La Digue is the third largest island in the Seychelles, but being on it versus being on Mahe is like swimming in a lake versus the Pacific—I loved it. Everyone gets around by bike or ox-cart, and with a brisk pace and half inkling you could walk around its entirety and be back in time for lunch.
The best part about La Digue, is that it has, yep, you guessed it, surf! There are three beaches connected to one another by footpaths crossing steep hills and each glorious one had waves. The first beach was the most exposed, picking up swell from nearly all directions and getting the biggest waves. Framed by immense black granite slabs, the beach appears to be wedged between two formidable bookends.
I never made it past this first beach, I had a quick look at the others, but surfing-wise there was no need to go anywhere else. After biking uphill and downhill along the rainforest-shadowed path with surfboard tucked under my arm, I reached this first beach. My jaw dropped, I threw down my rental bike and hit the water paddling. Shoulder-high nuggets were rolling in over soft sand and holding long enough for me to race down the line before they closed out. Once again no one was around! This time I was really alone. I surfed all day long and was satisfyingly crispy and sore to show for it that night.
My second day there, the swell had gotten bigger and after a solo morning session, some locals made their way out in the afternoon to join in the fun. At first I thought, "Finally, it's about time." I was beginning to suspect that NO Seychellois surfed as I hadn't seen a single surfboard, excluding Johan and Aurelie's, since the day I arrived. Then my second thought was "Great, now I won't be getting any waves."
After receiving a few surprised looks, I was beamed by quite possibly the friendliest smiles I've ever seen, followed by shouts of encouragement and arm waves to catch the next big one rolling in out the back. My second thought melted away. As I dropped in, it was replaced by a third thought, "I'm never leaving this place."
Wish You Were Here,
Shannon
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