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.
I would just surf. Plenty of waves, heavy reef at Golf Course, surf med to high tide. easier waves on the other side if swell gets in. The rugby field offers a good wave, and there is a pass not far from there with a right hander that is good too. I have never tried to kite there and don't know if any of the lagoons offer launch and land areas, maybe others who have stayed there on the way to Aitutaki might know. Raro is a beautiful island and the hike up the Needle from one side to the other is a must. Have fun
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.
looks pretty kite-able to me, not sure what part of the island these are .. but you would get trade winds
Select to expand quoteglendog 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!
surfed there a bit, it's really good
took a kite once, never pumped it up
muri lagoon is the kite spot
Select to expand quoteJedibrad 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.
all surf spots are paddle out. High tide paddle the lagoon, walk onto the reef, and jump in. Remember, the left at Golf course is high to mid tide only. It drains pretty seriously on the lower tide. I have seen some epic lefts marching in at what was once the Rarotonga Hotel, but you would need a ski to get into the wave and keep you out of trouble. Don't know anyone who has attempted it.
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.
You can kite the area in the photos, the trades come from the left of the photos. Raro dosn't get the same amount of wind as Aitutaki. Seem some locals surfing a break near the end of the runway, not sure what it's callled
that would be called "The golf course" reef. I think it's the most consistent break on the island
Select to expand quotedeanrobi said...
You can kite the area in the photos, the trades come from the left of the photos. Raro dosn't get the same amount of wind as Aitutaki. Seem some locals surfing a break near the end of the runway, not sure what it's callled
How much less does it get. Does it get to 15 every day? What wind forecast do you go off?
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.
in raro for the season. pm me for specifics you want to know. id say bring your surfboard so theres more room for my students :)
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
Thanks for the responce guys, think ill stick with the kite. the surf over there sounds a bit out of my league. If i was going with mates that surf id be keen as.
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.
change of plan, way to much luggage with all my kite gear and all the baby stuff, it will be good the day all this kite gear is as small as an i phone lol (thats the sh!ttest joke but its all i got,) taking the surfboard and for the first time ever preying for no wind. strange feeling.
