Le Galion Lagoon

Most of the locals meet at Le Galion because of the friendly atmosphere and combination of flat water and waves. Beginners and freeriders ride in the 500m wide Le Galion Lagoon while a nice wave breaks on Le Galion Reef at the south end of the bay. A real gem in rare easterly hurricane swell, very relaxed on days with normal windswell – and the cross-onshore winds will always blow you safely back to shore. Just a kilometre north is the large, safe Orient Bay, offering freeride joy in front of countless restaurants on the glittering white sandy beach. The wind’s mainly light but there’s the occasional 25-knot day with a little bit of shorebreak. Like Le Gallion, the beaches are pretty busy – except here the beachgoers prefer Adam and Eve swimsuits as Orient Bay is the nudists’ favoured beach. For a bit of privacy, blast a good 4km upwind to Tintamarre island and rip a few waves on the reefs off the south coast. It looks like Robinson Crusoe just shipped out, beside the wonderful scenery ashore there’s just a couple of goats and a rusty old smugglers plane. The best wave spot is on Saint Martin’s northern tip; drive to the rubbish tip, then it’s a 20-minute walk to the cape. Wilderness has epic waves in N or NE winter swells: a right-hander with clean waves and cross-shore wind. Right on the water’s edge the wind’s a bit fluky – and try not to drift as it gets very shallow downwind. Wilderness can be sailed to from Orient Bay, but conditions can make it hard to sail back. It’s safer to get picked up at the tip. Maybe the world’s most unusual spot is in the south-west of Sint Maartin, right at the end of Princess Juliana Airport’s runway at Maho Bay. With every take-off, the large jets provide a minute-long 40-knot offshore blast of wind – so you won’t have packed your 4.0m for nothing! Even the landing Jumbos can deliver a kick. An accessible change from Saint Martin, the neighbouring island of Anguilla is just a half-hour ferry ride from Marigot. Anguilla’s British so there’s a quick customs control, after which you can be on the south-west peninsular in no time (taxis and hire cars are really expensive, kiters should try a moped). There’s bay after bay here, all with pure white sand and crystal-clear waters. On the south coast the wind’s cross-shore from the left, while 1km away the north coast is cross-on from the right. Cove Bay on the south coast is particularly beginner-friendly: shallow at first, and should you drift downwind there’s always a safe landing. Long Bay near Temenos Resort and Oliviers Restaurant doesn’t have as much room downwind, while further east cross-shore conditions at Meads Bay and Barnes Bay demand a little more from experienced riders. All three score sweet waves in NE winter swells – if it weren’t for a couple of outer reefs, they’d be much bigger.