eFoil regulations & spots in Mauritius

Motorised pleasure craft in Mauritius are licensed by the Tourism Authority under the Tourism Authority Act 2006 (Pleasure Craft Licence, private or commercial, for craft used for water sports, sport fishing or pleasure; pedal boats, kayaks, surfboards and non-motorised inflatables are excluded) and driven by holders of a Skipper's Licence valid to 12 or 24 nautical miles. The Ministry of Blue Economy oversees marine protected areas and the Beach Authority manages public beaches. eFoils do not clearly fit the pleasure-craft category: the operator e-foil.mu reports that a 2023 enquiry to the Tourism Authority produced the answer that registration and licensing are not required for private recreational use, that no licence category yet exists for commercial eFoil schools or rentals, and that the Authority is reviewing how to classify the activity. Boards with Bluetooth modules must also be registered with the ICT Authority as radio devices.

Because of that gap there is no eFoil-specific minimum age, licence, insurance or life-jacket rule. Commercial pleasure craft operating outside the lagoon must have everyone on board in a personal flotation device, and the Tourism Authority requires operators to keep within the prescribed speed limit for each zone; e-foil.mu treats a helmet, PFD and leash as mandatory kit and advises never riding alone. If the Tourism Authority classes eFoils as pleasure craft, a Pleasure Craft Licence and a Category C skipper's licence would follow.

Where you may ride is set by zoning. Under the Beach Authority (Use of Public Beach) Regulations 2004, swimming zones are marked with yellow floats and a 10 m buffer zone with red floats; no vessel, including any non-displacement craft, may operate in either, vessels may enter the waters of a public beach only along a demarcated passage, and officers may direct any craft within 100 m of the water's edge. Local Tourism Authority regulations impose 5-knot limits in navigation channels such as Grande Riviere Noire. The marine parks at Blue Bay and Balaclava carry their own restrictions on motorised craft and anchoring, and the designated kitesurfing zones at Le Morne and Anse La Raie should be treated as off-limits to powered boards. eFoil schools ride Tamarin Bay, Grand Baie and the Le Morne lagoon and outer bay.

Enforcement is by the Tourism Authority, the Beach Authority and the National Coast Guard; penalties for a private board could not be identified because the category does not yet exist. Ride from a school or hotel water-sports centre, stay outside the yellow and red buoys, leave the beach through marked passages, keep to displacement speed near swimmers and anchored boats, and check with the Tourism Authority before importing a board, since the classification is expected to change.