Kurzinfo
Geeignet für: Windsurfer, Kitesurfer
Revier: Welle
Windrichtung: beste keine Angabe, fahrbar keine Angabe
Spotbedingungen
Plantation Island Resort
Located just a quick 45minute ferry ride from Denerau Marina (20 minutes from airport) this island has become the center of all kitesurfing in Fiji. With beaches available for all wind directions and the use of the resort boat people for rescue should something go wrong, you can’t go wrong staying at this resort.
Accommodation ranges from share rates of FJ$53 a night (no food) to a double bedroom beach front bure for 6 people costing FJ$580 per night. Meal packages can be purchased for as little as FJ$45 per night and beers are just FJ$2.80.
The Fijian Staff are awesome and you will enjoy the activities of the resort as well as the insane conditions for either flat water windsurfing or kitesurfing. In the mornings you can get a surf boat to Wilkes Passage for the surfers with Big John, a legendary local who has been taking people to these breaks for decades.
Windsurfers can find perfect flat water – small chop straight off the front beach and with the predominent SE trade winds blowing from march – October, you usually get some sailing. Winds average 10-15 knots so big gear is advisable and no gear is available on the resort, you have ot bring your own.
Kiters will love this place and the island resort has just started advertising how good it is for kiters after some 20 kites could be seen sailing off the sand bank in August 2002. The sand bank appears at low tides and can be up for over 4 hours providing kitesurfers with ideal flat water. You can sail over the reef at moderate tide but beware of small rocks sticking up. There are plenty of yacht usually in the harbor so avoid wrapping your kite around them in the northerlies as you fly above the harbor.
This place comes highly recommended to all families as the kids will be taken care of on the resort both day and night leaving you plenty of time to sail or kite till you drop and then enjoy the entertainment in the evening.
People to ask for will be Michael Wong who is one of the local windsurfers, Billy at the boat shed who will teach you the basics of windsurfing, Papa who will entertain your kids and make hats and baskets and if the owners sons Barron and Jayson are around they will certainly come kiting with you.
Namotu Island
Fiji’s premier location for surfers and an insane windsurfing break. The breaks are exclusive to the people who stay on the island which keeps crowds down. Only a small island the price includes everything you can eat, boat rides to other islands and the surf. Prices range from US$131 a night right through to US$400 a night and you need to book with a company called Waterways in America.
With a large sand beach at the end of the island this is a great place for the advanced kiter or wavesailor only. There are no facilities for either so make sure you take your own equipment. You will have to stay for a whole week as bookings are from Saturday – Saturday but you will love this place.
The best surfers in the world go to this resort to train, kiters such as Robbie Naish and Rush Randle frequent the shores and the legendary windsurfer Mike Waltze is one of the owners so you often see him lurking around the bar. The manager is Australia’s Scott O’Connor who holds 23 national windsurfing titles so if you want to sail with some of the best then this is the guy to talk to. In addition some of the regular staff include Dan C who is often seen in Maui at Neil Pryde Maui and is a top windsurfer and kiter, Ben Wilson, regarded as Australia’s leading kitesurfer and Gus from Neil Pryde Maui.
In 2001 the Red Bull Watermans Bash was held on this island and if you get a chance to see the video you will know what I am talking about. This place rocks.
It may seem like a lot of money but this place is insane and you will want to keep coming back, that is why booking are usually pretty solid year round so you need to book very early. Sometimes you can get a fill in spot on groups that book.
Windsurfers will enjoy what I regard as the best Port Tack wave in the world. When it gets bigger it can get gnarly as seen in the Namotu Classic Video from 1998 but at mast high it is a perfect wave with heaps of bottom turns. It makes a good sailor look great. Beware of the reef at low tide, it munches fins.
Kiters have two choices. You can kite in the waves which is awesome with flat water leading up to the big waves or you can kite off the other side in choppy water. Whatever you do, play it safe, there is no land off the bottom of the island so you will need one of the boatmen looking out for you.
Overall an awesome place and if you are lucky enough to get on this island you will love it. Take a surfboard as well, this is a must.
Natadola Harbour
A secret spot on the mainland but really only accessible by boat. There is a road in but you want a boat to get to the breaks. The surf spot is further out so it is easier to launch off a boat. Kiters can get off the beach but it is tricky and really only suitable for experienced kiters. there is very little wind inside on the beach and the channel is only 50m wide.
On the point windsurfers will have a great time. The waves are inconsistent as at is wind generated but the thing that makes this place so good is that it is always windier than Namotu. Situated on the most SW point of Fiji’s mainland it cops the SE trades very hard. Regularly sailing 5.0 or smaller you will face mast high waves more often than not and they are powerful. Not for the beginner this place will grab you and throw you when you least expect it. With a wrapping north bowl on the reef you will come down the line and face an offshore wave coming at you at the end, similar to Maui’s Jaws West Bowl. I have seen people launch off this wave mast and a quarter above the wave and land inside but if it grabs you there is a reef waiting for you. It is not a dangerous reef but it claims masts very regularly for those who don’t take the place seriously.
Only sail with a boat handy as it is a ong way from shore with broken equipment and only sail at high tide, low tides sees an exposed reef.
For the experienced wavesailor though, the rides you get, the consistency of the wind and that fat lip to smack on the end is so much fun. There is no accommodation at this location.
Mana Island
For beginner kiters this is a great place. You have long beaches and you are inside a reef with land all round you. The horse shoe shape allows you to kite downwind and land on the beach safely.
The resort is boring though and not one I recommend. It is more for older people and kiters have only just been starting to turn up and they stay at the backpackers which can only be described as ordinary. Poor food and accommodation but great parties, it doesn’t rate too highly for many people but it might be worth a day trip for those beginner kiters.
Castaway Island Resort
Still in the Mamanuca Islands like every other resort in this report, this is a family resort with a great sandy beach but the reef is tough on low tides. The wind will blow cross onshore in SE and Cross off in NE but the point is a great landing and launching spot. Accommodation is similar to Plantation Island but food is more expensive and not necessarily nicer. They do however have a great Pizza bar upstairs which is good for lunch.
Entertainment is great fun with activities all the time. The family will love it and you will love the winds.
Robinson Crusoe Resort
A small backpackers which can’t be rated as the best kitesurfing spot but it is O.K. The reason I mention this place is the island rocks. It may be a backpackers with bucket showers adn ancient type accommodation but talk about an island where you feel you are in Fiji. The Staff are always entertaining including Jim at nights on the guitar singing songs all night, making up new songs and considering he sounds like Barry White, it is great entertainment. When the lights go out at 12 midnight (they turn the generators off) it is onto the beach for a camp fire….every night. It is awesome fun and for those young adventurers, you have to visit.
Kiting off the point is o.k but a quick current and gusty winds let it down a fair bit. On strong Northerlies however this place goes off with cross onshore conditions right off the front beach.
Considering it is only FJ$50 a night including all meals and accommodation, you have to stay at least for three nights.
Boat Charters
There are several boats available for skippered charters. Only one boat specialises in Kiting and Windsurfing being the Pacific Cruising Co. Other boats however still take you onboard and will take you to the hotspots. Take A Break is a 43ft Catamaran that sleeps 6 guests and has heaps of rigging space. Hobo is a 36ft ketch for probably a couple and then Pacific Cruising Co has a 51ft Beneteau that sleeps up to 6 guests.
Overall Fiji is an awesome place, the people are friendly and the conditions are great. Even if the conditions aren’t good during your stay you will have a great time as there is always plenty to do.
Autor
Thommo (Pacific Cruising Co)
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