run by Dakhla pioneer Rachid Roussafi with its own wind and surf centre is located on the mainland side of the bay in the far south. Full board is offered in practically all accommodation, as there are few opportunities for shopping or restaurants. The accommodation is quite comfortable, but not up to the standard of European all-inclusive resorts. A bit of adventure and wilderness feeling remains. All information and bookings can be found at the specialist tour operators: Sun and Fun, www.sunandfun.com; Surf & Action, www.surfaction.com; ION Club, www.ion-club.net
Wind, weather & neoprene recommendations
The absolute prevailing wind is the north-east trade wind, which blows at more than four Beaufort on around 300 days a year. The months with the strongest winds are from May to October. Due to local reinforcements, it can blow with up to seven Beaufort, especially in summer. Thanks to the constant ventilation, it doesn't get too hot even in summer. In summer, air temperatures reach an average of just under 25 degrees, in winter slightly lower. The water temperatures are between just under 20 and 24 degrees. Depending on the season, a long-legged short-sleeved neo or shorty is recommended.
Surf stations
As mentioned in the section on accommodation, there are three surf centres. The Freak Station at PK25 is relatively small, with equipment from JP-Australia and NeilPryde. The selection of Fanatic/Duotone products at the ION Club is much larger. Here, the way to the water can be a little longer at low tide, but there is a large standing depth range. The station staff will also help you carry them. This is not necessary at the Freak Surf Station, where there is always enough water directly in front of the station. From here, you can also take the JP-Australia/NeilPryde equipment around the corner to the speed spot, from where the shuttle service will pick you up again if you don't feel like walking uphill.
The best windsurfing spots in Dakhla
1) The lagoon
The lagoon has established Dakhla's legendary reputation. Most of the camps, accommodation and centres are located around the lagoon. The conditions vary between flat water and bump & jump. There are large shallow areas in front of both the ION Club and the Freak Station at Attitude. This is ideal for beginners and intermediates. At low tide, you only have to carry your equipment a maximum of 300 metres to the water. From the Freak Station, you can ride directly over the entire lagoon.
2) Speed Spot
The speed spot has a magical attraction for kiters and windsurfers. As soon as the spot is accessible, an armada of kites and sails sets off for this spot. At low tide, a sandbank emerges from the water, behind it the wind blows completely offshore and you can speed for hundreds of metres on absolutely smooth water. Equipped with small freestyle fins, you can even try to touch the sand with your hand while surfing. I've tested it for you. But be careful: if you touch the bottom, you could take a catapult. At the speed spot, it can get quite crowded by Moroccan standards. It's best to continue surfing on the port bow towards the large dunes - the conditions there are similarly good and you can escape the hustle and bustle.
From the Freak Station you can surf directly to the spot and also cruise back - or you can be picked up by the shuttle for a fee.
3) The White Dune
Some kite centres organise downwinders to the spot in front of the imposing white dune on the east side of the bay. If you want to reach the spot by car, you need four-wheel drive. Good windsurfers can also cross back to the freak station from here. Our two protagonists did this and took about half an hour to get back.
4) West Point - Oum Lbouer
Just north of Dakhla town on the Atlantic side is the wavespot where the legendary Windsurf Challenge took place in 2006. Since then, a hotel has been built to block the wind. The fantastic wave has remained. It runs long as a point break and allows many turns with a cross-offshore wind from the right. The spot is not for wave beginners, but the coexistence with the kiters works very well.
5) Lassarga
For a long time, the area to the very south of Dakhla town, at the end of the headland, was not accessible. However, the former military area has been open for some time now. Lassarga is also an excellent wave spot with very offshore winds. You should know what you're doing here. The spot in Lassarga is also shared with kiters. The Vagabond Ocean Club has opened a kite camp just outside the fishing village.
6) El Argoub
The Heliphora Ecolodge is located on the mainland side of the bay, almost directly opposite the town of Dakhla. The shallow water area directly in front of it not only offers perfect freeride conditions, especially at low tide, but also a large shallow area for beginners and intermediates. As the Ecolodge is the only hotel for miles around, it never gets too crowded on the water. The wind blows sideshore from the right, more offshore in winter, as it then often shifts to more easterly directions.
TextJulian Schlosser
This spot guide first appeared in surf 3/2020
