Low tide confuses a lot of people on this coast. The beach breaks that were fun at breakfast start to dump onto the sand, and everyone stands on the headland wondering where the waves went. They did not go anywhere. At low tide the good surf simply moves to the points.
Tides here swing a long way, up to about 10 feet (3 meters) on a big spring tide, so the difference between low and high is not a detail. Check the tide before you choose a spot. It matters as much as the swell.
Where to go at low
Banana Point (Aourir)
The easy answer, and the one most people pick. Banana Point is a long, forgiving right-hand wave that works best from low to mid tide. It also hides from the afternoon wind, so it often stays clean when everything else gets messy. The downside is that everyone else knows this too.
Anchor Point
Anchor is usually at its best from low to mid tide. It is still Anchor: rocky entry, a strong current, a crowd, and not somewhere to learn.
Panoramas
At the south end of Taghazout village, Panoramas works best from low to mid tide. At low tide it gets faster and hollower, which is more fun for good surfers and less fun for learners. There are rocks on the inside, so it is not a spot for first-timers.
Mysteries
Mysteries is a right-hand point that works best from low to mid tide, ideally on a falling tide. It can get crowded.
Killer Point and Boilers
Both work at low to mid tide and both are for experienced surfers only. Killer Point is a long paddle out, with a serious current once there is size. Boilers, up by the Cap Ghir lighthouse, is shallow reef with urchins and a jump off the rocks to get in. Boilers has one big advantage: the mountains channel the wind offshore, so it is rarely spoiled by wind.
Tamri
If the points are too crowded or too much, Tamri is the beach break north of the Cap Ghir lighthouse. It picks up more swell than the spots farther south, and it works from low to mid tide. It is wide open, so there is room to spread out.
What to avoid at low
- Crocro and Devil's Rock (Tamraght). These are mid-to-high-tide beach breaks. At low tide they tend to dump straight onto the sand. Surf schools time their lessons around this, and you should too.
- Hash Point (Taghazout village). It works best around mid tide, and there are rocks on the inside. Wait for the tide to come back up.
- La Source. It works best from mid to high tide. At low tide it is a rocky slab, better left to experienced surfers.
Low tide plus afternoon wind
The classic bad combination: the tide is out and the north wind has come up. Go to Banana Point. It is the most sheltered option at that tide. If you are a strong surfer and there is real swell, Boilers is the other answer.
If you are a beginner
Low tide is not your friend. The water is shallower, the waves break harder, and on the reefs there is rock not far under you. Take the low tide off, have a long breakfast, and go back to the beach once the tide has come up for a couple of hours. Your instructor will tell you the same thing. See the best beginner surf spots.
Today's tides and the score for each spot, hour by hour, are on the forecast page.