Above: Me at a Secret Reef: Central Morocco

in 2007/08 I spent a season in Taghazout, Morocco with the fun and crazy team at Surfmaroc. It was a beautiful and action packed experience with my days typically involving the following;

- Up at dawn to squeeze in my own Yoga and Pilates practice

- Get assigned a 4WD for the day and take a crew of surfers to a explore and surf a mixture of sand bottom points and reefs all day until ones arms were cactus and needed replacing

- Teach a Yoga based surf exercise class in the evening

- Attend to any sore and injured surfers in the late evening

- Wake up and repeat above process.

Although this routine was at times physically manic the assortment of world class point and reef setups that  dished up everything from open wall canvases to heart pounding mutant barrels left a permanent smile on my face. I was also lucky enough to follow my surfEXPLORER friends advice and trip to the Sahara which was mind-altering. Below I have outlined some key travel tips if you wish to hit up this exoctic blend of culture, food, spices, architecture and pumping waves.

Country
Morocco

Best Months
October – March

Level Of Experience Required

Waves to be found for all skill levels, beginners through to advanced

Physical Requirements

In this part of the world when the swell arrives so does the sweep and cross-offshore winds. This means surfing and swimming regularly before your visit to build your sustained paddle fitness is crucial to blow up on these waves.

Types Of Breaks
Rock and sand point break, beach breaks, reef breaks, river mouth

Accommodation Costs
$15-30 p/day

Transport Costs
Car rental is essential to access the variety of breaks on offer and will set you back $30 per day. If you are lucky local car rental can be arranged in Taghazout at a cheaper cost.

Food Costs
$15-30 p/day

Average Swell Height
4-5 feet

Dominant Swell Direction
NW-N

Dominant Wind Direction
N-NE

Wetsuit
3’2 – 4’3 Steamer, boots optional

Water Temperature
15-21 degreed Celsius

Weather
Expect mild to warm days, chilly nights and occasional rainfall (beware of landslides during flash floods.

Main Breaks
Anchor Point, Mysteries, La Source, Killers, Boilers, Tamri, Immoussanne, Cathedrals

Nature/Culture
Essouira is a bohemian artisan town built within the walls of a 16th century Spanish fortress. This maze of cobblestone streets with shops, cafes and terrace bars provides an exciting alternative to the sometimes harsh and ruggard surfing backdrop. The ancient Medina city of Marrakesh is famous for its main square souk market. The market is a maze of stores, bright fabrics, exotic spices, snake charmers and storytellers. The snowcapped Atlas Mountains provide majestic hiking opportunities and potential snowboarding in the heart of winter. Definitely try a local targine whilst in Morocco. Tuta and Goulmine are small, magic oasis towns that border the great Sahara. For those with a reliable vehicle and supplies the Sahara provides the lure of adventure, danger and exotic flavors and waves.

Hazards/Hassles
Rocks, urchins, theft, broken glass, localism at Anchor Point