Heading to rarotonga in a few weeks just trying to decide weather to take kite gear or surf board, im a wakestyle / freestyle kiter so love flat water for kiting. We are staying at a lagoon on the east side of the island. My intension was to kite but i been seing some pretty awesome surf photos from around the cook islands which has made me a bit undecided. I love surfing and having a baby with pram and all it would be alot easier just to take a surf board rather that all my kite gear. Just wondering if anybody has been there and if the surf is a mission to get to or not. After all kiting in the lagoon outside my hotel will be pretty easy and hassle free. Dont wanna be catching busses and boats trying to find a wave.

Oh yeh sweet, how do you get to the surf is it a boat trip out to the reefs or can you just paddle out? Im not the best surfer around but i been surfing for about 6 years or so, i like surf in the 2 - 4 foot range and preferably right handers.

glendog said...
Heading to rarotonga in a few weeks just trying to decide weather to take kite gear or surf board, im a wakestyle / freestyle kiter so love flat water for kiting. We are staying at a lagoon on the east side of the island. My intension was to kite but i been seing some pretty awesome surf photos from around the cook islands which has made me a bit undecided. I love surfing and having a baby with pram and all it would be alot easier just to take a surf board rather that all my kite gear. Just wondering if anybody has been there and if the surf is a mission to get to or not. After all kiting in the lagoon outside my hotel will be pretty easy and hassle free. Dont wanna be catching busses and boats trying to find a wave.

You lucky barstard!

Jedibrad said...
surfed there a bit, it's really good

took a kite once, never pumped it up

muri lagoon is the kite spot

what time of year did you go? theres a mix of reviews some loving it and some recon its the ****test place they have surfed lol. Think i might just kite.

Let the weather decide man. Look at the forecasts before you leave and make the decision.

Or idea number 2, take surfboard with one kite/harness pump. If its windy do some strapless wave riding. If not surf.

that would be called "The golf course" reef. I think it's the most consistent break on the island

Hey Glendog i like to use Windguru for the forecast. When i said 'less' wind i was more referring to the amount of days rather that the strength. I normally keep an eye on both Raro and Aitutaki over the Jun - Sept period and IMO Aitutaki looks to get more windy days.

Having said that if you look at both areas to do you would be getting more kiting done in Raro, its the luck of the weather gods i guess.

Ok, I've surfed there in may and june

The surf in raro is not for beginners, all waves are on live coral, and shallow, full time booties

The break at the end of the airport is call 'socials' , there used to be a social centre there, it's the most popular bodyboard spot, meaning there could be 3 or 4 out haha

It's a heavy bending left barrel with not only shallow coral but infested with urchins. paddle back in the way you came out not at the end of the wave

I've surfed the big left at the raro hotel a lot, on it's day a poor mans teahupo'o

theres two reef passes east of there and a sick but shallow wave at the edge water hotel, surf at top of the tide and dropping

I looked at wind guru the year i took a kite and maybe take at least 5knts off what it says

Hey Jedi, nice to know that you hit the left at Rarotonga hotel. When I was there it was about 12 to 15 foot and grinding. It was moving so fast, looked barely makeable but perfect. No locals at the time surfed it, (we are talking 25 years ago). Anyone get any photos of you there? Would love to see that! Pretty epic. Glad you scored waves there, I had the best time and had waves most days when we were there for about three weeks. Loved that island.