Best time to kitesurf Saint-Pierre (Réunion)
The best time to kitesurf at Saint-Pierre (Réunion) is May–September, the well-known local wind season, with water around 25°C.
Saint-Pierre, South coast, Réunion
Sports: Kitesurfing
Best time to go: May–September
Saint-Pierre is the main town on the south coast of Réunion. Its kite spot is on the seafront west of the harbour, next to the gendarmerie and outside the town's lagoon, about 5 km east of Pierrefonds airport. A kite school works in Saint-Pierre, and the town has hosted a kitesurf competition in November.
The south-east trade wind speeds up around the southern end of the island and is funnelled along this stretch of coast, so the wind here is strong to very strong and works almost all year; riders often use 4 to 5 m kites. Outside the lagoon the water is choppy with waves, over reef and rock. The Pierrefonds airport weather station records 15 knots or more on about half of the days through the year and on about six in ten from May to September, almost always from the south-east.
This is a spot for experienced kiters: the wind is strong and gusty, and there are waves and reef. Réunion has a high shark risk, and swimming and surfing are banned outside the lagoons and supervised areas on most of the coast: ride with others, avoid dawn, dusk and murky water after rain, and follow the local navigation zones. The water is about 24 °C in August and 28 °C from January to March: a shorty or a 3/2 in the southern winter, a lycra in summer.
Month by month at Saint-Pierre (Réunion)
- January: 8 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 0.6 m, water 28°C, air 29°C (nights 24°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 28 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 17; a day can have both
- February: 10 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 0.7 m, water 28°C, air 29°C (nights 24°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 26 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 17; a day can have both
- March: 14 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 0.9 m, water 29°C, air 29°C (nights 24°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 29 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 16; a day can have both
- April: 12 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 1 m, water 28°C, air 28°C (nights 23°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 28 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 14; a day can have both
- May: 17 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 15 knots, waves 1.3 m, water 27°C, air 27°C (nights 22°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 30 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 11; a day can have both
- June: 16 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 13 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 26°C, air 25°C (nights 20°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 29 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 10; a day can have both
- July: 16 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 13 knots, waves 1.5 m, water 25°C, air 24°C (nights 19°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 30 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 10; a day can have both
- August: 12 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 24°C, air 24°C (nights 19°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 31 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 11; a day can have both
- September: 15 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 13 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 25°C, air 25°C (nights 19°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 30 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 6; a day can have both
- October: 13 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 12 knots, waves 1.4 m, water 25°C, air 26°C (nights 21°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 31 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 4; a day can have both
- November: 10 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 10 knots, waves 1 m, water 26°C, air 27°C (nights 22°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 30 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 9; a day can have both
- December: 8 windy days (15+ knots), average wind 9 knots, waves 0.8 m, water 28°C, air 28°C (nights 23°C), sun (6+ hours) on about 30 days, rain (1+ mm) on about 14; a day can have both
When is the best time to go kitesurfing at Saint-Pierre (Réunion)?
May–September, the well-known local wind season (weather models underestimate the local winds here).
How warm is the water at Saint-Pierre (Réunion)?
24°C to 29°C over the year: boardshorts, no wetsuit needed in the warmest month, a shorty or lycra in the coolest.
How windy is Saint-Pierre (Réunion)?
About 152 days a year with at least 2 hours of 15+ knots in the daytime, most in May.
Figures from 5 years of weather data (Open-Meteo).
Spots near Saint-Pierre (Réunion)
- Le Morne (215 km)
- Pointe d'Esny (256 km)
More: All spots in Réunion · Kitesurfing in Réunion
Compare with: Le Morne vs Saint-Pierre (Réunion) · Pointe d'Esny vs Saint-Pierre (Réunion)