Best places to Surf in Fiji

An Fiji surfing guidebook

This is Rhys Stacker's tips for the most beautiful places on the island and the best excavations..... WARM WATER, constant swell and some of the world' s most friendly peoples, it is no wonder that Fiji is a favourite surfing holiday resort. Up until recently, some of Fiji?s most famous surf destinations were limited, with surf resort exclusivity in the surrounding areas.

To take a break like Cloudbreak and swimming pools, windsurfers had to spend the nights on the Tavarua or Namotu Island for over $200 per overnight stop. Now Fiji's top of the line wave is open to everyone, even those with a reasonable price. There are two major islets in Fiji, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, and several hundred smaller islets.

Surfing is the most famous surfing area off the western shore of Viti Levu and comprises surfing areas such as Cloudbreak, restaurants and Wilkes Pass. When you can make the high prices, your time on the island will give you simple entry to the pauses by boating. Otherwise many windsurfers remain on the shore and are paying FJ$80-120 for a surf-cruise.

On the coral coastline in the southern part of the archipelago there are a lot of sea currents, most of them a canoe. Beginner sailors should visit the Sigatoka and Natadola shores, where the sandy bottom and smaller shafts are more tolerant. As an alternative, if you have enough spare times and your own yacht, the wave possibilities along the northern coastline of Viti Levu and the archipelago of Lau are almost unlimited.

Fiji lies in the centre of the southern Pacific and is open to waves from all sides. The southern coastline is covered with vegetation from below New Zealand during the northwinter. The same waves occur on the northern coastline in Hawaii in summer. It is a good trade-off to strive for the April, May and June seasons, when the wind is weakest and the swell becomes more even.

Fiji's ripples reach from rough, open riff passages like Cloudbreak and frigates to perfectly shaped, empty breaches like Hideaway. A number of resort and surf school rental companies also offer board rental. At the Fiji Surf Co (http://www.fijisurfco. com) in Nadi you can try Ian. As most of the good surf is in isolated areas, you should take everything you need, complete with replacement flippers and multiple lines.

Hostel accommodation that serves West fare costs between FJ$10 and FJ$20, while upscale resort hotels offer rates for either Australia or the US. They are all Aussie beers with a delicate flavour and are best eaten ice-cold. The majority of the resort and hostel have their own bar, but with many visitors taking part in daytime outside activity, the ambience can be serene.

It' testing your skills on one of the best left-handers in the whole wide globe. Keeps from two to twenty and is best with south-southwest swell and easterly wind. The left-handed mechanic begins to crack when the near Cloudbreak hits six foot and can be several hundred metres long. The external left turn is only for advanced windsurfers, best in south-west swell and south-east passatwind.

The inner cove has a funny ripple for students breaking over the waves. The estuary is a great diversion from the surf. Sigatoka can create funny left and right turns at low water, small swell and slight wind, but pay attention to the heavy current.

Club Masa Surf Camp offers cheap accommodations. One more left-handed, which can be reached by ferry from Waidroka on the southern shore of Viti Levu or in the near Batiluva Beach Resort on Yanuca Island. Funny and frisky on three foot, but for seasoned surfer only over six foot.