Dakhla – Oum Labouir21h · 7 kt
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Min. level
Intermediate
Optimal wind
14-26 kts
Season
April to October
Live · now
What to check
Discover the spot
The spot
Discover Dakhla – Oum Labouir
Oum Labouir is Dakhla’s ocean face — where you swap the lagoon’s flat for a real wave. About half an hour from the camps, on the Atlantic side of the peninsula, a right-hander peels long down the point, barrelling on the bigger days. And the good news: here the north-east trade wind runs along the coast, side-shore, carrying you along the wave and back to shore. The classic point-break set-up — the trap isn’t the wind, but the wave and a hole in the wind inside the bay.
Where the lagoon offers a sheltered sheet of flat water, Oum Labouir rolls out a real ocean wave: a clean right-hand point break, long, holding up to 3 metres and barrelling on the bigger days. The swell is more generous in autumn-winter, the trade wind stronger in spring-summer; the sweet spot, around September-October, is where the two overlap. Good news for safety: along this coast the trade wind runs parallel to the shore — cross/side-shore from the right, it carries you along the wave and back to shore, the sound set-up of a point break. What makes the spot demanding comes down to two things: a hole in the wind inside the bay, near the Westpoint Hotel, where the flow drops and gusts before settling past the point; and rocks that uncover at low tide at the entrance to the point. Add cool upwelling water and a wild, remote coast — this is wave-riding for those who can handle a wave, not a place to learn. The lagoon, right next door, is there for that.
Who & when
Level and best time
Who it's for
Oum Labouir is a wave spot for intermediate to advanced kiters. The Atlantic swell can hold up to 3 m, the wind is gusty inside the bay where the wave starts, and rocks are exposed at low tide at the entrance to the point: this is not a place to learn on your own. A few sources call it accessible, but the mix of waves, gusts and rocks keeps it for riders who already know how to handle a wave. To learn in Dakhla, the flat, supervised lagoon is the place for that — not the ocean side.
source : kitesurfist.com ↗Best time
Two seasons overlap here. The trade wind is strongest in spring and summer (April-September); the bigger swells tend to arrive in autumn and winter (October-May). The sweet spot for combining wind and waves is around September-October, with October often named the best month. High summer brings plenty of wind but smaller waves. The water stays cool all year because of the Atlantic upwelling off the Sahara: a wetsuit is recommended year-round.
source : kitesurfist.com ↗On site
Arrival guide
Access & Westpoint landmark
Oum Labouir sits on the ocean side of the peninsula, about 30 minutes by car or 4×4 from the lagoon and the camps. As most kite operations are based on the lagoon, you reach the spot by shuttle: the exact arrangements depend on the camp and would be best confirmed locally. The landmark on the spot is the Westpoint Hotel right beside it — the same building that disturbs the wind where the wave begins (see Safety). There are also bars, a restaurant and a surf centre.
source : dakhlasurfhotels.com ↗The wave spot, not the lagoon
Oum Labouir is Dakhla’s wave spot: a right-hand point break on the ocean, clearly distinct from the area’s other waters. The lagoon (the inland side) is flat and made for learning; the Speed Spot is dedicated to flat water and speed; the Pointe de l’Or is another point break, longer-peeling and more technical, requiring a 4×4. Oum Labouir is relatively easier to reach than the Pointe de l’Or, but is farther from the camps. Out on the wave the bottom is sandy, with rocks at the entrance to the point.
source : buscokite.com ↗Before you go
Safety
Gusty wind inside the bay
Oum Labouir’s number-one hazard isn’t offshore — the trade wind runs along the coast, the sound set-up of a point break. It’s in the wind hole: inside the bay, where the wave starts and near the Westpoint Hotel, the flow drops and gusts, the building carving a real dip. On a wave, that means stalls and brutal surges of power right where you don’t want them. Past the point the wind settles. So you head out keeping a margin over that unstable launch zone.
source : kitesurfist.com ↗Rocks at low tide
At the entrance to the point, rocks are exposed at low tide: you then have to get in and out of the water through those rocks, which is dangerous. It’s the spot’s classic trap, because the best waves are ridden precisely around low tide — better wave and exposed rocks go hand in hand. Before launching, check the tide level, pick your way in and out, and avoid being caught out by a dropping tide at the wrong moment.
source : ion-club.net ↗Waves, cold water, remote coast
This is an ocean wave environment: the Atlantic swell can hold up to 3 metres and barrel on the bigger days, which already calls for genuine confidence in the wave. The water is cool year-round (Atlantic upwelling), and the coast is wild and remote, deep in the Atlantic Sahara. Stay supervised, don’t go out alone, and match your session to the day’s size. No kite regulation specific to the spot was found in the sources; in practice access goes through a camp shuttle, to be confirmed locally.
source : kitesurfist.com ↗Community
Soon, by the riders
These spaces will fill up with the community’s feedback.
Session reports (today’s swell size, wind inside the bay vs past the point, tide and rocks)
What tide level is safe for getting in and out at Oum Labouir right now?