Overview
Pistons is a left-hand reef break tucked deep in the Bay of Jacmel, on Haiti's south coast. It takes its name from an 80-year-old shipwrecked engine out on the reef, and the wave is groomed by a nearby rivermouth that piles sand onto the reef below. Jacmel is an old coffee port with graceful mansions and a proud artist community famous for its papier-mâché carnival masks, and it sits about 86 km / 54 mi from the capital, a 3-4 hour drive down to the coast.
When It Works
The best waves come on a southeast swell, though the reef will take anything from east through south. Good lefts show up when east-southeast winds build enough fetch to raise 4-6 ft (1.2-2 m) seas at 5-7 second periods. The break works from 0.3 m / 1 ft to 1.8 m / 6 ft over a bottom of uneven reef and sand, and surf here is moderately consistent.
Wind and Tide
Mornings are the call, when offshore winds dive off the steep mountains behind the bay. The wave favours a north offshore. It can break through low, mid, and high tide, with a rising tide the better bet.
Local Tips
Pistons suits intermediate surfers, and the lineup stays fairly quiet. Locals Vadim and Russell pioneered and named the spot, and a handful of Jacmel-based surfers such as Chachou now ride it too.
Access
There's a car park with free parking right next to the beachside food stalls.
